The People's House of Commons: Theories of Democracy in Contention.

• Author: Levy, Gary
• Position: Book review

The People's House of Commons: Theories of Democracy in Contention by David E. Smith, University of Toronto Press, Toronto, 2007.

For forty years David Smith has been a pillar of the Political Science establishment. This is the last of a trilogy devoted to Parliament along with The Invisible Crown and The Canadian Senate in Bicameral Perspective.

Although now retired from the University of Saskatchewan David Smith is still a frequent witness before parliamentary committees and a participant in conferences relating to Canadian political institutions. He is noted for his mastery of the principles and conventions of the Westminster system, a knowledge he has shared with generations of students including many who are now legislators.

Over the years proposed reforms such as election of the Senate, proportional representation and fixed election dates have had to withstand his insightful analysis. If he often concludes in favour of the status quo it is not without raising serious questions about both the status quo and the proposed reform. Therefore a book by him on arguably our most important political institution is a must read for all interested in the study of Parliament.

The first chapter sets forth the constitutional principles on which the House of Commons is based including ways the Canadian House differs from its British namesake. He looks at challenges to the House from the Courts, from the proliferation of parliamentary officers who now perform duties traditionally expected of members of parliament, and from self appointed citizen organizations such as Democracy Watch and Fair Vote Canada.

The next three chapters focus on parliamentary democracy, constitutional democracy and electoral democracy. With customary thoroughness he surveys the academic and popular literature in each area without really revealing his personal view on many of the criticisms. Perhaps his most prescient observation is that Canada's former distinction "rested in its commitment to pioneering a federal parliamentary democracy, now its defining character (rests) in values rather than institutions, a transformation of uncommon importance for the future of the people's house in Parliament." (p. 50). He leaves the reader to draw his own conclusion about the experience of other countries that have raised values to the level of creed and whether we really want to take Canada down this path.

The next chapter entitled "What is the House" points out how numerous American influences have seeped into the vary fabric of our constitution and our House of Commons. Election campaigning is now a year round activity. Constituency work has increased tremendously. In the House we see calls for more checks and balances such as parliamentary involvement in the appointment process. But checks and balances reflect a view of government as a negative force that needs to be continually checked. The fusion of the executive and legislature that characterizes Westminster style government reflects a very different view.

Having outlined all the things various experts have said is wrong with the House of Commons, Smith comes to the rather curious conclusion in the penultimate chapter that "Canada has a better House of Commons than its critics allow, and even perhaps better than there are theories to explain it" (p. 116). This section includes a useful digression into the debate about the merits of proportional representation versus the first past the post electoral system. He argues that the mechanism used to choose members cannot be separated from the quality of the representatives who are chosen. If we have problems with the way our legislatures work it is logical to look at how they are selected--hence the decade long inquest into PR in this country.

Secondly he makes the case, albeit indirectly, that electoral reformers should not focus so much on the numbers game--making the seats won equal the popular vote. Instead they should make the argument that their particular form of PR would...