The Lack of Parliament Oversight In The Canadian Government
Properly overseeing the powers of a nation's leader is imperative in order to achieve a properly functioning democracy. In the ever more complex world of Canadian Politics, Parliament not only fails to oversee the powers of the Prime Minister adequately, but the chance of objection is avoided altogether with assistance from the Whip, it also fosters an environment ruled by fear, often lacking the time and resources for essential oversight completely. Firstly, one may assume a democratic government would be a place where opinions and criticisms are welcomed, however, the Canadian Parliament proves to be a place where these judgments are quickly silenced, often before they even have a chance to surface. This becomes obvious when considering how important party discipline is within the Canadian government. There is an entire position appointed by the Prime Minister, called the Whip, dedicated to “Make sure the team follows directives and stays united” (Telford p. 120). This is a clea...