By MPP Bobbi Ann Brady
It’s no secret that there is a rampant lack of trust in our politicians and public institutions across Canada. I attribute much of it to partisan politics and an aggressive political environment.
I’ve just returned home from Wolfville, Nova Scotia, where I participated in an intense conference entitled Leadership and Trust in Canadian Politics at Acadia University. Acadia professor and renowned author Alex Marland asked me to participate, an honour I simply could not refuse as I continue my fight for democracy.
Billionaire business magnate, investor, and philanthropist Stephen Jarislowsky is one of Canada’s wealthiest men. He believes universities can do more to prepare the next generation of public sector leaders. As a result, he recently endowed $2 million each to five Canadian universities to create a network of chairs in trust and political leadership through the Jarislowsky Foundation, which he founded in 1991.
The five chairs of the network are from British Columbia’s Vancouver Island University, the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Trent University in Ontario, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, and, of course, Nova Scotia’s Acadia University.
Professor Marland pulled together a group of about 15 politicos from across Canada, including former federal finance minister Anne McLellan, former NDP MP Peggy Nash, award-winning journalist Jo-Ann Roberts, and Nova Scotia MLA Tony Ince, just to name a few. Ian Brodie might be a name you recognize as he was the Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and is now a professor in the Department of Political Science and a Fellow at the Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies.
The two-day workshop kicked off Monday afternoon with a fireside chat between Professor Marland and me. The topic – Authenticity in Politics. The chat allowed me to talk about the courage the people of Haldimand-Norfolk demonstrated at the ballot box in 2022.
Brodie, McLellan, and Nash—all of whom wear different political stripes—then discussed why ethical leadership matters in Canadian politics. The consensus is that democracy is headed downhill at high speed, but we, as politicians, cannot get cynical like the electorate has (rightfully so), or nothing will ever change.
I then joined the panel for a question-and-answer session from the public, which included political science students. I fielded questions on whether or not I’d consider joining another political party and the pros and cons of being an independent. Once the video is available, I will post a link on Facebook and Instagram for your interest.
On day two, I moderated a session on ways to recruit and train future political leaders. In my introduction to the subject, I raised my concern with political parties of all stripes appointing candidates in ridings without nomination meetings. Further, we often see parties appointing candidates who have historically held another political card – the voter must question this behaviour.
I’ll write more about what we discussed in Nova Scotia in the coming weeks, but I’ll end with this. It’s not rocket science why there’s been a breakdown between politicians and citizens, but fixing this erosion of mutual respect will prove more difficult. Sadly, far too many choose to uphold a broken system because it benefits them as an individual. Fortunately, I am optimistic that a force is working towards making the change. We need to put you back at the forefront of decision-making, but we need your help holding the bad actors accountable.
Bobbi Ann Brady is the MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk