View From the Legislature

Innovating Democracy

  • Kelvin Goertzen, Author
  • Member of the Legislative Assembly, Steinbach

Over the past few months many parts of our society have been required to innovate. Individually, many people have had to become innovative as they adjusted to new work realities with some people moving their workplace to their homes. Businesses have had to be incredibly innovative as they have had to change the model in which they do business and interact with their customers.

Democracy has also had to become innovative which has not always been a trademark of our democratic institutions. Our system of democracy is rooted in hundreds of years of parliamentary tradition and procedures. And while that is in many ways the strength of our democracy, it also makes it cumbersome and not always easy to adapt when times require. And yet, during the past few months, Canadian legislatures across our country have found a way to keep their democratic institutions functioning even when public health rules and guidelines do not allow for the traditionally close seating of a typical legislature.

In spring of this year, the Manitoba Legislature made do with having only a quarter of its elected representatives physically present in the Legislative Assembly. While this was a way to keep the Legislature operational, it was far from ideal as most of the Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) were unable to participate. And because those MLAs were unable to be in the Legislature, that meant that they were unable to voice the views of their constituents.

Over the summer, the staff of the Manitoba Legislature worked hard to try to come up with a solution that would allow all MLAs to participate even if they were unable to physically be in the Assembly itself. After a number of tests and trial runs, the Manitoba Legislature began its first hybrid sitting last month with a portion of the MLAs being physically in the Assembly and the remaining being “virtual”. Those MLAs participating virtually are able to fully participate in debates and Question Period through video with their images and voices being projected into the Assembly. While this was a very new experience for the Manitoba Legislature and its MLAs, several weeks into the session it is remarkable how well the system has worked to date.

While it is not ideal, this innovation allows all MLAs to participate and represent their constituents while still adhering to the health guidance that we have been provided. And while we all look forward to the time when all MLAs can gather again together in the Manitoba Legislative Assembly, no doubt some of the innovation will allow for greater accessibility for the public to view the proceedings in the years ahead.

Every part of society has had to innovate during the past few months and democratic institutions are no exception. After the pandemic, many of these innovations may be able to be looked at and adapted to allow for better and stronger delivery of everything from consumer services to the functioning of democracy. But I also know that all MLAs look forward to the day when we can all be physically present in the Manitoba Legislative Assembly to perform our duties in the longstanding and traditional way of legislators.