Editorial cartoon by Brian Gable/The Globe and MailBrian Gable/The Globe and Mail
1. Marching orders. MPs are being issued a series of guidelines on how to behave in the House of Commons Tuesday; the rules tell them to be tough but not rough and avoid "catcalls, insults, name-calling, jeering [and] needless interruptions."
The guidelines were put together by Equal Voice, the national organization advocating for more women in elected politics. In recognition of Persons Day - the day in 1919 when it became possible for women to be elected to the House of Commons - Equal Voice has been working with House leaders to try to pull off this behaviour modification experiment.
Here are the guidelines:
» Be tough (not rough!) - MPs should avoid any bad language and "other behaviour that would otherwise be characterized as rude, rough, or rancourous."
» Be exemplary - "Demonstrate the respect Canadians want to see in the House by elevating the debate. As a society, we expect civility in the boardrooms of the nation, and the classrooms of the country."
» Show girls and young women they have a place in the House - "Underscore for girls and young women watching that the House is a place conducive to their skills and talents."
In an op-ed piece in the Ottawa Citizen on Saturday, Equal Voice's Nancy Peckford called for a " ceasefire" in the Commons.
"The shouting, interrupting and hurling of insults renders the atmosphere both childish and belittling, a snake pit that's as toxic as it is unproductive," Ms. Peckford wrote. "As the most visible face of federal politics for most Canadians outside of Ottawa, the daily exercise is contributing to widespread citizen disenchantment with politicians and government."
The group is bringing a number of young women (and some young men) up to the Hill to watch Question Period and they're hoping they will leave inspired.
2. Municipal smackdown. Toronto mayoralty candidate George Smitherman got a big boost Monday with a star endorsement from Montreal Liberal MP Justin Trudeau, one of the most sought after and recognized MPs on the Hill.
But not everyone thinks it's great. Mr. Trudeau said this on Twitter afterward: "Politics of attack and division at their worst: I'm amazed by the invective directed at me today for speaking up for my friend @G_Smitherman."
Mr. Trudeau was likely referring to a critical piece in the National Post, which attacked his message and the fact that the federal politician was venturing into municipal politics.
"So the real question was: Why? Well, there's no doubt after his vacuous-but-barn-burning appearance at a jammed College Street restaurant last night, before a cavalcade of Liberal stars including four Toronto MPPs, Bill Graham and Senator Jerry Grafstein: He's making his voice heard because the end of the world is coming!" the Post's Chris Selley wrote.
" 'Around the world, there's a battle going on between the politics of fear and division, and the politics of hope and responsibility,' he ventured. And Mr. Smitherman, he would have us know, is of the latter ilk.
" 'Canadians are better than that. Torontonians are better than that. We will not be divided. We will not be turned against ourselves. We will not sit and fear and cower about what the future may hold.' I half expected someone to start singing a hymn," Mr. Selley concluded.
3. Just visiting? Canada's 28th Governor-General David Johnston, the former university professor, sat down with The Globe and Mail for an interview last week. The story appeared Saturday but space prohibited us from including everything. Here's an outtake from that chat on coming home, giving back and being an innovative Canadian:
"I grew up in little town in Northern Ontario. I studied for four years in the States and two years in England, always knowing that I would come back to Canada. ... My own life has been very international.
"Our children have followed that. All five of our daughters have studied outside of the country, worked outside of the country and done Peace Corps-kind of activities. ... They are proud Canadians but they are global citizens .
"[I have]two desires ... one, for each child to be able to obtain the maximum educational opportunities possible. And then secondly, to be acquainted with different cultures and a greater sense of global citizenry. If we get that right we get a lot of things right on the innovation agenda. We get people who are curious and have a broadly based judgment and come to recognize that we don't take a society like Canada for granted. We don't take our political liberties, our rule of law, our equality of opportunity for granted."