Posters

P11 - Posters Session 2

Date: Jun 13 | Time: 10:30am to 12:00pm | Location: 680 Sherbrooke St. West Lobby

Jurors:
Tyler Chamberlain (Trinity Western University)
Noah Schwartz (University of the Fraser Valley)
Erin Crandall (Acadia University)

Keys to the House: An Analysis of Accessibility in the Queen’s Park Building: Taylor Pizzirusso (Ontario Legislature Internship Programme)
Abstract: This paper looks at the history of the Queen’s Park’s legislative building and analyzes its accessibility features for people with disabilities. In the next few years, the Queen's Park building will be undergoing a massive renovation that will take a decade to complete. It is imperative that accessibility in the current structure is considered, and the renovation considers new ways to provide access to the public and staff. The paper analyzes all the physical and structural changes made to the building for accessibility from the early 1900s-present day. This includes the introduction of elevators, ramps, and accessible bathrooms in the building, as well as changes to the broadcasting or recording services to ensure that the public can engage with provincial politics. These accessibility changes have often been made based on the need of the sitting MPPs or the public for access to the building. Through interviews with current MPPs and legislative assembly staff, the paper will discuss the status of accessibility in Queen’s Park and improvements to be made in the renovation. Based on these interviews and literature research, policy recommendations are listed to make the new Queen’s Park space accessible to all Ontarians. This paper argues that although Queen’s Park has made important accessibility changes, they are primarily reactive changes made based on the needs of staff or MPPs as opposed to proactive changes that consider accessibility for the collective.

Why don’t you trust me?: Ontarian’s decreasing trust in government: Milena Basciano (Ontario Legislature Internship Programme)
Abstract: In light of multiple controversies and scandals by the current government regarding delivering promises, people are questioning how trustworthy the politicians who are responsible for representing them are. Politicians make promises, break those promises, and then promise not to break any more promises. This paper will delve into what trust means for both parties: members of provincial parliament, and the citizens of Ontario. It will argue that Ontarian’s trust in their government is continuously decreasing, and it will explore the reasons as to why: whether it be through lack of transparency, lack of accountability, broken promises, etc. My research will predominantly include interviews with Members of Provincial Parliament. I hope to get proportionate representation from members across all parties. I will ask them questions regarding the significance of being trustworthy, for example, “what does your constituents’ trust in you, mean to you?” and “how do you maintain the trust of your constituents?”. Possible outcomes include referring to the dedication and promise elected officials made to their constituents when they were sworn into office. I anticipate Members talking about the importance of amplifying the voices in their ridings to Queen’s Park. I am interested in any reference to the Independent Offices of the Assembly. A section of my paper will research the roles of the Independent Offices.

Party discipline and its impact on legislation, legislators and democracy in Ontario: Evan Cameron (Ontario Legislature Internship Programme)
Abstract: Politics is a team sport. Increasingly, in Ontario and across Canada, these teams are becoming more rigid, with politicians who publicly disagree with their party, vote against party legislation, or present a political vulnerability, often being promptly removed from the party. While this hardline party discipline has become commonplace in Canada, with several examples from Ontario since Doug Ford’s election in 2018, it is unclear whether this type of partisan politics results in the most effective legislation and representation for citizens. While academics have analyzed the role of party discipline and party unity in Canadian politics, this paper aims to build on this work by asking: is there a viable alternative to Ontario’s system of party discipline? To answer this question, this paper analyzes the nature of partisanship in other jurisdictions, the historical trends of partisanship and party discipline in Canada and the firsthand accounts from Ontario’s Members of Provincial Parliament on the impact of party discipline in their work. In doing so initially, it becomes clear that the current system of strong party discipline may not always result in the best outcomes for the public, though there is not necessarily a natural alternative within the current system.

Protesting the Pink Palace: MPPs’ Attitudes on Political Demonstrations at Queen’s Park: Astrid Krueger (Ontario Legislature Internship Programme)
Abstract: In Toronto, the Ontario Legislature at Queen’s Park is a popular site for the expression of public discontent through political demonstrations. Though there is scholarly consensus that the number of protests, globally, has increased over the last decade, disagreement remains about the efficacy of protests in influencing political decisions. Do protests authoritatively affect legislators’ policy decisions? Or are they perceived as an essential, if not directly influential, feature of democratic societies? Employing frameworks from the philosophy of language, this paper defines protests as speech acts, and seeks to understand how they are received by policymakers at Queen’s Park. This paper asks: what attitudes do Ontario Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) hold towards protests at Queen’s Park? Semi-structured interviews with Ontario MPPs allow for an analysis of the dialectical exchange between protests and legislators in Ontario. This provides insight on the force and effect of protests as speech acts, and how MPPs navigate their legislative responsibility and accountability to public opinion.

Picking up the Kids from Daycare: Cynicism in Political Staff: Steffi Burgi (Ontario Legislature Internship Programme)
Abstract: There is a running joke among political staff that waiting for Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) outside of the Chamber after oral question period is akin to waiting to pick up the kids from daycare. This paper investigates if workplace cynicism impacts political staff and how their role as political staff has affected the way they view politics and democracy. Workplace cynicism can be defined as having negative feelings, such as distrust, towards the organization one works for and a general loss of idealism. Political cynicism takes the form of a lack of confidence in the government, revealing feelings that the government is not functioning as it should, based on the individual’s expectations. This study contributes to political discourse as there is limited research on political staff and research thus far has not examined the impact of cynicism on political staff. By using semi-structured interviews with a non-random stratified sample of political staff for backbench Ontario MPPs across political parties, this paper aims to understand if and how cynicism affects political staff and how their view of politics and democracy has shifted due to their job.

The Committee Conundrum: An Analysis of the Oversight Mechanism of Government Agencies: Razan Akiba (Ontario Legislature Internship Programme)
Abstract: Through an analysis of the Ontario Legislative Assembly’s Government Agencies Committee under a majority, and a prior minority government, this paper will consider the effectiveness of the function of the committee as a mechanism of oversight. This conference paper explores the historical evolution of the Committee on Government Agencies, focusing on its mandate, authority, and the balance between appointments and agency autonomy. In 1990, the committee was empowered to review public appointments with the intention of creating greater transparency in the public appointments process. The committee felt that it should not impede on the government’s responsibility to make appointments, but rather, implement an approach that would reflect the principles of fairness and openness. I will investigate the Camp Commission and its role in the origins of government agencies, examining the theoretical versus practical functions of oversight. In addition, through interviews with government and opposition Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs), serving during various sessions of the committee, I will consider how the committee’s function changed under majority and minority governments, shedding light on the political dynamics at play. This paper contributes to the ongoing discourse surrounding the partisan nature of government appointments, and the general discourse of committee oversight and its implications for modern governance.

Byte by Byte: The Ontario Legislature's Unstoppable Journey into the Digital Age: Olivia Collver (Ontario Legislature Internship Programme)
Abstract: In a time where pixels collide with politics, Ontario's Legislature faces an unavoidable challenge: digitization. This paper will explore the complex impact that digitization has on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The digital shift of the Ontario Legislature refers to the transformation of traditional paper-based records and communication into digital formats. Debate surrounds the need to preserve historical tradition and the need to modernize processes. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the urgency of digitization became relevant as the Ontario Legislature needed to adapt to remote working and virtual communication. Through a comparative lens, this paper will assess the current state of digitization within the Ontario Legislature and determine whether it is ahead or behind the global trend, in comparison to other legislatures. Additionally, it will examine the generational divide that exists in the views of older and younger MPPs on digitization. Younger members tend to embrace technology, while older members may be more cautious about the changes brought on by digitization. Given its relatively recent emergence, there has been limited research conducted on the impacts of the digital shift within the Ontario legislative context. This paper will explore the impact of digitization of the legislature through semi-structured interviews with a non-random stratified sample of Ontario MPPs across political parties and varying in age. The objective is to understand how the digital transformation impacts both MPPs and the overall proceedings of the legislature.

Paradiplomacy at the Ontario Legislature: Bridget Carter-Whitney (Ontario Legislature Internship Programme)
Abstract: [tentative] The role that provinces play in foreign affairs has been examined within Canadian political science literature with emphases on international trade, treaties, and investment, on the implications to studies of federalism, and the case of Quebec. Research also shows that provinces’ positions on the international stages have only become more important since Canada’s independence, resulting in their being perceived as region states due to their high levels of participation in paradiplomacy. This paper builds upon the existing literature on the roles Canadian provinces (and Ontario in particular) play in international affairs to broaden its scope beyond solely considering the economic lens that currently predominates. It strives to when and how foreign matters are politically mobilized by elected members of provincial legislatures by examining the factors that precede the addressing of international issues within the Legislature, both in the House and in other legislative activities. Along with a critical examination of relevant literature, I [will] rely upon the first-hand accounts and perspectives provided through interviews with a sample of Ontario’s Members of Provincial Parliament which give insights into the internal processes of decision-making regarding international affairs. It is my hope that the findings of this research will clarify whether the current domination of analyses of provinces' international participation which centre on economic incentives neglect to address other ways that international issues may be invoked within provincial legislatures, particularly when there is no formal economic stake tied to the matter.

No One Hears A Who! The Curious Case of Selective Hearing Among MPPs in the Ontario Legislature: Rhea Saini (Ontario Legislature Internship Programme)
Abstract: Inscribed on the walls of the Chamber is the official motto of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, “Audi Alteram Partem”, serving as a constant reminder to members to “hear the other side”. Though members may take this sage advice to hear, how many genuinely listen? Deliberative listening serves key basic functions, such as facilitating collaboration and innovation, and has the potential to advance broader democratic goals, such as decreasing polarization and advancing representative democracy. On the surface, however, members are not always engaged with democratic listening, riddled with distractions from side-conversations to smartphones, that on occasion become so commonplace it brings into question whether activities such as members statements, question period, and house proceedings have any value if they are not actively listened to by other members. This paper will seek to investigate MPP perceptions of distraction in relation to listening during House and committee proceedings, exploring the impact it has on the efficiency and effectiveness of the work done at the Legislature, partisanship, and on Queens Parks’ culture and perceptions by the public more broadly. This will take the form of semi-structured qualitative interviews of a stratified sample of backbench MPPs from all parties, accompanied by a literature review and ethnographic observations. Scholarship in the field has generally focussed on theoretical understandings of listening; as such, this paper will look to further understandings of democratic listening in praxis by understanding members perspectives and experiences on the ground, specifically in relation to distraction which has yet to be explored.

All in the Family: The Influence of Family Relations Among Ontario’s MPPs: Kaitlin Gallant (Ontario Legislature Internship Programme)
Abstract: It is no secret that many parliamentarians across Canada have relatives who are, or were, elected officials. In Ontario, for instance, 13 per cent of MPPs have a familial connection to politics at the municipal, provincial, or federal level. Similarly, 11 per cent of federal MPs have a familial connection. On the one hand, individuals belonging to a political family have exposure to the realities of public life, pertinent connections, and industry knowledge suitable for public office. On the other hand, given that nomination processes are not always fair and open, they may have an unfair advantage against other candidates due to their connections, knowledge, name recognition, etc. Little research in Canada has explored the implications of family relations in politics. This paper seeks to ask: does having a family member in politics influence one’s interest, skills, knowledge, approach and network in elected office? Using descriptive statistics and semi-structured interviews with Ontario Members of Provincial Parliament, this work seeks to understand the perspectives of legislators on familial exposure to political life and its influence on one’s career path. This paper argues that although having a family member in politics potentially lessens one’s credibility, it is nonetheless advantageous to elected life as it improves one’s political knowledge, approach, skills and network.

Participants:
Tyler Chamberlain (Trinity Western University)
Noah Schwartz (University of the Fraser Valley)
Erin Crandall (Acadia University)