Preventing the weaponization of political procedure

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/05/2024 (858 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Building on the helpful column from January by Rochelle Squires, Female Politicians Public Abuse, about the harassment and abuse women face in politics, this column focuses on the power structures and governance procedures that support the individual bad behaviour.

Addressing the chilling effect on the willingness of women and others to seek public office is important, but we must go beyond civility, to preventing abuse of power. Making the structures and procedures in political systems more participatory and collaborative is needed to change our toxic political culture. These systemic changes might be easier to make than trying to change and police the bad behaviour of individuals, especially understanding how political structures and procedures influence individual and group behaviour.

Our politics systems are designed for combat. The war of words and psychological battles are a step up from physical violence, but it is the adversarial structures, such as the colosseum-like government versus opposition setup, and winner takes all voting, that encourage hostile debate and polarization. These structures discourage the dialogue and collaboration needed for real progress.

Plus, procedural abuse is threatening democracy. For example, Miami, Man., Coun. Donna Cox had to go to court, and win again, to retain her seat after being elected by a majority. Male council colleagues told media she was “not a good fit” in an attempt to remove her from council, in a blatant example of weaponization of procedure. And now councillors are wasting public funds appealing her win in court.

The judge ruling documented how council colleagues changed the time of meetings to when they knew Ms. Cox was unavailable, due to her full-time job, (councillors only earn $12,000 a year), then passed a motion to remove her from council after she missed three meetings. This deceitful abuse of power has become common. Others, mostly women, have faced similar manipulative and intimidating situations that require action. Joy Sul, mayor of St. Andrews, also had to go through the personal expense and stress to fight to uphold her mayorship in court.

There’s a trend to file complaints and go to a formal investigation process, rather than have a mediated conversation, turning codes of conduct and rules into weapons, with protracted investigation processes. Vexatious complainants opt for an investigation, with claims of not feeling safe with the accused, and investigations are then easily manipulated. The focus is often on individual behaviour, ignoring the systemic and underlying history of the situation.

Winnipeg council is not immune to undemocratic manoeuvring, as mayors continue to consolidate powers to appoint EPC, hire the CAO and exclude councillors who ask too many questions. Even making decisions that affect their wards, without their knowledge or input. The mayor’s new budget committee has helped him secure a majority of budget votes with a smaller EPC. These undemocratic moves must be addressed by implemented changes in governance. Current structures concentrate too much power in the prime minister, premier and mayor’s offices, leading to these elected officials easily becoming autocratic and dictatorial.

In Corruptible – Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us, Brian Klaas questions if our adversarial and combative political systems attract abusive, megalomaniacs or create them? The research suggests both. Our political systems corrupt people and corruptible people, with a high need for social power, gravitate to politics and high-power roles. Those who need to be on top or the in-group, become willing to cheat to win, to stay in power. To some people procedural games is all that politics is. Politicians who don’t play the game, who get elected to make change, who don’t share this ideology of power are seen as a threat, “not a good fit”, and forced out.

Consider Ontario MPP Sarah Jama, who was censured, or prevented from speaking in the legislature, by Premier Ford, then removed from her NDP caucus, for condemning the occupation and calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Ms. Jama was punished for her leadership. It seems free speech does not apply to calls for peace, and her diversity as a young, Black, Muslim, disabled woman, is welcome as long as it is only for show.

These examples illustrate systemic changes necessary to make outsiders into insiders, end wedge politics of division, and stop cancel culture in politics. Preventing weaponization of procedures and abuse of power requires innovative governance and management structures that are more participatory and collaborative. Malicious accusations and complaints can be addressed by more participatory approaches.

It has been 30 years since MLA Don Orchard said I needed to be taken to the woodshed and slapped. He could have lost his seat, not for the comment, but denying it in the legislature after. It didn’t matter that two women MLAs, from different parties confirmed he said it, the speaker ruled to protect him and the status quo of structures that still encourage the weaponization of procedures and abuse of power.

Former MLA Marianne Cerilli works in social innovation at the intersection of health education, community development/community economic development and politics.