Alison Loat

This is a unique political book, at least in Canada. It is fascinating and appalling and horrifying at the same time. To find so many former MP's, of all parties and all levels, agreeing that something is badly broken ... well, it does give one pause to think. Too bad the capacity for rational thought seems to have vanished when they were in office. What is truly appalling is that there seems to be no appetite by any political party to make any meaningful changes to the system - and it is hard for any reasonable person to understand why that might be.
I am so glad that Ms. Loat and Mr. MacMillan put the effort into doing this project. It is very nice to see a book on politics that focuses on having an adult discussion about the mechanism of government that is both readable and non-partisan.… (más)

Thank you to Random House Canada and Goodreads for the chance to read this book for an honest review.
The think tank Samara brings us a thorough look at the current political climate on Capital Hill using the exit interviews of MPs from varying points in time. The authors go even further than regurgitating information and write their own opinions on the dissociation of MPs during their interviews, and calling for change in Canadian Parliament.

The book can be a bit difficult to get through, its a dry piece and unless the reader has an interest in politics, it probably seems completely unimpressive. Loat and MacMillan use the exit interviews to describe a political world that average citizens already understand: the system is broken, there is more political agendas in prominence than the needs of the constituents. The difference between this book and others than tell a story of a Parliament that has fallen away from its initial goals (to care for its people) is the use of identifiable proof. The Members of Parliament themselves speak of a broken system that is more concerned about another election, and individuals wanting plum seats on the Cabinet.

Although this book is not covering new ideas, it is refreshing to see the exit interviews of people who are well established in the political realm - as well as seeing these interviews from the point of view of those who study them. This research shows that a majority of the issues in Canadian government are fear of party leaders, reprimands for not following party demands and no training for new inductees. The lack of effort that MPs put towards fixing these problems is highlighted in their exit interviews as something done to them, or something that they had no control over.… (más)

Why does voter turn-out continue to decline, especially among young Canadians? In this book, the authors draw on interviews with around 80 former Members of Parliament -- from back-benchers to former Prime Ministers -- to explore what is wrong with the way in which the House of Commons functions.

The book looks at the increasing centralization of power in the Prime Minister's office; at the degree of control exercised over MPs on everything from how they vote to what they say and when they say it. It makes practical recommendations for reform that will strengthen the role of MPs, and with it, the faith voters have that their concerns are being brought to the House.

This is a very thought-provoking book, written in an accessible style. It will be of interest to students of government, democracy and Canadian politics.… (más)