ADAM OLSEN -- My name is “Saanich North and the Islands”. The only ‘discipline’ I seek to enforce is that my colleagues identify how they intend to vote and or whether they will attend a vote, ahead of time
Greens have always said they would not have a Whip. So, why do the B.C.
Greens have a Whip? It's a good question. I'm the Whip and my role within the
B.C. Green Caucus is important - especially in a minority government. However,
it is not likely important for the reasons many people think.
The Party Whip has a bad rap and for good reason. Traditionally, it's
the Party Whip who is responsible for ensuring caucus discipline. As a result,
they are the target of frustration for perpetuating political tribalism -
partisanship. Is it the job of a politician to represent their constituents in
the legislature or their Party in their constituency?
Party politics serves many purposes. I will cover two of them in this
post.
Firstly, like-minded individuals recognized they could game our
democracy by consolidating their voting power into a unified block.
Rather than
having to find a broad consensus and earn votes for each and every new law or
policy, the goal is to win a majority of seats on election day. With 44 or more
seats in the British Columbia legislature comes complete control of the
business of government for the next four years. The result is an erosion of
representation, shifting over time from constituent-centric to Party-centric.
The Party Whip is a central figure in the hardening culture of Party discipline.
Discipline or disciplined?
What is "Party discipline?" In essence, it is the level of
control that caucus members of a Party submit to their leadership to support
its direction and policies. There are a number of tools that the leadership
will use to ensure its members toe the line. Depending on the jurisdiction, it
can include continued membership in the Party, the ability to run in future
elections, and the potential for a seat in the Cabinet or other ministerial
roles. In essence there is a transaction: political Party’s help individuals
get elected and in return individuals sacrifice their autonomy for the safety
of the group.
In a recent episode of the OPPO podcast, Justin Ling and Jen Gerson
interview Jody Wilson-Rayould and Jane Philpott. It is the latest in a growing
body of work featuring politicians speaking publicly about their experience
with Party politics. They describe an increasing centralization of power in
fewer people, many of whom are not elected. They're people I would describe as
political operatives. They are less driven by good public policy as they are in
getting their team elected and keeping them elected once they are there.
I cannot speak for exactly what "discipline" other Whips have
the power to enforce. In the B.C. Green Caucus, the Party Whip is essentially
an administrative role. Much like our "House Leader" (Sonia
Furstenau), the Party Whip is an interface between parties and legislative
staff. Our roles are to
ensure the smooth administration of legislative business.
The only "discipline" I seek to enforce is that my colleagues
identify how they intend to vote and/or whether they will attend a vote, ahead
of time. As we are part of a minority government and we all agreed to a
"no-suprises" clause in our Confidence and Supply Agreement with the
B.C. NDP, it’s my responsibility in the day-to-day grind of legislative
activity to ensure that we continue to operate in good faith. I must know and
communicate the intentions of the Members of the B.C. Green Caucus to the government
Whip.
A day in the life
So, what does the daily flow of legislative business look like? It
starts with a meeting between House Leaders. Mike Farnsworth (Government House
Leader) is responsible for managing the "Orders of the Day". This
include the number of "Houses" that are conducting business and the
order of the business in each House. During the most recent session we had the
main Chamber, a Big House and a Little House in operation.
In addition, there are any number of committees that are also meeting.
In other words, in any given day, any one or more of the B.C. Green Caucus
could be speaking to a Bill, asking questions in Budget Estimates, in a
committee meeting, meeting with constituents or other stakeholders, preparing
for any one or more of these situations, or any of the other administrative
tasks of an MLA such as answering emails or getting an issues briefing from
ministerial staff. There are many moving parts.
Once Sonia’s House Leader’s meeting is complete, the B.C. Green Caucus
meets to discuss the business of the day. I receive a copy of my colleagues'
calendars and we begin to map out who is where, when and why? Meanwhile we also
meet to discuss legislation that has been previously put on the order papers.
We work with our staff and each other as we build internal consensus. In some cases,
this process moves very quickly, at other times it is slower and more
deliberative.
Critic-al
Each of us is the critic for approximately seven Ministries. We are the
political lead on any initiative that arises from within our basket. We also
have corresponding staff who provide us with technical support, research,
preparation for speaking notes and any other aspect of new legislation that is
put on the table. In addition, each of us serves as the B.C. Green Caucus
spokesperson on the issues for which we are responsible in the legislative
chamber, and in the media.
We are responsible for communicating with the other caucus members about
our work on legislation. The more controversial the legislation is, the more
attention it is given, the more meetings we hold to discuss it and to build our
understanding and to see if we can achieve a common position.
In the Chamber we follow the legislation through the process: first
reading, second reading debate, committee stage, third reading and final
adoption. As you can imagine, it is not possible for all three members to be a
part of every aspect of the legislative operations. So, this brings me to the
second point about the role of the Party Whip.
Balancing act
Certainly, the power and control aspects of Party discipline drew like
minds together but working in a team allows for government to accomplish more
in each session. It’s a fine balance. How much of the relationships in caucus
are built on trust and how much is accomplished through dominance,
subordination and the centralization of authority into the hands of very few?
Communication is critical in a minority government. It’s important that
the flow of information from our House Leader to the Whip is smooth. The action
really starts when the bells ring calling us to vote. In most cases the work is
done through the process. Rarely do I not have a clear indication of where my
colleagues stand on the issues, and whether we have a consensus position on an
issue or Bill. If it is the latter, it is very unlikely that government will
force the issue. It’s in their interest to provide space and time for us to
work together to find a common ground to work from.
On occasion, we have to work on the fly. The most common instance of
this is an amendment to a section of a Bill at committee stage. It’s at this
point that my key support staff and I are working fervently between the issue
lead, staff, official opposition and government to understand what is happening
and how the situation is going to unfold, so I can communicate it to the people
who need to know what needs to be known.
Keeping the flow
The B.C. Greens have a Party Whip because we need one. Like my
counterpart, the House Leader, we are an essential part of the workflow of the
legislature. The only discipline that I seek in my role as the Party Whip is
that my colleagues share with me their voting intentions and that they are
present at the vote. It’s my job to communicate any and all of the pertinent
information to the Government Whip or Government House Leader through my House
Leader.
We made a choice to maintain the Party Whip. However, I have never
“whipped” a vote. I do not have the authority to “whip” a vote, nor do I have
any mechanism to enforce or penalize my colleagues for not being part of the
team. Despite getting elected under the B.C. Green Party banner, each and every
vote is a process, discussion, sometimes debate, in search for consensus.
The B.C. Greens promise to do politics differently. How can we collaborate
and support each other through the legislative burden of each session while
representing the constituents of our ridings? In the Chamber I am no longer
Adam Olsen. My name is “Saanich North and the Islands.” While political parties
count that as one seat in the pursuit of gaining at least 44, there are 50,000
people I represent and they come from all walks of life and across the
political spectrum.
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