Whipped: the secret world of party discipline can now be watched by the world. The documentary is streaming online at the Cable Public Affairs Channel’s Website. You can see it here. I’d love to hear what you think of Whipped. Feel free to post a comment below or email me .
After watching the documentary, if you’re curious about how to loosen party discipline in Canada, you might want to check out this piece I wrote for the Huffington Post. Others have recently proposed different reforms, including Independent MP Bruce Hyer and Democracy Watch.
And if you want to find out more about just how difficult it was to make Whipped, you’ll be interested in this op-ed I wrote for the Toronto Star.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Just saw Whipped on CPAC - it was Fantastic!! Envious that I didn’t do it myself but even more glad that it was done and done well. Kudos to Damien Gillis and everyone else too. It would be great if you could get it into B.C. classrooms and university curricula. Bravo.
Thanks so much for the kind words John!
I strongly disagree with the viewpoint of your documentary. When I vote for a political candidate, I expect him or her to follow the party line - not vote across the entire spectrum of an issue. If the candidate does not believe in the philosophy of his or her party, they shouldn’t run under the banner of that party.
What is the purpose of voting Liberal, NDP, or Conservative if individual platform planks are interchangeable based on the whim of the candidate? When I vote for a candidate who is claiming to be affiliated with a particular party, I expect that individual to strictly adhere to the legislation and views that aligns with the party’s philosophy.
If one belongs to a team, one doesn’t break rank to help the other team. And, it’s not the role of an individual member to call the play. If there is consensus reached among the members of caucus, then one should accept the dissenting opinion as overruled. Internal disagreements should remain behind closed doors.
If it is my representative breaking rank, you can rest assured a phone call will be placed.
J. Ferris, thanks so much for your considered thoughts on the documentary. I think the view you articulate is held by many Canadians, who usually vote for the party instead of the candidate. However, I would point out the internal debates you mention may or may not be taking place. We don’t know because those meetings are secret. And I wonder what that does to the credibility of our political system if those closed door debates are few and far between. Anyway, thanks again!