Portrait of a functional family despite everything

This is not a formula that one would easily imagine today in Ottawa.

SATURDAY, The Press published its annual list of parliamentarians of the year in the National Assembly. We saw opponents throwing thornless flowers at each other. They recalled a secret that was too well kept: when the microphones go off, the CAQ, liberals, PQ and solidarity activists are able to talk to each other. Despite the inevitable friction, most of the time they work together.

It’s more complicated in the House of Commons. The animosity is not just theater. Even if MPs remain respectful and constructive, their voices are muffled by the ambient antipathy. Moreover, unless I am mistaken, no ranking of federal elected officials has been published in Canada since 2021.

Even if the social fabric is sometimes damaged by our debates, it holds up. The rotten climate in the United States, and to a lesser extent at the federal level, has not reached here.

This portrait of the National Assembly is therefore also that of Quebec.

Two things are striking when reading our list: the identity of the winners and their self-sacrifice at work.

Note some of the winners chosen by a secret vote of their peers.

Parliamentarian of the year: Marwah Rizqy, born to two Moroccan parents, in a difficult household.

Parliamentarian of the year, tied with Simon Jolin-Barrette: Monsef Derraji, born in Morocco.

Most appreciated by his peers: Lionel Carmant, born in Haiti.

The best representative of his constituency: Samuel Poulin, born in Morocco and adopted by Beauceron entrepreneurs.

The “hidden pearl”: Madwa-Nika Cadet, whose parents come from Haiti. With her calm and rational tone, this lawyer shows that politics does not need to be a combat sport.

This diversity of backgrounds and styles is not an accident.

The National Assembly is roughly representative of the population.

Visible minorities represent 12% of elected officials. This is very close to the rate of 16% in the population. A success, especially when we consider that our voting system is an obstacle to this. In fact, visible minorities reside more in Greater Montreal. This urban concentration reduces the probability of having them elected in less populated regional constituencies.

Parity is also almost achieved. Women account for 46% of elected officials. This is significantly better than in the House of Commons (30%) and the world average (27%) measured by the Parliamentary Union.

The list is also a tribute to the work of a deputy — if this leniency annoys you, reread our regular programming which documents the other side of this coin.

One detail is striking in the vote for parliamentarian of the year: the two winners are parliamentary leaders. This position is equivalent to that of the general who coordinates the advance of his troops in parliamentary work. But each leader also negotiates behind the scenes with the other parties to avoid or resolve conflicts.

Being in the majority, the CAQ government has less need for the support of the opposition parties. But even when it is not obligatory, MM. Jolin-Barrette and Derraji can work together, as well as with their solidarity and PQ counterparts.

The list also celebrates the work of simple deputies. In our parliamentary system, opposition elected officials have very modest power. But it increases the merit of those who still manage to leave their mark.

There is the dry work in parliamentary committee, to study briefs and propose amendments. It’s ungrateful. Especially for the opposition, which does not receive recognition when it improves laws for which the government will be given credit.

There is work behind the scenes. A good example: Marwah Rizqy who calls Bernard Drainville privately to encourage him to carry out further checks at the Bedford school. She didn’t care about getting the credit. She wanted to solve a problem, and to do that, her adversary became her ally.

Finally, there is the more pugnacious work in the House, where the opposition forces the government to account and shines the spotlight on less publicized problems. The Parti Québécois pushed the Assembly to study the ravages of screens among young people and now wants to do the same thing for overmedication. Québec solidaire put pressure on the CAQ to tackle agricultural land speculation. And the Liberals are joining forces with the other opposition parties to demand that the position of parliamentary budget director be created, in order to increase the transparency of state management.

What do these MPs have to gain? It depends on the conception of victory. Of course, they can woo the electorate. But that’s not all. Often, they know they won’t be given any credit. Through their behavior, they prove that their goal is different: to move Quebec forward, each in their own way.

Consult our list of parliamentarians of the year 2024