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The Friendly Dictatorship

© Rhonda Parkinson

The Friendly Dictatorship
Author: Jeffrey Simpson
Published by McCelland & Stewart, Ltd., 2001

Has Canada become a de facto one-party state? This is the question that Jeffrey Simpson poses in The Friendly Dictatorship. The Globe and Mail columnist cites recent political developments - such as Jean Chretien's third majority government and the ongoing disintegration of the Canadian Alliance - as signs that political power is becoming increasingly centralized in the office of the Prime Minister and the governing party. He blames the current state of affairs for low voter turnout in recent elections and ever-decreasing participation in political parties. Having stated his thesis, the majority of the book focuses on an in-depth examination of three areas that Simpson believes are desperately in need of reform: the parliament, political parties, and the system of voting.

For example, the first section looks at the powers of the Prime Minister, which Simpson states are greater than any other national leader in the industrialized nations. In order to do so, he draws on his twenty-plus years of experience as a columnist, providing antidotes that stretch from the Diefenbaker years to Jean Chretien's unprecedented third term majority to make his points. (His analysis of the complex relationship between Chretien and Finance Minister Paul Martin, a relationship Simpson states is without parallel in Canadian history, is particularly interesting). The problem with a system that allows the Prime Minister to appoint everything from judges and Senators to the head of the CBC is noted. The next section provides an in-depth look at the four main national political parties, concluding with his analysis of why the opposition parties cannot unseat the Liberals. Finally, Simpson turns to the electoral system, illustrating how the first-past-the post voting system effectively eliminates the possibility of any checks on Prime Ministerial power. Simpson points out that these three areas do not function independently; instead, each has an impact on the other. Taken together, they act to strengthen the power of the Prime Minister and the governing party, to the point where Canada is in danger of becoming a defacto one-party state.

I think many Canadians share Simpson's views. And therein lies my main difficulty with the book. Simpson states that his goal is to "provoke thought and perhaps awaken debate, maybe even to get people angry..." The problem is that anyone with an interest in Canadian politics - clearly the book's target audience - will already be familiar with much of the material. To be fair, I lent the book to my husband, who is a keen watcher of Canadian politics but doesn't have a degree in Political Science. He agreed with my assessment. True, Simpson does an excellent job of describing the problems with Canadian parliamentary democracy as it has evolved - there is no question that the veteran columnist and Order of Canada recipient knows his material. Still, that doesn't justify the book's $32.99 price tag.

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