Synopses & Reviews
The founders of the influential think tank Samara ask former members of Parliament what has gone wrong with our democracy, and how it can be fixed. Talk to any Canadian about politics and you'll hear little but frustration and bewilderment. Canadians don't see their politicians working for them; all they see is grandstanding in the House of Commons and MPs pursuing their own agendas. These same MPs make critical choices about how we live together and how our country will function in the future. But even with so much at stake, citizens are increasingly apathetic about traditional politics. How did one of the world's most functional democracies go so wrong?
In Tragedy in the Commons, Samara founders Alison Loat and Michael MacMillan provide an unprecedented look behind the curtain of Canadian politics. Based on their exit interviews with several dozen retired MPs, they share surprising observations about the practice of politics in Canada: the accidental arrival of many in political life; the mystery of what an MP is actually supposed to do in office; the role of the political party in an MP's life; and how complicated that role becomes whenever the media starts paying attention (and how much worse everyone behaves in front of the cameras).
In this timely and controversial book, Loat and MacMillan reveal the challenges facing Canadian democracy today. Using the MPs' own voices, confused and contradictory as they sometimes are, Loat and MacMillan outline concrete steps to improve our politics--from the inside out.
Synopsis
ALISON LOAT is a regular commentator on Canadian politics, a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a former consultant with McKinsey & Company. For her work as a co-founder of Canada25, an organization that successfully involved thousands of young Canadians in the development of public policy, she was chosen as one of Canada's Top 25 under 30 by
Maclean's and received the Public Policy Forum Young Leaders Award. She is also an associate fellow and instructor at the School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Toronto.
MICHAEL MacMILLAN is the CEO of Blue Ant Media. He was previously the Executive Chairman and CEO of Alliance Atlantis. MacMillan co-founded the original Atlantis Films in 1978, which won an Oscar in 1984 for its short film Boys and Girls and an Emmy in 1992 for Lost in the Barrens. ALISON LOAT and MICHAEL MacMILLAN co-founded the think tank Samara in 2009.
Synopsis
Alison Loat is a regular commentator on Canadian politics, a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a former consultant with McKinsey & Company. For her work as a co-founder of Canada25, she was recognized as a young leader by
Maclean’s and the Public Policy Forum. She was also selected as one of the top 100 women in Canada by the Women’s Executive Network, and has received both the Gold and Diamond Jubilee Medals for her service to Canada. Loat is also an associate fellow and instructor at the School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Toronto. Follow her on Twitter @AlisonLoat.
Michael MacMillan is the CEO of the Canadian-based company Blue Ant Media. He was previously the executive chairman and CEO of Alliance Atlantis Communications. MacMillan co-founded the original Atlantis Films in 1978, which won an Oscar in 1984 for its short film Boys and Girls. A recipient of the Gold and Diamond Jubilee Medals for service to Canada, he is also a co-owner of Closson Chase, a vineyard and winery in Prince Edward County, Ontario.
Alison Loat and Michael MacMillan co-founded the think tank Samara in 2009. Visit www.samaracanada.com to learn more. Follow Samara on Twitter @SamaraCDA.