Question Time, Part II

It's really quite different watching the British Question Time, their equivalent to Question Period.

The difference is striking in several ways. The first is that the MPs are much better behaved - they rarely ever need to be quieted by the Speaker, though there is still murmuring and dissenting shouts. Also, ministers don't answer questions, but that is something I prefer about our system, actually.

Also, I was totally blown away when a Labour MP stood up and said that he agreed with the prime minister's 90-day legislation (see below), but that he could not support the prime minister's education bill.

Woah! I couldn't believe it! Living in a country where MPs are forced, no matter what party, to toe the line or expect consequences. Now, I challenge anyone to tell me: why is that the United Kingdom can have the exact same parliamentary system as we do, but that their MPs are allowed much more freedom?

If Stephen Harper is serious about democratic reform, he will promise to get rid of such foolish rules as, for example, making it mandatory for the party leader to sign the nomination papers of a candidate. That practice has made rebellions of MPs against their leaders next to impossible in Canada, and that's just not the way a democracy should work.