Teen sees nothing honourable in parliamentary behaviour

[tuvor]

I am 14 years old and extremely interested in politics. I had the great privilege to see the budget speech on March 4 through the Encounters with Canada program, and even though I may not have completely understood exactly what Jim Flaherty was saying, I definitely understood what I saw in the House of Commons.

I did not see many "honourable" members of Parliament, but rather a lot of immature and disrespectful men. I was appalled at the conduct of our political representatives towards one another. I saw many MPs texting throughout the speech, not paying much attention to what was being said, while another played solitaire on his laptop. I watched as they whispered with those around them, some even yelling at members of other parties. All as Flaherty was speaking; or at least trying to.

I saw that a few MPs weren't even present. Prime Minister Stephen Harper himself got up and left before question period had even started. I cannot say that our federal government behaves like children, because the majority of children have better manners and respect than they do.

The expression "a government is no more than a business" is false, because there would be no chance that a businessman would be able to act in such a way without being fired. These politicians should think twice about their image, and the example they are setting for the rest of the country.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/Teen+sees+nothing+honourable+parliamentary+behaviour/2978758/story.html

[daleo]

1. This person is naive about businessmen

Or better, businesspeople. There are plenty of scoundrels in that group.

[edwinmathews]

2. Most

members of Parliament are less then honorable .

[daleo]

3. I don't agree

That's easy cynicism. On average, they are probably no better or worse than the rest of the population. There are opportunists like Jaffer or Mulroney, but that's true of most other occupations as well.

Besides, what does it mean to be "honorable"? It's a vague term. How do you measure it? And on what basis do you claim that they are worse than any other group?

[ZeitgeistObserver]

4. We elect these people to office.

Are we constantly electing 'dishonourable' people? Doesn't make any sense.

[edwinmathews]

5. The political system

makes them sell themselves like cheap whores to climb the ladder . Few make it to the top of the ladder with much honor or dignity left .

[ZeitgeistObserver]

6. Same system as we've always had.

Same system as the UK has had for centuries.

[daleo]

7. That's your opinion

You could say the same about many professions, though. For example, lots of tradesmen are leery about the guy who makes foreman. Even the person who gets to be store manager of the local MacDonalds gets that treatment from the rest of the employees.

I am not naive about politicians, but they aren't all crooks and liars.

[edwinmathews]

8. You

are very naive the manager at MacDonald's does not get to make public policy for millions of Canadians.

[JBoy]

9. LOL. Did he say McDonalds managers make public policy?

You've done nothing but state generalities in this thread. If you can't back it up with something specific, it's just your opinion.

And if you think the average MP makes any actual policy decisions, then you're the one who's naive.