View From the Legislature

In the Manitoba Legislative Assembly, the Speaker of the House often refers to elected MLA’s as “Honourable Members”. It’s a term that has been used for many decades and that no doubt at its inception, was intended to bring out the best in those fortunate enough to be elected to the Manitoba Legislature.

However, I suspect that those Manitobans who have made the effort to come and observe the proceedings, especially Question Period, have left with many words other than honourable to describe what they witnessed. Of course, politics has always been a rough endeavor, and many issues get heated. In a well running democratic system this is generally healthy as important issues should be able to be debated vigorously.

Elected legislatures and parliaments reflect societal trends as their members are chosen from society. So just as things seem to have become more divisive in society generally, so to have they in the legislature and parliament. More and more often, debates about policies dissolve into personal attacks that have little to do with the issue at hand.

Gone are the days, even after a heated Question Period or debate, where members from different parties would regularly sit down for a meal or drink and engage socially and have discussions in a less heated environment. Not only are these types of interactions less frequent, but they often are discouraged or looked upon with suspicion by political parties.

I reflect on this a few weeks after the passing of Manitoba Minister of Education Nello Altomare. Nello was the 35th person to have the honour of serving as Minister of Education in Manitoba. I had the opportunity to be the 32nd. During my time as Minister, Nello, who was then the opposition Education critic, asked if we could go for coffee and talk about the portfolio. It was a warm summer day and we found a patio on Broadway Avenue where I genuinely enjoyed hearing his perspectives as a long time teacher and administrator. During the years after we would often chat not just about government matters, but about our personal lives. He never failed to ask how my son was doing in school.

Even after he was diagnosed with cancer and began a long fight with the disease, he was quick to ask about how my family was doing whenever our paths crossed.

When we lost government in 2023, I was of course unhappy about the outcome, but I was genuinely glad for Nello and his appointment to a portfolio that I know he coveted. To be clear, Nello was always someone who loved a good debate. And he enjoyed the back and forth of Question Period. But it was always professional, and it was never personal. And yet, he was very effective in making his points.

As I said publicly after his passing, Nello was a good example of how we can all be better. While in the Legislature for only a few years, he demonstrated a civility that felt like it was from another generation in politics. Civility and collegiality between people of different parties or different perspectives or different religions doesn’t have to come at the cost of your own strongly held positions. Nello demonstrated this well. He truly was an Honourable Member.