Parliament's Mr. Congeniality

Conservative MP Michael Chong is on a mission to reform debate in the House of Commons.

On this day, Conservative member of Parliament Michael Chong did not clap in question period. Not to applaud a savvy response of a Conservative minister, or to cheer his prime minister. Neither did he join any of his colleagues to hoot, sneer, or scoff at the Opposition. Not for him, the histrionics of disagreement. Rather, he did something wholly alien to question period, the raucous ritual enshrined at the heart of our parliamentary democracy: he sat listening to each speaker, a stoic in the storm. He stood up, once, to recognize guests in the visitors’ gallery, which included the parents of Terry Fox.

Mr. Chong is on a mission to reform debate in Parliament. He worries that the empty rhetoric of question period feeds the political cynicism of Canadians. If people want a legislature, not a theatre, then why bother voting to cast bad actors?

Or, as Chong puts it: “For many Canadians … question period is Parliament. What they see through this window is not something they are impressed with.” When teachers started refusing to bring their students to watch question period, Chong knew there was a problem.

Chong is less old and less white than most MPs. At 38, he is among our youngest parliamentarians, and he is multiracial, the son of a Chinese dad and a Dutch mother. He grew up near Fergus, a town in Southern Ontario that sits in the riding he has represented since 2004.

His neat black hair frames a still-cherubic face. He is a compact man with a genial glow, and he eschews the politico robo-grin for a broad range of smiles, from the taut closed-mouth beam to the shiny half-moon.

Chong has a lot to be happy about these days. He is the tip of Canada’s spear for democratic reform, perched in the bosom of the governing party.

Chong contributes modestly to decorum with his reserved and respectful demeanour in the House of Commons. He makes a symbol of himself, but that only makes him a boyscout among hyenas.

Chong took a concrete step toward systemic change by successfully shepherding a motion on Oct. 6 to reform question period. Motion 517 makes a series of recommendations to improve the content and conduct of question period.