At the Centre of Government: The Prime Minister and the Limits on Political Power

by Ian Brodie

"Canada's prime minister is a dictator." "The Sun King of Canadian government." "More powerful than any other chief executive of any other democratic country." These kinds of claims are frequently made about Canada's leader – especially when the prime minister's party holds a majority government in Parliament. But is there any truth to these arguments? At the Centre of Government not only presents a comprehensively researched work on the structure of political power in Canada but also offers a first-hand view of the inner workings of the Canadian federal government. Ian Brodie – former chief of staff to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and former executive director of the Conservative Party of Canada – argues that the various workings of the Prime Minister's Office, the Privy Council Office, the cabinet, parliamentary committees, and the role of backbench members of Parliament undermine propositions that the prime minister has evolved into the role of an autocrat, with unchecked control over the levers of political power. He corrects the dominant thinking that Canadian prime ministers hold power without limits over their party, caucus, cabinet, Parliament, the public service, and the policy agenda. Citing examples from his time in government and from Canadian political history he argues that in Canada's evolving political system, with its roots in the pre-Confederation era, there are effective checks on executive power, and that the golden age of Parliament and the backbencher is likely now. Drawing on a vast body of work on governance and the role of the executive branch of government, At the Centre of Government is a fact-based primer on the workings of Canadian government and sobering second thoughts about many proposals for reform.

Genres: Politics, Canada, Nonfiction

217 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 30, 2018

Reviews

[Brahm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am almost ashamed to submit the first review for this book to Goodreads - it's a lot of pressure. Especially for someone not well-versed in politics or Canadian history. What can I say?

It was genuinely interesting read!! What more do you want from a book? Most people can stop reading my review now.

I learned a lot: all about HOW Canadian government works, much about WHY it works, and much about weak spots, both perceived and real (according to the author).

It was a quick read, at 179 pages before afterword and references.

The author's style and tone kept me engaged. You know how some books make you want to toss them, and others keep you glued to the page? I was glued.

The Prime Minister does have unquestionable powers (in fact, the areas they cannot ignore or delegate away are: setting fiscal policy, Canada's foreign relations, the federal government's relationships with the provinces, and management of the government's business before parliament), but Brodie spends Chapter 3 laying out the reasons why these are "inherent to our form of government".

Brodie spends the rest of the chapters explaining - with examples, anecdotes, history, policy and more - the selection and role of Cabinet, the Executive Branch and Parliament, making a government agenda, and the relationship between PMs/caucuses/political parties.

One of the most interesting parts of Brodie's book (to me) was the rebuttal to the "Members of Parliament are powerless" and "the House of Commons is useless" argument. He explains that MPs have been empowered with more powers and privileges over the last few decades. Consequently, the rate of assent of private member's bills has skyrocketed in that same period, indicating that MPs are in fact empowered to drive change (which supports his thesis that the PM does not have dictatorial powers).

Finally, Brodie's role as Chief of Staff to PM Harper provides interesting perspective into some of the stories of the Harper era. Want Brodie's take on the 2008 proroguing of parliament, the F35 fighter purchase, or Bev Oda's orange juice? Grab a copy.

[Alex Mulligan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book. I’d read a lot of positive reviews from experts in political science and Canadian history so I was slightly ashamed I hadn’t gotten to this book yet. Unfortunately it didn’t live up to its expectations. Brodie’s experience and expertise is valuable, and his overall conclusion is mostly correct I think, but the book was slow to read, based more on anecdotal experience instead of data, and was laced with some questionable assertions.

I thought the book was relatively thought provoking, and I still think it’s worth a read. Brodie brings a unique experience that you rarely get in book on Canadian politics.

[Blake Arsenault · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend bought this for me for my birthday. I found myself agreeing with Brodie's thesis more often than not, and his two lenses - an academic on one hand, and a chief of staff on the other - make for a unique perspective. Definitely only read this if you are really interested in responsible government in Canada.

[Tom Axworthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ian Brodie has written a very useful book about the Government of Canada which combines his insights as Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Harper with his academic training as a noted political scientist. He reviews the overwhelming consensus of academics and media commentators that the Canadian Prime Minister is a ' friendly dictator" and then contrasts this view with the very many constraints in parliament and party management that the Harper PMO faced. A decade earlier Eddie Goldenberg, Chief of Staff to Jean Chretien, advanced the same thesis in The Way it Works. Prime Ministers are powerful indeed but Brodie and Goldenberg are also correct to note that there are many constraints and we should not fall prey to soundbite analysis. Brodie also makes clear that there are some things that only the political Centre can do such as strategic and issue management is a complicated world and someone has to think about the government as a whole as most ministers and MPS are preoccupied with their portfolios or seats. Written for a more general audience but placed within an up to date academic context, At the Centre of Government is a must read for anyone interested in Canadian government.

[Jason Motz · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's appalling that McGill-Queen's University Press would publish a book so pockmarked with grammatical errors. This reads like an uncorrected proof, not a finished product. Author Brodie must be livid. And the publisher must be ashamed.
What should be a solid three star book cannot advance from such sloppy and shoddy editing.

[Chand Sooran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding look at the Canadian parliamentary system from a political scientist who was at the very heart of government in practice. Very unique perspective and one that refutes the conventional wisdom of the relationship between the Canadian executive and the people’s elected representatives.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative and arguably invaluable for anyone directly involved in Canadians politics especially elected Members of Parliament.

[DonnaM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read. I especially appreciated how he demonstrated the differences between our Prime Ministerial power to that of American Presidential power.
You’ll be very surprised at the answers.

[LC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone knows a Canadian Prime Minister, especially when they lead a majority, has near-unlimited power to control cabinet and the apparatus of government. Right? Ian Brodie's book offers another view, informed by his firsthand experience working in government. Ian's exploration of the checks and balances that constrain the executive branch is informative and refreshing for students of practical politics, while also presenting well-researched arguments suitable for academic readers. Best of all, it's an entertaining read with lots of memorable anecdotes from the first few years of the Harper government.