Like a lot of Canadians, I watched Tuesday evening as Parliament voted to endorse the government’s plans to contribute CF-18s and personnel to the fight against Islamic State in Iraq.  And like a lot of those Canadians, I was appalled by the tub-thumping tone of the closing debate — the way the government bench seemed determined to treat this as a ‘win’, rather than the most solemn and serious step a government can take. 

Over the past several weeks the debate in the Commons over the appropriate role for Canada to play in this widening conflict hasn’t always reflected the fact that sending troops into harm’s way carries enormous consequences — for those doing the fighting and for the governments doing the sending.  But once the ridiculous phase of the debate was safely past, Question Period started to resemble a serious exchange of ideas — which is what it’s supposed to look like.  This was welcome, as was the government’s acknowledgement that it ought to seek Parliament’s support before ordering any combat mission. 

The debate surrounding Tuesday night’s vote, however, was a long step backward.  Government members jumped to their feet, smiling and cheering, as the prime minister rose to vote.  The usual sequence of ridiculous Commons stunts followed — the thumbs-up gestures, the cat-calls.  When Speaker Andrew Scheer rose to announce the motion’s passage, the government benches erupted in cheers and triumphant laughter. 

On Tuesday night, far too many MPs displayed a tin ear for the gravity of the matter at hand.  A vote on war is not politics as usual — not in the eyes of an increasingly disengaged and cynical citizenry. 

If you hadn’t known better, you wouldn’t have thought this was a vote about a war.  You might have assumed we were shaving another point off the GST. 

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s own statement following the vote was solemn and fitting. “ We do not take this step lightly,” he said. “ The threat posed by ISIL is real.  If left unchecked, this terrorist organization will grow and grow quickly.” 

Fair enough.  But given that this is a government known for tight message control at the centre, someone really should have had a word with the backbenchers prior to the vote.  If you believe actions speak louder than words, Canadians could be forgiven for wondering how somber talk of terrorist threats and tough decisions aligns with the lighthearted approach they watched unfold on national television. 

Discussions about the decline in the level of discourse in Parliament are often overblown.  The vast majority of parliamentarians do what they do because they believe in the value of public service.  But on Tuesday night, far too many of them displayed a tin ear for the gravity of the matter at hand.  A vote on war is not politics as usual — not in the eyes of an increasingly disengaged and cynical citizenry. 

A lot of voters serve in the Canadian Forces, or have loved ones in uniform.  They deserve better from their elected representatives.  And they have every right to expect it. 

Colin MacDonald is a senior consultant with Navigator Ltd. He grew up in a military family and has served as an advisor to several Ontario cabinet ministers in the McGuinty and Wynne governments. 

The views, opinions and positions expressed by all iPolitics columnists and contributors are the author’s alone.  They do not inherently or expressly reflect the views, opinions and/or positions of iPolitics.