Bigger Not Always Better

By Mark Wente, Mope and Wail
January 23, 2014
Despite her party’s disappointing showing in November’s general election, CATS leader Steph Henderson has one advantage over the ruling SWAG party: her caucus size is manageable. With a humble group of 36 MPs, Henderson is able to connect personally with each and every one of them, giving them a unified voice and vision. She’s helped by the experience of her MPs, many of whom have been given multiple mandates.
On the other hand, the SWAG caucus numbers 122 members, enough to give them a slim majority in the House. While Prime Ministers have certainly managed large causes effectively in the past, rumours suggest that Koskela is not one of them, and that many in his party aren’t even sure who he is. As one SWAG MP told us, under the condition that we do not use his name, “I’m not even sure what Erik Koskela looks like.” An aide to Maya McDonald, Minister for the Redistribution of Toronto’s Wealth, echoed similar sentiments. “I’m not sure that I could pick [Koskela] out of a crowd. Though at least that beard is recognizable… He does have a beard, right?”
It’s been a turbulent time for SWAG strategists. When election results were announced in November, the party was given a majority mandate, but that was quickly overturned by a by-election in Kitchener Centre, where former Prime Minister Shane “Shame” Mackenzie beat out the SWAG candidate by a mere 11 votes. The response to this result from some SWAG members, such as Justice and Silly Walks Minister Yanéric Bisaillon, suggested SWAG was unwilling to cooperate with other parties given the change to minority status. While this left a foul taste in the mouths of many Canadians, it did not stop a number of independent MPs from nonetheless joining SWAG and returning the slim majority mandate.
While criticisms of caucus management have been launched in recent years against previous Prime Ministers for different reasons, analysts say that this time, Koskela’s effectiveness matters more than ever before. Mark-Andre Leclerc, a non-partisan political analyst, says that SWAG’s slim majority government means that keeping party members in line is more important than ever. “When was the last time we saw a majority government in Model Parliament?”  Leclerc asks. “As long as they keep that majority, they can do whatever they want. But if you have just a few MPs cross the floor or resign or go to the bathroom at the wrong time, they are done. STYLE and CATS will be all over them.”
SWAG arrogance makes it unlikely to see any resignations anytime soon, but the prospect of floor crossings will undoubtedly be strong. SWAG whip Josh Giesbrecht and deputy whip Dylan Krueger are both known in political circles to be big softies, and it’s yet to be seen whether they’ll be able to hold members in place. Meanwhile, SWAG backbenchers and first-time MPs who want more respect will likely be enticed by STYLE’s inclusive leadership style, while those craving structure will probably be tempted by the experience and discipline of CATS.
The question quickly becomes not whether SWAG will lose its majority, but when that majority will be lost. You ask me? I’d give them four minutes. And I’ve always thought myself to be pretty generous.