Canada : The House of Commons will be sitting again later this month, but that doesn’t mean all members of Parliament will necessarily return to Ottawa. If they want to, they can “phone it in” by voting for legislation and attending parliamentary sittings and committee meetings remotely.
Federal public servants are now required to be back in the office four days a week, and workers at banks and other major employers are back in the office most days. Yet hybrid proceedings introduced in the House of Commons during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic are still in place, meaning MPs don’t need to bother with the troublesome task of showing up in person.
It’s time to scrap the hybrid rules and have MPs return to Ottawa.
Britain’s House of Commons got rid of remote sittings in 2021, and the U.S. House of Representatives ended proxy voting in 2023. In Canada, a 2023 vote made hybrid rules permanent, despite the lack of support from the Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois. Proponents say it helps them meet family obligations, reduces travel time and allows them to focus on issues in their ridings. But there is a steep cost.
Eliminating the need for members of Parliament to meet in person chips away at the fabric of Canadian democracy. Instead of facing other MPs in Question Period and in parliamentary committees, cabinet ministers can appear from their homes and offices, reducing accountability. Being in Ottawa also makes them more accessible to media, further helping accountability.
Without being in Ottawa, MPs are less likely to build relationships with government leaders and staff, and have conversations with MPs from other regions or parties that could widen their perspectives. Instead of getting a sense of the national interest, MPs can choose to remain sheltered in their own ridings, beholden only to regional interests, exacerbating the existing tensions between the provinces.
Remote voting creates a wide variety of logistical problems. MPs log into an app that confirms their identity with facial recognition, which has led to undignified situations, such as MPs casting votes while eating at restaurants. One now former MP managed to make headlines in two separate incidents – appearing naked on a House of Commons video feed and urinating into a cup on camera during parliamentary proceedings.
Members are prohibited from voting from outside Canada, but the possibility that it could happen recently left one MP open to unfounded accusations that he had voted from China. The use of the American video platform for Zoom for committee meetings also raises potential security issues.
Allowances should be made for MPs dealing with unusual situations, such as health issues or the hospitalization of a loved one. Exemptions should also be allowed for parents in certain situations – for example, pregnant women and nursing mothers – which would help make Parliament friendlier for women.
In these situations, it could make sense to allow remote voting or participation at committees, but other options are also available. The practice of “pairing” – having two members from opposite sides of the House agree to abstain from voting when one is absent – is an old parliamentary tradition. Most committee meetings are held when the House is sitting, but in the rare cases when meetings occur at other times, remote access could be allowed.
Some consideration of work-life balance is needed, but outside of a limited set of circumstances, members of Parliament should be required to show up in person when Parliament is in session. If they don’t have a valid reason for missing a vote, they should be marked absent.
Being an MP can be demanding, but it’s a good gig by most standards. According to the current parliamentary calendar, the house will sit for 23 weeks in 2026, meaning the obligation to be in Ottawa extends for less than half the year. With a salary of $217,700 (more for cabinet ministers), plus a housing allowance, it’s not unreasonable.
Being a member of Parliament isn’t the same as being a city councillor. Travelling to Ottawa is essential; this is not a job that can be fully remote. At a time when trust in democracy is ebbing, MPs need to show up in person to build relationships and participate in meetings and debates.
Canada’s public servants have reluctantly returned to the office. It’s time for our elected leaders to do the same.
