For many citizens living in rural Manitoba, the speech from the House of Commons may seem frustrating. Winnipeg South Center MP Ben Carr spoke about the current political impasse in Ottawa, sharing the frustrations he and other MPs feel as legislative progress remains stalled. For weeks, parliamentary sessions have been engulfed by procedural maneuvers preventing debate on crucial issues. The root of the impasse lies in a disagreement between the Liberal government and the Progressive Conservative opposition over a legal issue; The government is resisting calls to release some documents, seeing it as an unprecedented step, while opposition MPs insist it is essential.

Carr candidly describes the impact of the impasse:

“Every day when we presented to the House, with the exception of a few breaks in the day itself where we would take a break from this conversation and then come back to it, the discussion was dominated by this particular issue and unfortunately, that means no further legislation can be debated, which is certainly frustrating. I don’t really know where this is going or where the end might be. Perhaps for people living in the Ottawa bubble, this is a very interesting political time. But I think most average Canadians are just waiting for parliamentarians to get on with it and move forward so we can do what we were sent here to do.

The impasse put Carr and his fellow MPs in a difficult position. Breaking the impasse will likely require the support of opposition parties, such as the NDP or the Bloc Québécois. Despite the tension, Carr is optimistic that a solution will be found soon.

Beyond this moment of impasse, Carr expressed concerns about the overall tone of the speech in Parliament, which he sees as part of a broader trend toward division.

“I think this is a problem we face more generally; the lack of civility that exists in our political discourse, and increasingly in our society, is very, very concerning. Have you ever been to a Tim Horton’s, for example, where it takes maybe an extra 30 seconds for a new employee to learn how to use the coffee machine and they get yelled at in front of 20 other people? Imagine that being multiplied by 1,000 in the House of Commons. There seems to be an amplification of anger, division and emotional reactions, as opposed to reflection, compassion and patience. I think it’s something we’re losing in our society as a whole.

Carr does what he can to set an example;

“I try very hard not to heckle when I’m in the House and not to shout for no particular reason when I don’t like something. I try not to be divisive in the things I post on my social media. I’m just trying to share what I do on behalf of the people I represent. I can completely understand that people are just going about their business, making fun of it and being disappointed with the way people behave in Parliament, and the reality is, frankly, that I feel the same way.

Looking ahead to 2025, Carr’s hopes are as much about progress as they are about tone. He shared his desire to see important legislation move forward, such as improving drinking water infrastructure for First Nations, as well as long-term care legislation improving the living conditions of older Canadians.

“I just hope that we can find that kind of semblance of civility, respect, compassion and patience in our daily dialogue, not just in Parliament, but in our society as a whole. The last few years have been very difficult. I hope we can begin to return to some of those core values ​​as Canadians that have guided us so well for so long. Basically, I think respect is an essential part of it.

As for his own approach, Carr looks forward to collaborating with more Manitobans, especially those in rural communities.

“It’s not often that I speak to a rural audience. I served for a few months on the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, which was a great experience and allowed me to better understand some of the issues facing people in rural communities. Manitoba is a small province in many ways and we are not that far apart. I’m certainly looking forward to exploring other areas of the province. There are places I haven’t been since I was 14 or 15, where I got beat in baseball by all the farm boys. So it would be nice to leave Winnipeg and visit some of these small towns in western Manitoba when the time comes.