Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Tragedy in the Commons

September 12, 2024

min. read

As we mark the 10th anniversary of Tragedy in the Commons, we see how the book endures and continues to influence discussions about the state of Canada's democracy.

Published in 2014 and written by the Samara Centre’s co-founders Alison Loat and Michael MacMillan, the book is a key output of our MP Exit Interview Project, the first ever systematic collection of interviews with former Parliamentarians conducted in Canada. Not only did it become a national bestseller, garnering widespread media attention, it has also been referenced in Parliamentary debates and was drawn on to create the Reform Act. The book is frequently cited in numerous academic publications and remains a key resource for aspiring and new MPs.

Tragedy in the Commons presents surprising observations about the practice of politics in Canada. MPs describe arriving at their political careers almost by accident; few say they aspired to be in politics before it “happened” to them. In addition, almost without fail, each MP describes the tremendous influence of their political party: from the manipulation of the nomination process to enforced voting in the House and in committees, the unseen hand of the party dominates every aspect of the MPs existence.

The insights from Tragedy in the Commons continue to resonate and influence the ongoing work of the Samara Centre. The book has informed a sequel, Real House Lives: Former Members of Parliament on How to Reclaim Democratic Leadership, and has also inspired two podcasts: the award-winning Humans of the House and the Samara Centre’s first major French initiative, Les Personnages de la Chambre. The wider MP Exit Interview Project has also informed the creation of teaching resources which high school and post-secondary educators from across Canada use in their classrooms to teach about active citizenship. To date, over 160 exit interviews with former MPs have been conducted and longitudinal analysis is currently underway.

Tragedy in the Commons remains a significant influence on how we understand political practices in Canada. To mark the anniversary of its release, we've gathered some key highlights about the book and released a special bonus episode of Humans of the House.

Creation myths do tend to say something about the people who tell them. So what does the creation myth of the Canadian politician say about the people who lead this country? … Many portrayed themselves as having to be almost dragged, kicking and screaming, into the job. It was remarkable: before we learned anything else about them, these MP’s wanted to make sure we grasped just how resistant they had been to entering politics.

-Alison Loat & Michael MacMillan, Tragedy in the Commons

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Virtually all the MPs we interviewed remembered feeling, immediately, two powerful emotions. First, they were filled with awe for the institution of Parliament and its history, and for the opportunity to serve…And then there was a double take at being left to fend for themselves.

-Alison Loat & Michael MacMillan, Tragedy in the Commons

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