Humans of the House

Canada’s democracy is under threat, and the stakes are high. But when we focus on how we are connected, we find the power to act - to strengthen what’s working and fix what’s not. This is what’s behind the Samara Centre for Democracy’s Group Chat podcast, hosted by Sabreena Delhon . It’s where we bring people together to make sense of this moment of democratic uncertainty - with a few friends. &nb...

In this special bonus episode, we celebrate and reflect upon the tenth anniversary of the bestseller book, Tragedy in the Commons, written by Samara Centre for Democracy co-founders, Alison Loat and Michael MacMillan. Samara Centre CEO Sabreena Delhon hosts this conversation to ask, what has changed? What has stayed the same? Where are the fault lines in Canadian democracy? THIS EPISODE FEATURES:...

We’ve come to the final chapter of an MP’s civic journey. What is it like to leave office? Whether they resigned, decided not to run again, or lost an election, former MPs tell us their stories of leaving parliament. Just like any ending, it brings lots of mixed emotions.  After hearing all the ups and downs of their lives as MPs, one question remains: was it worth it? THIS EPISODE FEATURES:...

This episode features audio clips from ABC News, Global News, CNN, Bloomberg, The Ottawa Citizen, and PBS NewsHour. We elect our representatives hoping they’ll make meaningful change while in office. We lose trust when we see their election promises broken. But we don’t often get to see the process of making change from their point of view. What does it take for MPs to make a difference? THIS EPIS...

Who is an MP’s real boss? Their party leader? Canadians? Themselves? MPs have to strike a balance between serving their riding’s needs, their party’s interests, and their own goals that brought them to Ottawa in the first place. But what happens when these priorities clash? This episode, we explore partisan politics and party power. Former MPs tell their stories of learning unwritten rules, striki...

What is Parliament Hill like as a workplace? Is it respectful? Is it safe? If we want our democracy to thrive, it should be. Former MPs tell us how they were treated on the job, both inside and beyond the House of Commons. How did they navigate the extreme workloads and all the pressure? And when you’re in such a huge job, where can you turn for support? Plus, a who’s-who of the many different rol...

So, you won an election and are officially a Member of Parliament. Now what? This episode, former MPs take us inside their very first days on Parliament Hill. What does an MP do in an average week? Where do they go? And as they settle into their new jobs, are they being set up to serve Canadians well?  Plus, how does a vote work in the House of Commons? THIS EPISODE FEATURES:  Celina Cae...

Would you ever run for political office? For many of us, “politician” is the last job title we’d ever consider. What is it that drives people to run for political office?  In this episode we talk to former MPs from across Canada. They each have a unique journey that brought them to Ottawa to serve their communities. For some, federal politics was a childhood dream – for others, something they...

You know what a politician sounds like on the job. But once they leave office, that’s when they can share what’s truly on their minds.  Join host Sabreena Delhon as she speaks with former Members of Parliament, to hear, in their own words, what this job is really like. Their stories are woven together in a six-part series that explores an MPs path to politics, why they left, and what it cost...