Political Leadership: MP Exit Interviews
From St. John’s to Vancouver, Sarnia to Saskatoon and back again.
We have been busy interviewing many of the 139 former MPs who left public life during or after the 38th and 39th Parliaments (2004-2008). Although exit interviews are regularly done with departing employees in many organizations, this is the first time that MPs, who have among the most important jobs in the country, have been systematically interviewed in this way.
By shining light on the role of parliamentarians, Samara’s hope is to contribute to a better public understanding and appreciation of politics and public service, potentially encouraging others to serve. We believe that the very act of paying attention to the nature and conduct of our public leadership will help stimulate continued interest in its importance.
Our interviews examine three major areas. The first is the MPs’ motivation for entering politics. The second inquires into their views on the role of an MP and experiences in the job, including their involvement in policy and their engagement with their constituents and the media. The final area explores their ideas and recommendations for improving public life.
We have been thrilled with the interest from the Parliamentarians themselves: almost every former MP contacted to date has agreed to participate, the exceptions largely being those who are still serving in public office in another capacity.
The project has taken us to seven Canadian provinces thus far, and when it’s finished, we’ll have spoken to MPs representing all but one province or territory. In case you’re curious, that territory is the Yukon, whose MP has been in office since 2000.
We plan to use these interviews as a first step in a larger series of efforts to advance understanding of and education into the importance of public service and our public institutions across a broad range of audiences, including through articles, reports, books, documentaries, curriculum and conference materials. We will also present the findings from this research across Canada and are committed to investing in ongoing activity that will build on what we learn from our initial efforts.
We look forward to sharing our findings with you during the middle part of 2010. In the meantime, we will post regular updates on the project on the Samara blog.
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