A senior Liberal MP is floating the idea of pulling television cameras out of Question Period, arguing that the spectacle has overtaken the substance nearly 50 years after the Commons first went on air.Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux, parliamentary secretary to the Government House Leader, told MPs Friday that Parliament should consider requiring written questions in advance and potentially ending televised coverage of the daily exchange. “Some parliaments have done that,” he said. “The government would then respond to them, in terms of a Question Period. Outside of that, maybe we could take away the television cameras.”Lamoureux made the comments during debate on possible changes to the Standing Orders. No other MP backed the idea of removing cameras.Liberal MP Corey Hogan said Canadians rely on televised clips to see how MPs conduct themselves. “Most of the country sees us through those video clips,” said Hogan. “I may not love it, but I think it is one of those accountability measures personally.” Hogan added that reviewing how other parliaments operate is still worth exploring..MPs typically revisit Standing Orders at the start of each new parliamentary session. Hogan, a first‑term MP, said newcomers have a responsibility to speak up about what they see as outdated practices.Televised proceedings have been part of the Commons since 1977, following a decade of study. A Library of Parliament review published in 1998 noted that cameras were allowed only under strict control of the Speaker to avoid capturing MPs in casual or unflattering moments.The study, Television And The House Of Commons, found that many Canadians disliked how MPs behaved on camera and viewed some tactics as juvenile, such as crowding behind speakers to make the chamber appear full. It also argued that television reduced spontaneity, encouraged MPs to read speeches, and replaced the old tradition of desk‑thumping with more camera‑friendly handclapping.Despite criticism, the report concluded that televised coverage had become an essential part of democratic transparency. “The vast majority of Canadians accept parliamentary coverage as an important and very desirable service, if not a right to which they are entitled,” it said. “The expectations of the public, the desire for openness in government and the important role that television plays in modern political life have removed this option.”
