Samara contacted Members of Parliament who left public office during or after the 38th and 39th Parliaments (2004 to 2008). We chose to speak to former, rather than current, Members of Parliament because we felt they would be less constrained by the demands of office and, having stepped away, would have had time to reflect on their years in public life.
We chose to focus on those who left during or after the 38th and 39th Parliaments for several reasons. The first is because they would have more recent experience with the current realities of Parliament, which includes two political parties that are relatively new: the Bloc Québécois and the Conservative Party of Canada. The second is because there was a change of government in that time, which enabled a larger number of MPs to serve in different legislative capacities. The third is because these were both minority parliaments. Many observers believe Canada will be governed by minority Parliaments more frequently in years to come, and we believed that MPs’ first-hand experience would yield interesting insights.
There are 139 living former MPs in this group and we interviewed 65, ensuring that these individuals come from all the major national political parties and from all regions of the country. The Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians (CAFP) were our partners in this project, and provided the initial letter of introduction and invitation to the former MPs on our behalf.
Samara also consulted extensively with other key experts in the development of this project. While the report is not intended as academic research, academics from across Canada including from the University of British Columbia, Wilfrid Laurier University, the University of Toronto, Queen’s University, Carleton University, the University of Ottawa and Memorial University all provided input into the interview process to ensure it was built on existing literature. Samara also consulted political journalists, current and former Parliamentarians and senior public servants.
Interview Style
The interview questions were organized using a semi-structured interview methodology. We created a standard question guide to ensure uniformity of process; however, follow-up questions varied depending on the MPs' responses. We felt this approach would better capture the nuances of their experiences. All interviewees were provided with an overview of the interview objectives and process in advance.
All but two of the interviews were conducted in person, often in the home or office of the former Parliamentarian, in their preferred official language. The interviews were each about two hours in length.
Questions Asked
The questions we asked the MPs focused on four main areas:
- Their motivations for entering and paths to politics;
- The nature of the job, including how they contemplated their role, how they spent their time, and what they viewed as their successes and frustrations;
- Their connection to civil society, either directly or through the media; and
- Their advice and recommendations for the future.
On the Record
The MPs signed a release form and spoke on the record. As a courtesy, the MPs were given the option not to respond to any question if they so preferred, and were free to strike from the transcript statements that they did not want to appear on the public record, a request we honoured in the few cases in which we were asked.
Recordings and Transcripts
The interviews were recorded in mp3-quality audio, and all the audio records have been transcribed. Because our primary objective was to foster an honest and open discussion, we did not film these interviews, as we were concerned that the equipment necessary for a broadcast-quality video would be distracting, or encourage more of a performance-style interview, rather than the open conversation we wanted to encourage.
Interview Analysis
All the interviews were coded and analyzed with the support of a widely-recognized qualitative research software program.
Public Education
We are committed to ensuring that the results of this work are made widely available in order to advance public understanding of the role of political leadership and Parliament in Canada.
Samara has the consent of the interviewees to deposit the interviews in the National Archives once the MP exit interview project is complete, and will do so. This project is among the largest-ever inquiries into Members of Parliament in Canada, and we would like to ensure that its educational value is available to future generations.