Of all the places that Lori Turnbull expected her academic career to take her, a glitzy, Oscars-like award ceremony wasn鈥檛 on the list.
But there she was, seated with family and colleagues at a gala awards dinner in Toronto last week. She was there because the book she co-authored, Democratizing the Constitution: Reforming Responsible Government was one of four finalists for the Donner Prize, a $50,000 award presented each year to recognize the best public policy book by a Canadian.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not an experience I thought I鈥檇 ever have as an academic,鈥� she says, explaining the detailed video packages that introduced each book at the ceremony. 鈥淚 thought I鈥檇 have to break into a movie scene for that.鈥�
Seated with her was co-author, Mark Jarvis, doctoral candidate at the University of Victoria. There was someone missing, though, and through the evening the weight of his absence grew heavier. And when Democratizing the Constitution was named the winner, their acceptance speech quickly became a tribute to his legacy.
鈥淲e were delighted to be shortlisted, don鈥檛 get me wrong,鈥� says Dr. Turnbull, speaking to Dal News the Friday after the ceremony.
鈥淏ut we wanted this for Peter.鈥�
She鈥檚 referring to Peter Aucoin, beloved AV俱乐部 political science professor and renowned public policy scholar, who passed away last year at the age of 67. Dr. Aucoin is not only the third co-author on Democratizing the Constitution, but was responsible for bringing the scholars together on the project.
Dr. Turnbull explains that the book is, in some ways, a culmination of his life鈥檚 work.
鈥淎ll of the themes that really mattered to him鈥攃oncentration of power, accountability, role of the House of Commons鈥攚e dealt with in this book. And things that Peter had worked on as a young scholar, like how party leaders are chosen, he came back to in this book.鈥�
Writing down Canada's unwritten political rules
Democratizing the Constitution is also incredibly relevant in the current political landscape. At a time when many observers are asking hard questions about the role of Parliament and the concentration of power in the Prime Minister鈥檚 Office, the book makes the case for constitutional reforms that would write down the unwritten rules of Canadian politics.
鈥淚f you look at the written Constitution, it doesn鈥檛 really tell you much about how democracy works,鈥� explains Dr. Turnbull. 鈥淭he confidence convention, for example鈥攖hat the prime minister and cabinet need the support of the House of Commons to govern legitimately鈥攖hat鈥檚 not written in the Constitution anywhere. In fact, the prime minister isn鈥檛 even mentioned in the written Constitution.
鈥淚f you read only the written parts, it doesn鈥檛 give you much of a sense of what actually happens.鈥�
She points to several examples where those unwritten rules have led to complicated situations: like when Stephen Harper asked the governor general to prorogue the House in 2008 to avoid a confidence vote, or when Jean Chr茅tien called an early election in 2000 solely because he knew he could gain more seats.
Because the rules and practices in these sorts of scenarios aren鈥檛 in the actual Constitution, they鈥檙e not legally enforceable. The only way politicians can be held to account when they overstep their bounds is through the political process.
鈥淎nd that鈥檚 not enough,鈥� says Dr. Turnbull. 鈥淰oting is too blunt an instrument to express all your political preferences. If a prime minister were to be stepping outside constitutional conventions, but he was still the person people trusted most on the economy, he鈥檇 get away with it. And the Constitution shouldn鈥檛 be whatever the prime minister gets away with it. That鈥檚 where we鈥檙e at now.鈥�
Of course, the idea of reopening the Constitution may well send shivers up the spines of those who remember the Charlottetown and Meech Lake Accords of the late 1980s and early 1990s. And, indeed, Dr. Turnbull acknowledges that past attempts to reform the Constitution have been fraught with challenges, particularly related to provincial interests.
But given that other nations like Great Britain鈥攐n whom our Constitution is modeled鈥攈ave formally written down their unwritten political rules, Dr. Turnbull says it鈥檚 high time that Canada does the same.
鈥淚f we accept the current constitutional paralysis, then we are extremely immature as a country. We鈥檙e consenting to our own democratic paralysis. We鈥檙e not governing the way we should because no one has the guts to tackle the Constitution.鈥�
Taking action on constitutional reform
And that鈥檚 one of the reasons why Democratizing the Constitution is such a compelling book: it doesn鈥檛 just assess the current, complicated state of Canadian politics, but presents clear reforms towards improving democratic accountability.
Dr. Turnbull says that approach is straight out of Dr. Aucoin鈥檚 playbook.
鈥淗e never just identified problems; he always thought to the point where he could come to a workable solution,鈥� she says. 鈥淭his book is not just a discussion of what鈥檚 wrong with the Constitution; it frames the problem as one that can be dealt with in courses of action.鈥�
Democratizing the Constitution is the second book by a AV俱乐部 author to win the Donner Prize. Brian Bow took home the 2009 prize for his book The Politics of Linkage: Power, Interdependence and Ideas in Canada-US Relations. And Frank Harvey was shortlisted for the 2004 award with Smoke & Mirrors: Globalized Terrorism and the Illusion of Multilateral Security.
But despite an incredible list of honours that included the Order of Canada, Dr. Aucoin had never won the Donner. And Dr. Turnbull says that he would have cherished the moment had he been there.
鈥淗e was so gracious, so humble and down to earth. And winning awards was totally normal for him, it happened so often, but he was still so appreciative whenever anyone would recognize his work.
鈥淗e would have enjoyed the night so much.鈥�
Dr. Turnbull celebrates with her brother at the Donner ceremony. (Provided photo)
听