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As every teacher knows, good intentions can quickly fade. In Parliament, too, the collegial spirit lasts a day, maybe a week, before old habits return and the backbench erupts. Canadians don’t need their politicians to be perfect but they do need them to raise their game in the House of Commons.

Cheap shots, sound bites, and bad behaviour generate headlines, provide clips for social media channels, and feed party fundraising appeals. It’s easy to get caught in the spiral. When I got in a zinger during Question Period, my team would immediately put it out on social media. When I shouted over the fray that “if the opposition is worried about debt and costs, it should be worried about the costs we’re passing on to our kids, the costs of climate change” my phone would almost instantly light up with thousands of likes.

Of course, this is mild stuff. I have also seen the darker side and been on the receiving end of countless personal attacks. These attacks are becoming a far  too normal part of our politics — and in my experience far too much of it comes from today’s Conservative Party and its proxies.

Misogynists delighted in calling me “” and sent a signal that I was a target. When online campaigns accused me of being personally responsible for oil and gas workers losing their jobs, the danger only increased. In today’s polarized environment, right-wing rage-farming outlets profit when they stir up a frenzy and their misinformation campaigns quickly translate into online harassment and real-life security threats for politicians and their families. That was my experience — and I know it is the experience of far too many others, whether in Ottawa, but also provincially and municipally.

The damage isn’t just personal. Many of the women I’ve encouraged to enter politics have told me flat-out they won’t after watching what happens in that chamber and outside of it. That hurts our democracy. If the House has become a toxic workplace, why would the next generation of leaders — whether women, much less Indigenous, racialized, LGBTQ+ and younger Canadians — ever want to sign up?

And this problem doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Confidence in democracy is slipping, not only in the United States but around the world. According to the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer, six in 10 Canadians now report a moderate to high sense of grievance, believing government and business make life harder and only serve narrow interests. This grievance isn’t abstract. It fuels polarization and a growing acceptance of aggression in public life.

Trust, once lost, is not easily restored. It isn’t built with slogans or partisan theatrics. Trust is founded on capability — when citizens see their leaders not just arguing, but solving problems, governing competently, and proving the system still delivers. That’s the only way to restore faith in democracy.

That doesn’t mean opposition parties should stop opposing. By all means, hold governments accountable, expose failures, offer alternatives. But not every bill needs to be a hill to die on. And governments should stop treating every piece of legislation like a winner-take-all contest, ramming it through just because they can. That approach breeds resentment and paralysis.

Like most MPs, I entered politics to tackle big issues, not trade insults. And I know from experience that Canadians want Parliament to focus on the things that matter: protecting and creating jobs, tackling the housing crisis, building safe communities, delivering reliable health care, fighting climate change, defending Canada’s trade and sovereignty in the Trump era. They want an institution that earns, and deserves, their trust.

One way forward is to rethink Parliament’s culture itself. Update the rules of debate to curb the worst excesses of heckling. Consider banning devices and bringing back the convention that MPs speak without notes. Invest more time in committee work, where collaboration is possible. Create moments where MPs are expected to work side-by-side on shared national priorities or even just break bread together. (Some of my most collegial moments were as part of the weekly parliamentary swim team!) Other democracies have introduced codes of conduct, cross-party mentorship, and joint caucus sessions to remind legislators that they serve the same public, even if they disagree on policy. None of this erases partisanship — nor should it — but it ensures that competition is balanced by respect.

So here’s my back-to-school advice: Don’t be the kid who thinks being a bully is the way to get ahead. That’s no way to lead. Canadians expect their leaders to be capable, decent, and focused on results. The test this fall isn’t who wins Question Period. It’s whether Parliament can prove it still works — for Canadians.

Catherine McKenna served as Canada’s minister of environment and climate change and later as minister of infrastructure and communities. Her memoir,��”,” will be released on Sept. 23.