Tom Mulcair: Within an hour of the announcement of the Trudeaus' separation, social media was full of vile commentary

The separation of Justin Trudeau and Sophie Gregoire Trudeau is, first and foremost, a very difficult moment for Canada’s “First Couple” and their children. They’ve asked for and deserve the time and the space to deal with this personal situation that will have repercussions well beyond their family.

It’s also an opportunity to think about the pressures elected officials, in all orders of government, face and how we can better reconcile work and family in politics, generally.

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Sure, there are lots of demanding jobs out there and people go into politics of their own volition, with a sincere desire to serve. It’s also sad but true that in Canada nearly half of unions break up. This isn’t exceptional on that level, but it is much higher profile and provides a chance to reflect.

'TROUBLING ASPECTS" OF POLITICAL LIFE DESERVE ATTENTION

Having spent decades in politics, I’ve seen some improvements that have made things better in some respects but there are still very troubling aspects of today’s political life that deserve our attention.

Unless we make positive changes in work-life balance, politics will continue to be a very challenging and difficult career choice that will limit the types of people who will be willing to sign on. Our democracy is all about letting the people decide who’ll run the country. If we want true democratic representation, then we have to do everything possible to have a wide spectrum of Canadians who can contribute to our institutional life.

When one of my NDP colleagues gave birth and became the first woman to breastfeed in the House of Commons, it was an important moment. Speaker Andrew Scheer made an effort to find a place within the main Parliament buildings for mothers whose offices were elsewhere on the Hill and Parliament has been moving on other improvements. From child care and allowances to the rules governing travel for family members to parental leave and absences from the House. There’s a lot to modernize and adapt.

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One of the most important changes came about as a result of the pandemic. All of a sudden everyone realized that, as in so many other workplaces, a lot could be accomplished by videoconference.

Not everyone has to be present all the time. It’s a tricky call because actual presence for key votes is still felt to be the norm but Speaker Anthony Rota seems deeply committed to the issue of work-life balance and is making it a priority.

That use of video technology is part of the sweeping change that the world has gone through in the generation since the advent of social media. That is also one of the most severe downsides for today’s politicians and it has to be a part of the conversation.

'VILE COMMENTARY' ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Within an hour of the announcement of the separation, social media was full of vile commentary. Par for the course in today’s world, perhaps, but a reminder that angry, disturbed people can easily find each other and seem to be emboldened by what they see as strength in numbers.

The problem is that they’re no longer content to just share their deep hatreds and spelling mistakes with each other. They’re starting to pop out of their screens.

When Prime Minister Trudeau has handfuls of gravel thrown at him by an angry crowd, all Canadians, whatever their political views, should be appalled.

There’s a lot to be dissatisfied with, but there always has been. Steep price increases have made life much more difficult for the average family. Climate change is bursting out before our eyes and we’re still buying pipelines and approving new oil projects. Inequalities in education and in access to healthcare remain huge problems.

But there’s nothing to justify the recourse to anger and violence that we’ve been witnessing. In town halls, where there is often direct access to a question period, some citizens now seem to think it’s all right to take their online anger into the real world. Police sometimes have to be called in and the threats and other bad behaviour have led to the resignation of excellent local representatives in my home province.

That is also part of the reality of politics today. We’ve seen politicians who excel at dividing and inciting (yes, Donald Trump, but he’s not alone). This is what Erin O’Toole sagely referred to as politics by "algorithm,” as he was departing political life.

It is amazingly easy to take the pulse of the population and play to prejudices or grievances that may be widespread. It’s much more challenging to speak to the higher self and bring people on board to build a better town, province or country.

It’s in that world that Justin and Sophie have worked tirelessly. She gave up a successful career in media and will now have a very different life from the one she knew in politics. The prime minister knows better than anyone how brutal politics can be on family life. All we can do is wish them and their kids the best and hope that if anything good comes of this, it’s a deep reflection on what type of life our society imposes on those who serve us in politics.