The Bright Side of Politics: When It Actually Works

The Smartest Person in the Room is the One Willing to Listen. Imagine a world where politicians actually listen to the people they serve. Tim Houston just reminded us (again) that it’s possible.

Premier Houston Just Showed Us How Government Should Work—Let’s Acknowledge It

In politics, it’s easy to focus on what’s broken. But sometimes, things work exactly as they should, and when that happens, we ought to say so.

Last week, Premier Tim Houston’s government introduced legislation that would have changed the role of Nova Scotia’s Auditor General. The response was swift—criticism from opposition parties, policy experts, and the public made it clear there were concerns.

And then something remarkable happened.

Within three days, the Premier listened, reconsidered, and reversed course. He scrapped the legislation entirely, stating clearly that when the public has concerns, the right thing to do is hear them out and act accordingly.

So next week, when the bill goes to a vote, it will have been amended to remove the sections related to the Auditor General.

This is the kind of leadership we should celebrate. Houston holds a commanding majority in the legislature—he could have forced this bill through. Instead, he did what we say we want from politicians: he listened, evaluated new information, and changed his approach. That’s responsible governance.

Let’s pause and recognize how rare that is.

On Sunday, I wrote about the dangers of weakening the Auditor General’s oversight. Turns out, I was - on this rare occasion - well within the mainstream of thought - lots of folks spoke out, and the government listened—and that’s exactly why it’s worth speaking up when something isn’t right. But it’s just as important to recognize when things are made right. That’s what happened here.

This is what real leadership looks like: moving fast, testing ideas, listening to concerns, and adjusting when needed. It’s especially impressive given Houston’s supermajority. He could have bulldozed this legislation through, ignored the objections, and carried on. But he didn’t. He changed his mind. He changed direction. He did what we constantly say we want politicians to do: he listened.

And now, predictably, the same opposition voices that were demanding a reversal are mocking him for reversing. This is why people tune politics out. There’s an instinct, especially in opposition, to see everything as a battle, to treat every decision as an outrage, no matter what actually happens. But that’s not useful. We should expect leaders to adjust when the facts change. And we should expect critics to recognize when they do. At some point, to some degree, we’ve got to support our elected representatives. No human can be expected to help us if there’s nothing but downside. If every decision, every attempt to lead, is met with cynicism, outrage, and bad faith attacks, what exactly are we asking them to do?

I know everything feels unsettled. I know few among us get everything we need or want. But no one is so impoverished they can’t afford to give some encouragement—especially to those fairly elected to help. Leadership isn’t a solo act. Even with a big majority government, no one can get it right alone.

That’s why it’s so important to speak up when something works. Too often, the loudest voices belong to those who are perpetually aggrieved, stuck in a cycle of endless outrage. It creates a false impression that nothing good ever happens, that government is always failing, and that leadership is always corrupt. That kind of cynicism is corrosive.

The truth is, democracy worked here. A policy was floated, concerns were raised, the government responded. That’s not a scandal. That’s the system functioning as it should.

This is what I voted for. More of this, please.

Politics isn’t a spectator sport. We don’t just sit in the stands, cheering for our team and booing the other. We’re citizens. We are in the game. And we’re all on the same team to build a better future.

That’s why, no matter what vision we lean toward, we should support any decent work from our elected representatives when they get it right. Not as blind loyalty, not as compromise, but as a recognition that good governance—real progress—requires more than just opposition for opposition’s sake. Encouragement isn’t surrender. Engagement isn’t uncool. Acknowledging competence isn’t betrayal. If we want better leadership, we have to reward it when we see it. It’s only fair.

RELATED:

The Wit’s Guide to Whataboutery