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How the Legislative Assembly of Alberta has opened new doors in the pandemic era using social media: View from the Speaker of Alberta
Pervasive. Ubiquitous. Inescapable.
These words can easily describe the impact of digital technologies on human populations globally. In a relatively short period of time such technologies have become deeply entrenched in our lives, in how we communicate with each other, in how we work and play, and in influencing and affecting a multitude of other facets of our daily lives.
Social media, likewise, has changed the way many people connect and access information. Initially something of a curiosity, a way to share pictures and connect with friends, social media has become a multitrillion dollar business with billions of users worldwide. It is also an effective means of disseminating information, whether used in business or commercial contexts or by governmental and nongovernment organisations. In the parliamentary context social media is an influential tool for elected officials to connect with the public and provide a level of accessibility that the public has come to expect.
In this environment, the Legislative Assembly of Alberta has taken a leading role in embracing technology to engage, educate, and inform. Focusing on adapting to the rapidly expanding digital world helped to prepare us for the substantial challenge presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. As direct result, during the spring 2020 pandemic shutdown our Assembly managed to sit for 52 days – the most in Canada – without a major public health incident.
Engaging online
In spite of these serious concerns, social media offers tremendous value in reaching a large number of people from across a diverse demographic spectrum and a wide geographical area. It provides an opportunity for Parliaments and Parliamentarians to connect with the public and to highlight parliamentary traditions and purposes in a meaningful way. Using social media platforms not only breaks down barriers but also enables Parliamentarians to speak directly to citizens and engage in a two-way conversation.
Currently at the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, social media is used to broadcast parliamentary proceedings. Detailed analytics allow us to see how many people are reached, what they are watching, and what they are talking about while they are watching. In the past these conversations were taking place in coffee shops and around the dinner table; with social media we not only see these discussions, but we can join them.
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta also uses social media as a way to share information about parliamentary proceedings, committee activities, and programs taking place at the Legislature and has been doing so since 2012. However, the modern institution of Parliament has a responsibility to do more than share information, whether theoretical or practical. Increasingly, it is necessary to engage directly with citizens to help them understand parliamentary processes, as well as the citizen’s vital role in our democracy. In light of reports about citizen disengagement, it is imperative that those responsible for promoting democratic institutions employ the most relevant and effective means possible in an effort to re-engage citizens. In this regard, social media engagement is more than helpful; it is indispensable.
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is the legislature for the province of Alberta, Canada, and is located at the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital of Edmonton.
Content is now being created with social media in mind to facilitate this engagement process. For example, in Alberta those who are interested in democratic traditions are afforded a behind-the-scenes glimpse into both the legislative process and the Legislature building itself through a video series that is available on several social media platforms. These videos exemplify how the use of technology, combined with personal storytelling, can inform, educate, and even entertain Albertans about parliamentary institutions.
Videos have been developed to demystify the Assembly, using modern technology to make this content accessible to a wide and diverse audience.
Speaker’s Corner
The ‘Education’ section of Speaker’s Corner, a feature on the Legislative Assembly of Alberta’s website, addresses a number of topics, ranging from an explanation of what the Order Paper is to videos on parts of the Legislature Building that the public may not visit in person. For instance, one video shows viewers a glimpse of the South Members’ Lounge, which is a Members only area of the Legislature that we have dubbed the ‘Peace Lounge’ because Members from both the Government and Opposition caucuses meet there to discuss what is going on in the Chamber.
In addition, we host a Facebook Live video event, offering viewers the opportunity to tour the Chamber, highlighting interesting elements such as the portraits, the Table, the Speaker’s dais, and the Mace, and ending off by showing viewers a little known area within the Legislature, the Speaker’s suite.
For those interested in policy, we offer a brief explanation of how budgetary estimates are considered in Committee, in an attempt to illustrate how it is Parliament, and not government, that plays the key role in determining whether the government is supplied with the funding it requires.
Lastly, a short video describes the tradition of the parliamentary plant that sits on the Table in the Alberta Chamber. In the video we relate a story of how the tradition extends far beyond Alberta’s history, to the 17th century and the House of Commons at Westminster, where a Member of Parliament is said to have requested that a plant be placed on the Table so that he would not have to look across at the ‘lying bastard’ on the other side.
Another series of videos, titled ‘Who Makes Democracy Work’, contains brief interviews with Assembly staff to explain their roles and illustrate that there are many people who work behind the scenes to support the Speaker and other Members in performing our roles in the Assembly. The videos found under the ‘Events’ series provide Albertans with a front row seat to ceremonial and celebratory events taking place at the Legislature. Many of these videos are also posted to the Speaker’s Twitter and Facebook accounts.
Users of social media expect to be informed in a succinct and direct way. It is our goal to make the information easily understood by all Albertans of different age groups, with different backgrounds, and from diverse walks of life by discussing topics in a direct, conversational way. Adding a little bit of humour or injecting some enthusiasm to convey our passion for the subject matter also translates well in this medium. In sharp contrast to the complex and text-intensive discussions of the parliamentary authorities, these videos are brief and to the point. Indeed, accessibility is very much about the message itself and the way content is expressed and delivered.
Perhaps most importantly, the information communicated on social media platforms must be available to users in a timely way. While content may remain on social media platforms for quite some time, the material at the time it is posted should strive to reflect what is currently relevant. Immediacy and relevancy are key expectations of social media users. Developing fresh content that is engaging and even interactive is vital.
Making technology work for us
In the COVID-19 pandemic era, programs such as Skype for Business, Teams, Webex and Zoom have become common in workplaces and homes around the world. Our Legislature is no exception, as video conferencing is now integral to facilitating parliamentary operations.
Fully adopting this technology was not optional for us. While many workplaces shut down during the early days of the pandemic, it was quickly evident that the people’s business must continue unabated.
In Alberta, Committees of the Assembly have permitted Members to participate via teleconferencing for several years. Starting in April 2020, these Committees transitioned to hybrid meetings, in which Members participated in person as well as through video and teleconferencing. By allowing some Members, staff and others participating in Committee meeting to work remotely, we have been able to free up Committee room space and meet strict physical distancing health protocols. In addition, the full adoption of video conferencing allows the Assembly to broadcast Committee meetings live on a dedicated television channel and via the Internet. It is another way for us to improve transparency while demystifying the process for the public.
Numerous hybrid Committee meetings have taken place since the Standing Committee on Public Accounts convened its first hybrid meeting in April 2020, one of the first meetings of its kind in Canada during the pandemic. The early feedback has been positive, the technology has worked well, and the Members have been receptive to this new way of conducting meetings.
While digital technologies have been indispensable, the real credit for keeping our Legislative Assembly functioning goes to the Assembly staff that rose to the challenge presented by COVID19. Modern technology is not always simple. In the case of hybrid meetings, our staff had to integrate new processes with Hansard, broadcasting and Committee operations. They were able to do so and troubleshoot any glitches prior to meetings. At the same time, other staff members worked with Members to develop new Committee protocols, ensuring Members could fully participate in debate, raise points of order, and vote in person or remotely. Training and mock meetings were also part of the preparations for this new way of doing things.
None of this would have been possible without professional, knowledgeable and motivated Assembly staff. In that vein, I must recognise Dr Philip Massolin, Clerk of Committees and Research Services, for his invaluable assistance in crafting this article.
The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta with children visting the Legislature on Canada Day.
We live in a digital world
Here in Alberta, we have been able to use social media and other digital platforms to figuratively open our doors to the entire world, providing the public with new opportunities to engage and learn about our democratic institutions. At the same time, we have been able to harness modern technology to support our Members and to literally keep our doors open during the pandemic era. As Parliamentarians, our role extends beyond debating and legislating. We must all work to defend, maintain, and build faith in our democratic institutions. Technology is a great tool to do just that.
In Alberta, we believe that our parliamentary institutions should not and cannot stand apart from society. More than ever before, the digital world is a part of society. As servants to our Members and to the wider public, we have a duty to both recognize and embrace the potential this technology offers.
Hon. Nathan Cooper, MLA is the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. He was first elected in 2015, representing the constituency of Olds-DidsburyThree Hills. In 2019, he was elected to serve as 14th Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and he also serves as Chair of the Special Standing Committee on Members’ Services. Prior to election, he was Chief of Staff and Director of Legislative Affairs for the Wildrose caucus. Previous to this, he served two terms as councillor for the town of Carstairs. He is a strong supporter of the Rotary Club’s charitable and youth activities.
