Humans of the House Produced by the Samara Centre for Democracy

The podcast Humans of the House is a six-episode series that shines a light on working life as a federal Member of Parliament (MP). The podcast is produced by the Samara Centre for Democracy. Humans of the House centres around interviews with a dozen former MPs from the three major national political parties. All of the MPs featured left office between 2019 and 2021, making this podcast relevant and current. The MPs represent ridings from coast to coast to coast with a mix of rural and urban, varied gender perspectives, as well as diverse racial backgrounds and experiences.

The series takes the listener through six episodes covering different facets of life as a MP. It begins, logically, by hearing about the steps to becoming a nominee for a political party and moving through what it is like to win a nomination contest and then an election. It sets up and dives into party politics by pulling the curtain back on some aspects of the party structures that are not seen by the average voter.

The series continues by examining the experiences of the MPs working and personal life on and off Parliament Hill. The MPs candidly speak about the struggle that can exist in representing their party, their constituents, their own personal beliefs, and the toxicity of party politics in the house. The podcast highlights the pressure that they felt in these moments and how hard they had to work to accomplish legislative wins. They talk about the schedule of being in Ottawa for the week before traveling across the country to perform their duties in their ridings. In the final episode of the series, the MPs candidly reflect on their service in Ottawa and evaluate if the personal and professional sacrifices that they made were worthwhile.

The series uncovers some of the mystique of being an elected MP and gives a personal perspective of the humans who do these jobs. It also gives the listener pause to reflect on our democracy, how the wheels of government turn, and a chance to hear about the difficulty that comes with being in public life.

This series is worth a listen for anyone interested in Canadian politics and could be used as a tool professionally in the classroom. It can be found on all major streaming platforms.

The Samara Centre for Democracy is a non-partisan registered charity dedicated to realizing a resilient democracy with an engaged public and responsive institutions. Their research and programs make them a go-to resource for active citizens, educators, public leaders, and the media.