Neoliberal Parliamentarism: a comparative analysis of approaches to legislative governance by the Harris and Ford governments in the province of Ontario, 1997 to 2019

Abstract The role and function of legislative institutions in the transition to neoliberalism have been largely ignored by scholarly literature. This article offers an analysis of the legislative approaches and strategies employed by two Right-wing governments in the Canadian province of Ontario during a period spanning more than 20 years. When viewed comparatively, both governments utilize similar approaches to undermine the capacity of the legislature to hold the executive to account in order to shield their neoliberal restructuring plans from democratic interference. This fits a broader pattern in which the reconfiguration of parliamentary institutions to accommodate the implementation of politically contentious neoliberal legislation has become increasingly commonplace.