Constituency Work

A big part of an MP’s life should always be looking after the concerns of their constituents, helping the local people who put them in power and working hard for the riding. Since launching my Central Nova campaign in March ’07, I have taken on the role of assisting Peter MacKay’s constituents. Many people have come to me, wondering what the Green Party can do about the fact that they can’t get their disability payments, or their pension is being withheld, or their health care leaves them with heavy expenses. I have spoken to many residents of New Glasgow, Pictou, Trenton, Antigonish and other areas, who have expressed concerns relating to jobs, toxic waste, infrastructure, arts and culture. I am proud to have been able to address many of these peoples’ concerns, by researching, writing letters and publicizing their campaigns. I know that I would be much more able to make a dent in the problems at home if I were an elected member of parliament.
Today, I waved at people driving to work in Antigonish, toured St. Martha’s Hospital, held a press conference on the Green approach to help universities and students with the growing financial pressures, canvassed and hung out at St. Francis Xavier University. I spoke to nurses, hospital administrators, patients, nuns, doctors, students, professors and countless others. The people in my community raised such issues as access to alternative medicine, GLBT rights, the carbon tax and student debt. I am very confident and proud of our positions across the board. I am never caught off guard when people ask me about the Green Party’s policies because we have detailed plans and goals relating to almost any concern a Canadian could have.
One of the keys to my campaign strategy in Central Nova is very much in tune with my values and my national vision. I want to reinvigorate our democracy and get voters engaged in their government. Starting with the University Campus, I want to see high voter turn-out here in my riding and across the country. Many of the young people I spoke to today understand the importance of active citizenship, but youth have been pegged nationally as a group who are apathetic about politics. When the political parties in power feel they can take youth for granted because there’s no way to get them to vote, the concerns of young people become irrelevant to those parties. In a functioning democracy, everyone must make their voice heard to impact their society and their world.
I ended my day today on a difficult note. After a warm reception at the St. F.X. Societies’ Night, where we tabled and gathered student support, I was interviewed on the subject of controversy relating to Blair Wilson’s campaign. Blair Wilson joined the Green Party, embracing our values and our policies. He came to us and opened up his life so that we could scrutinize his history and judge his political integrity. Our Executive Director personally went through all Blair Wilson’s paperwork regarding the Elections Canada investigation and was satisfied that Blair is an honest, hard-working MP. We accepted the fact that we would have to trust him to tell us the whole truth, and we have been well satisfied with the personal background to the story that he shared with us. I am confident in Blair’s integrity and in his ability to represent his riding. I received many independent messages when Blair became a Green MP, letting me know from Blair’s constituents that he is an endlessly helpful guy, who cares about the people of his riding.
I want to try to tie all these things together by saying that politics should be about democracy and service, not about mud-slinging and scandals. The more we are able to put personal attacks aside and talk about the values we share, the more Canadians will be willing to participate in politics. By working to make the debates respectful and the campaigns high-road, Greens across Canada are helping to engage youth in a functioning democracy, ensure that voters are well-informed and welcome men and women into political life. Serving your country should not be a grueling personal experience. Voting for your future should not fill you with cynicism and disgust.