Compassionate Conservatism, Part 2

The most heartwarming part of being in politics is when people come to you with the honest conviction that you will hear their concerns and/or act as an agent of change on their behalf. I received such a phone call yesterday and spoke with the concerned constituent at some length over the course of last night. You could hear this person’s sense of frustration in the face of the adversity that they confronted.

This individual’s biggest complaint was that their concerns seemed to be falling on unreceptive ears. They contacted Theresa Oswald numerous times to no avail. When they actually managed to get some face time with Ms. Oswald (having gone to great pains to do so), the MLA for Seine River told this person to speak to her assistant. If a constituent goes to such lengths to seek answers from their MLA, the least their MLA owes them is to hear their story.

Are the answers to all of society’s woes at my ready disposal? Probably not – after all, Gary Doer and Theresa Oswald haven’t solved hallway medicine in 96 months, let alone within the 6 months they promised. It is my belief that the important first step in trying is to offer voters the courtesy of listening to their concerns. You can’t solve problems if you are unwilling to face them.

Do you also have any tales of what the NDP’s “Moving Forward not Backward” actually means to you? Please share them with me at proudwpgr@hotmail.com . In the words of a fellow blogger, “the lines are open.” I’ll be listening. If there are enough stories and the participants are willing, perhaps we could even air YOUR concerns publicly over the airwaves and in print. After all, these wouldn’t be attack ads, they would be ACCOUNTABILITY ADS. Holding your government accountable is not only a reasonable expectation, it’s your right.

We’ll leave the Who is Hugh? and Tory Translator to the NDP, who seem reticent to trade on their time in office. Perhaps your tales of woe over the past eight years will tell me and the rest of the PC Party why the NDP doesn’t feel their administrative record alone is enough to keep them in office…