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Devolin
Column
(June
16, 2005)
DEVOLIN MARKS ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY AS
M.P.
On
June 28th, I will mark my first anniversary as your
Member of Parliament. Over the past 12 months, I have really enjoyed
serving you in the riding and in Ottawa – it’s the best job
I’ve ever had. To mark this occasion, I wanted to report back on
some of the projects my staff and I have been working on.
CREATION OF A FARM COUNCIL
The
Farm Council consists of 30 working farmers from all sectors of
agriculture representing all political stripes.
These farmers have come forward because they are concerned
about the future of their industry and the social fabric of rural
communities. Over the past year, we have met numerous times in
person or by teleconference to discuss issues affecting farmers, and
I always appreciate the input I receive. It is by listening to
farmers that I learn what is needed and where Ottawa is falling
short.
IMPROVING ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE
Many
people in our area do not have adequate access to doctors. That’s
why I was so pleased to confirm earlier this month that Dr. Leon
Lerm has successfully obtained an extension on his Foreign Workers
Permit from Citizenship and Immigration Canada. This will allow him to continue to practice medicine in
Canada and I’m pleased that he has chosen Lindsay as the place to
set up his practice.
CAPITAL EXPERIENCE
Last
October, I took 2 students from each of the seven secondary schools
in the riding to Ottawa for 3 days to learn about possible careers
in public life that could await them. Many were leaders on their
student councils and I’m hoping this initiative will encourage
more students to get involved in student government. I really
enjoyed getting to know the students, many of whom had good ideas -
one even offered to join my Farm Council!
EARLY YEARS ROUNDTABLE
My
interest in childcare was triggered by my appointment to the House
Committee that oversees social programs. At that time, it was
generally anticipated that the government would be introducing a
national childcare and early learning program. (They have since
decided to negotiate one-off deals with each province.)
To
prepare for this debate, I created an Early Years Roundtable to hear
directly from people in my riding who were involved in this field. I
am particularly interested in potential impacts in rural
communities, for those who work shifts or weekends, and for families
who choose to have one parent stay at home with their young
children.
PASSPORT CLINICS
My
staff and I launched our “Passport Clinic” initiative to improve
service to my constituents. When we opened our office last summer,
we quickly learned that the process of obtaining a passport
intimidates many people, and that small errors can usually be
avoided if someone reviews the forms before they are submitted.
Your
response has been overwhelming. To date, we have held eleven
Passport Clinics around the riding, and served assisted more than
2,000 people – including some from neighbouring ridings. Recently,
I announced we will continue to hold Passport Clinics around the
riding each year in January, April/May and September.
SENIORS
SEMINARS
Seniors
are a dynamic resource, and communities across Canada are reaping
the benefits of their wisdom, knowledge and expertise. Today’s
seniors are living longer, healthier and more active lives than
ever.
To
mark the importance of June as Seniors Month, I teamed up with our
MPP Laurie Scott to host Seniors Seminars in Lindsay and Haliburton
in late May. (Those
events went over so well we are holding another on June 28 in
Beaverton!)
WRAP UP
As
Parliament prepares to recess for summer, I look forward to
continuing to work to serve you in the riding. Thank you for the
honour of representing you in Ottawa. I appreciate the opportunity
to work together to improve the quality of life in our communities.
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