Duane Hicks
Recently-elected Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP Don Rusnak is working with his team to set up lines of communication with constituents before Parliament resumes Dec. 3.
“I’m committed to being in the region as much as possible,” pledged Rusnak, who was in Fort Frances on Saturday to meet with local Liberal party volunteers and supporters before heading to Ottawa, where he was sworn in on Monday at Rideau Hall.
“We are creating lines of communication,” he noted.
“They’re going to have a Facebook group; they’re going to have regular meetings to make sure I get the information that’s important to the region.
“I’m also committed to meeting with the city manager, mayor, and community leaders on a regular basis,” added Rusnak, noting he doesn’t want to just show up at a council meeting for a photo op—he wants to hear “real information.”
Rusnak said he will have three constituency offices—one in Fort Frances, one in Atikokan, and one in Thunder Bay.
His Fort Frances office, which will be located above the Northern Lights Credit Union, should be open in the next week or two.
Rusnak said his team is gathering information right now and aiming to develop a single portal for two-way communication between himself and the constituents of the riding so they “don’t miss anything.”
“We learned that during the campaign,” he noted.
“We had about six e-mails, we had a Facebook page—people would send us a message on Facebook and we wouldn’t get it, and then they’d think we were ignoring them.
“We want to make sure we get it right, that we’re not missing any messages,” Rusnak stressed.
“So pay attention to the media, pay attention to our Facebook and Twitter, and we’ll have the communication up shortly,” he remarked.
“And we’re looking for suggestions on how we can communicate with people of the region.”
He also urged people to “like” his Facebook page to keep up-to-date with any new developments.
Prior to being sworn in on Monday, Rusnak was in Ottawa twice previously since the Oct. 19 election.
The first time was for an orientation session; the second for the Nov. 4 swearing-in of the new cabinet at Rideau Hall, an appreciation party for volunteers, and more orientation.
“We’re going to MP school while we’re there,” he noted.
Rusnak said it was “an amazing feeling” to be in the caucus room the day after the cabinet was sworn in, adding the appreciation party for volunteers was held at the reception hall across from Parliament Hill.
“It was funny,” he recalled. “I was standing right at the front entrance door and the doors flew open and who came in? It was Mr. Trudeau, the prime minister!
“I was standing right there so I was the first person, and he was like, ‘Mr. Rusnak!’ and he shook my hand and went on to hug Patty [Hajdu], and went on through the room.
“It was a proud moment for me—just to be in that room,” Rusnak added.
“Justin Trudeau said, ‘Look around you. Look beside you. Look in front of you. Canadians have never sent a more talented group to Ottawa to represent them than the group that’s here today,’” he recalled.
Rusnak noted Trudeau said Canadians also sent Conservative, NDP, and Bloc Quebecois MPs to Ottawa, and that the Liberal MPs must be mindful of the others who are there to represent their respective constituents.
He said the House must change from the way it’s been operating the last 10 years and everyone must be treated with respect.
“There’s a new feeling there, an excitement,” enthused Rusnak. “And it’s all about being positive.”
Rusnak, meanwhile, said he “hasn’t stopped” since the Oct. 19 election, whether he’s been hiring staff, looking for constituency office locations, and learning about his new role.
Looking ahead to Dec. 3, Rusnak said he’s ready to jump right in—fully aware that Parliament has “an ambitious legislative agenda” before it.
“We’re going to be looking at Bill C-51 [the anti-terrorism act],” he noted.
“Of course, with what happened [Friday in Paris], that’s never been more important, right?”
Rusnak added the “balancing act” of providing security and honouring our Charter of Freedoms and personal privacy rights will be debated in the House.
The government also will be lowering the tax rate for middle-class Canadians while raising the tax rate on those who make more than $200,000.
It also will end the universal child care benefit but get the new income-tested child care benefit in action to help out Canadians right away.
