Dear editor:
Wow! What an exciting roller coaster I’ve been on for the past two months! With only six or seven weeks left before school lets out, I am almost finished with my co-op placement at our Member of Parliament’s office.
The chance to work with Bob Nault has been truly an experience I will never forget. I got to meet the prime minister and John Manley, minister of industry and trade. I also got to meet Dalton McGuinty, leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, and soon will have the opportunity to interview Grand Chief Charles Fox for an independent study.
I’ve basically learned how a government office works!
When I first started out, I was amazed at just how busy an individual Mr. Nault really is. In my eyes, he is the hardest-working person in town. I have always thought that being an MP would be easy–just show up for a few sessions in the House, sign some autographs, and stand in pictures.
Boy was I wrong! Mr. Nault’s juggling act includes having to try to please everyone at once, and doing it all the time. For many MPs, this means giving up much personal and family time. Forget about a social life! It’s just non-existent.
It has been an extremely fun-filled session to date! I’ve gotten to learn about government programs, assisted people with their complaints, and worked on many challenging assignments.
The one thing that I’m sure to take away from all of this is that while we all have our political differences, I have nothing but the highest respect for those who are in office. They must leave their entire lives up in the air, and be open to criticism at all hours of the day.
It’s a challenging job–and trust me–it’s not for everyone!
Sincerely,
Tim Campbell
Dryden, Ont.