THUNDER BAY – As the Prime Minister-designate Justin Trudeau gets ready to be sworn into office later this week, the two rookie local Liberal MPs are preparing to get started with their new jobs.
Both Thunder Bay-Superior North MP Patty Hajdu and Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP Don Rusnak are heading to Ottawa this week to witness Trudeau officially become the 23rd Prime Minister of Canada and continue their individual orientation sessions.
“It’s going to be hugely exciting,” Rusnak said on Monday. “He’s inviting the public and I think that’s an amazing trait of Mr. Trudeau’s that he wants a truly transparent and open government. It will be exciting to be there as part of the team.”
While they are relishing the opportunity to witness and take in the historic moment, there is a significant amount of work to do during the transition period as they take over from the predecessors.
Hajdu is still working on logistical issues such as locating offices both at home and in Ottawa as well as hiring staff. Both her and Rusnak still need to be officially declared the elected representatives before they can truly speak for their constituents.
“I actually can’t do anything officially in terms as an advocate until I’m sworn in, which should happen within the next week or so,” she said. “Then we can start doing some of the work because I can select designates who can speak on my behalf with the various federal bureaus.”
Both candidates said there has been no formal communication about when the first Liberal caucus meeting will be held. Of the 184 elected Liberal MPs, 127 will be serving their first term in the House of Commons.
Various media outlets have labelled the governing Liberals as possessing one of the most diverse caucuses in the nation’s history, with 38 visible minorities and 50 women.
Career experience ranges from journalists, lawyers, human rights advocates, environmentalists and small business owners.
“I think when you have a diverse team like that it brings some strength to decision making because you know various perspectives are going to be heard in those decision making processes and I think that’s one of the most exciting things about this government,” Hajdu said.
“It’s really going to reflect a wide variety of Canadians’ perspectives.”
It won’t be until the Prime Minister, Cabinet and individual MPs are sworn in before there is an indication of which issues the new government will plan to address first.
Rusnak is looking at how the federal government can alleviate the tax burden on smaller municipalities and infrastructure spending as two of his main focal points.
Hajdu listed the issue of an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women, addressing commitments to infrastructure in remote First Nations communities, flow of infrastructure money and affordable housing have her attention.
“I think there will be national priorities, for example the Senate, of how to we go about appointing on there and then there will be local priorities my responsibility and my co-MP’s responsibility to move forward,” she said.
