Federal Members of Parliament hear from groups on regional concerns

Federal representatives from the four regions of the Outaouais met with community groups whose concerns affect the four ridings. This practice was put in place by the MPs when the Liberals took all four ridings in the 2015 elections. They are officially named the Federal Liberal Outaouais Caucus made up of Greg Fergus (Hull-Aylmer), Will Amos (Pontiac), Steve MacKinnon (Gatineau) and Stéphane Lauzon (Argenteuil-La Petite Nation).

Will Amos, the current chair of the caucus, explains that the meetings are a way for the MPs to use their collective voice to advance regional causes. Groups that request a meeting cover a broad range of interests, from youth shelters and ornithologists to the Canada Post union and Quad Outaouais. “Oftentimes, groups will come to us looking for a policy shift, a letter of support signed by all four members or a change in program parameters. It’s all a part of our efforts as federal politicians to exert the maximum influence over public interest issues while respecting the jurisdiction of our provincial colleagues.”

The biggest recurring issue brought to these meetings? Infrastructure. Issues range in size and scope from rural high speed Internet and road improvement to smaller-scale discussions on park enhancements. There is an undeniable thirst for infrastructure investments throughout the Outaouais. Amos says that these issues often fall under Provincial or Municipal jurisdiction.  In those cases, people want to know “how can we help them influence other decision makers beyond the federal government to advance their objectives”.

When asked if there was any particular file on which they have seen advancement thanks to these meetings, Amos explained that, when it comes Public Transit, they understand that voters in the Outaouais want to see significant federal investment. Amos says “we speak with a united voice around public transit and help to create the political space where other actors can push on this file”.

The biggest issue on which they are working together at the moment is the Phoenix pay systems debacle. Amos says that those affected “demand accountability from their government and it’s unacceptable that people would be put in precarious positions”. The federal government announced last week that they will be spending 142 million dollars to fix the issue and Amos believes “that is a clear indication that our voice is having an impact at the heart of this government”.

Amos says, it’s not sensational but he believes it is good government. “Our region cares that politicians actually work together. What people really want to see is collaboration and hard work that helps move a file forward”. The Caucus meets with groups approximately once every nine months, so by those estimates, the next one should happen around the New Year.