Kevin Flynn’s Office

It has been an interesting and fast-paced week in Kevin’s office.  I have to say that working for a government MPP is really very different to working for an opposition MPP; the resources available to government members, in terms of sheer numbers of staff, means that it was always going to be harder to define a clear role for myself in a government office.  Having said that, I have been assigned responsibility for a pretty exciting and important project – skypeing Kevin in to civics classes in Oakville.  Our first skype session is in a few weeks!  I’ve also been working closely with Kevin’s EA, Glenn, and Kevin’s LA, Steven, on day to day tasks in the office.  A defining issue in the coming election will for sure be energy and the quality of the environment; we’ve been looking at how these issues will affect the people of Oakville in the coming years.  I am looking forward to working hard for a great government member.

Two Weeks Later

Two weeks into my placement with MPP Mike Colle, Eglinton-Lawrence and I’ve already been to many events, taken on research and stakeholder relations for a private member’s bill and visted the constituency. At the end of February I was able to help out with a Black History Month event “The Untold Story on the History of the Panama Canal”, where Mr. Colle told the story of the workers, many who died, during the decades long construction of the canal. The event was also a celebration with great food and entertainment. I was able to meet the constituency staff who were very welcoming to my help (thank you Angela, Kathy and Dustin!) and many people from the neighbourhood. It has been a very interesting exposure for me to a range of issues affecting the city riding including light rail transit, bed bugs and immigration. At Queen’s Park Mr. Colle and Nancy have also been very welcoming and helping me get oriented to his portfolio as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Child and Youth Services. This placement promises to be exciting and present me with a whole new range of challenges to learn from!