MP for Neepawa Gives Regional Overview and Update

Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa is an electoral district that is, geographically, the size of Nova Scotia. It takes seven hours to cross and it contains over 200 communities as well as several First Nations and Hutterian Colonies. That makes it very difficult to get out there to see everyone, says MP Dan Mazier, but these days he’s aided by technology such as Zoom that enables him to meet with people even if he cannot be there physically.

Before going on to talk about specific issues and legislation that will affect his constituency, Mazier takes a moment to actually outline the role of a Member of Parliament and what his day-to-day looks like. Based on the sitting calendar for the House of Commons, he is in Ottawa 160 to 165 days of the year. The essential job of the MP is as a legislator who works on his constituents’ behalf, and during his time in Ottawa Mazier works a roughly 12-hour day but that can vary depending on his meeting and committee schedule.

Mazier acknowledges that Question Period in the House of Commons is “a show”, but it is also one hour every day where the opposition can ask the sitting government questions, and those questions can come from the people that the MP represents. He encourages people to contact or come visit his constituency offices - one in Dauphin and one in Neepawa - whether he is in Ottawa or at home because he wants to know the opinions of and questions from his constituents. Also, as he says, “If government is not working for you, I can help.”

One of Mazier’s biggest achievements this year is a private member’s bill regarding internet service. All MPs are given the opportunity to present private member’s bills in a randomly determined order, which is one of the reasons Mazier says he likes to pose the question, “If you can write a law, what would it be?” to constituents when he speaks. This bill will require internet providers to give more accurate speeds for their packages rather than offering speeds “up to” a certain amount that they may never reach, and is currently well along in the process of being passed.

This leads into a discussion of how a free vote differs from a regular vote by a caucus, or the elected members of a party. Ordinarily a party’s internal discussion is had behind closed doors and they present a united front when in the House of Commons. In a free vote, such as those for private member’s bills, MPs are able to vote their conscience rather than voting with the party or abstaining. Mazier also noted that feedback he gets from his constituents does influence how he votes on these.

A lot happens behind the scenes as an MP, and as Mazier says, the “nitty gritty” happens in committee work, which is non-partisan. MPs from different parties work together to discuss and look into issues related to their committee or committees. Mazier is on the science committee, and has a background as a power engineer and farmer that supports his work there. One topic that the science committee has focused on recently is the carbon tax emissions green plan. Question Period, which is televised, might be quite adversarial, says Mazier, but there is a lot of collaborative work happening that we just don’t see.

There are several topics that Mazier finds himself addressing in parliament that relate directly to his constituents, including taking a look at how we can do rural economic development as an area rather than in silos, a problem that is echoed in the continued existence of provincial trade barriers. Another is the cost of living crisis, where part of his committee work has been looking at inflation in both a local and global sense.

In rural Manitoba, and across a lot of Western Canada, a lot of existing green technologies are not yet available, or are not yet practical due to significant distances involved. In his committee work Mazier is also looking into investing in new technologies around the issue that are relevant to lives in this area. He also mentions a recent Manitoba provincial project, a potash mine in this area, which is a model for partnership between First Nations and nearby communities.

An issue that is of national importance but also is crucial for this area in particular is the proposal for a Blue Seal Policy. Similar to the Red Seal program, where trade credentials are recognised across the country regardless of where they were acquired, the Blue Seal program would focus on nationally-recognised professional designations, which are currently regulated by provincial bodies. Right now the primary focus is on doctors and nurses, but eventually he hopes it will cover a wide range of professional designations.

During the summer while he is on home territory, Mazier is holding barbecues in several communities to meet with constituents, and he encourages people to get in touch with his office year round if they need help from their MP.