Many constituents have asked me exactly what MPs do generally, and what I do specifically, when Parliament is not in session. I would therefore like to briefly outline some of my activities during this period.
In general, the largest component of my work in Parliament relates to my duties as Chair of the Standing Committee on Finance. In the fall, our committee conducted pre-budget consultations across the country, during which we heard testimony from over 300 individuals and organizations, and received over 450 written submissions. I personally tabled our report in Parliament on December 9th; you can access a copy of our report here.
To build on these pre-budget consultations, I have recently been meeting with individuals and groups across the riding in preparation for the Budget on March 4th. I have sent a request for input to all households in our constituency, and I invite you to share your suggestions with me on how we can sustain Canada's economic recovery through 2010-11 and beyond, as well as what actions we should take to move towards a balanced budget in the future. I also invite you to share your suggestions with the Minister of Finance directly, which you can do here.
I have met with numerous municipal and provincial officials from Edmonton, Leduc and Devon on a variety of issues. We have worked hard to establish good working relationships between the orders of government in order to better serve the various communities in our riding. One excellent example of this is the biannual meeting we have with local school trustees, municipal councillors, and provincial representatives from the southwest portion of Edmonton. We meet each July and December to discuss and address concerns at all levels. I wish that this had been my idea, but this forum was actually suggested by Catherine Ripley, our school trustee for the Public School Board. I am glad she did suggest it, as it has been a very effective group and has helped us address complex issues with a collaborative approach.
I have also addressed a number of groups, clubs, schools, university classes - large and small - primarily on Budget matters, but also in regards to other concerns that have been raised. If you would like me to address a group, please send me a note and I will endeavour to fit it in to my schedule at the earliest possible time. In addition, I have met with numerous constituents on a wide array of subjects of their choosing. In terms of constituent casework, immigration cases tend to dominate, although we do act on behalf of constituents in relation to other federal departments as well.
One of the areas that has changed most since I became a Member of Parliament is the massive increase in correspondence, especially electronic correspondence, on every issue imaginable. A lot of it is addressed to me from across the country as Chair of the Finance Committee, but most of it is from constituents who are writing in on other issues: concerns about the justice system, the mission in Afghanistan, the state of the telecom industry and the rates that Canadians pay, euthanasia, the level of poverty in Canada and other countries, climate change, the tax system, and many others. We strive to respond to all emails and letters promptly, but the amount of correspondence - and the detailed answers requested - do present an ongoing challenge to me and my office. We also send our regular communication pieces to constituents and interested individuals both in letter format and electronically; if you would like to receive these updates, please sign on by sending an e-mail with your full name and e-mail address to rajotj1@parl.gc.ca. I hope the information that I have provided is helpful, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
James Rajotte, MP
Edmonton-Leduc