West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country MP Pamela Goldsmith-Jones was on the Coast Feb. 9 as a guest speaker at the Sechelt and District Chamber of Commerce’s first formal luncheon of 2016.
The MP talked about how her position as parliamentary secretary to Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion has helped open the lines of communication between her constituency and Ottawa, the possibility of setting up a once-a-month meeting with constituents on the Coast, and the need for infrastructure priorities to be identified ASAP by local governments.
“The last week I’ve been completely steeped in Question Period and House of Commons business. The advantage of that, apart from the challenges of it, is that I work really closely with the people who are deciding things, and it’s really handy,” Goldsmith-Jones told the luncheon audience.
“Never hesitate to ask, on any issue, whether it’s trade or whether it’s health or whether it’s culture, because those cabinet ministers and parliamentary secretaries are very easy to talk to and it’s very effective just to pass a piece of paper and say, ‘Do you mind getting back to me on this?’”
She also said she’s thinking about setting up a monthly meeting on the Sunshine Coast to be more accessible to constituents here who want to speak with her, because getting back to everyone by email is getting to be a big job.
“We think one day a month we need to have a ‘Pam sitting in this spot,’ and just get through as many people as we can because the demands are very high,” Goldsmith-Jones said, noting her assistant has remarked that she “can’t type as fast as the emails are coming in.”
“We really do have a lot on our plate to try to manage and to try to be as responsive as possible, and so we’re doing our best.”
The MP noted that discussions about infrastructure investment are fast approaching at the federal level and told the room that she needed to have local government priorities for infrastructure into her office by the end of the week.
“Presumably it’s in your budget. That’s the whole point. It’s supposed to just fit with what you’re doing,” Goldsmith-Jones said.
“Next year is when the larger injection of capital will come and those are in three key areas: public transportation, housing and softer infrastructure [such as] child care or long-term residential beds – that kind of thing – and thirdly, water and wastewater.”
When the floor was opened to questions, one man asked if there was any hope for rebates or incentives from the feds for those choosing to install alternative energy options at their homes or businesses.
Goldsmith-Jones said the idea would be part of budget discussions set to start in about two months, saying she recognized the passion for alternative energy solutions on the Coast.
“I know it’s supported here. It’s important to us,” she said.
