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Elected representatives should attend to concerns of all constituents

Editor: A recent letter and the Liberal MP for Delta's response, plus comment from the letter writer, prompted me to comment. During my seven years as a ministerial assistant to a B.C.

Editor:

A recent letter and the Liberal MP for Delta's response, plus comment from the letter writer, prompted me to comment.

During my seven years as a ministerial assistant to a B.C. cabinet minister, I learned that the elected representative is the representative of all constituents, not only those who supported the member at the polls.

During my time, I was approached by a newly-elected MLA and asked to advise him on how to operate a successful constituency office and how to deal with constituents, even those who were politically opposed. I took him for lunch and explained in detail how to operate a successful riding office.

Among the many points were that no matter how big or small a constituent’s concern was, it was worth of a response. All incoming constituents' letters were to be answered after careful and thorough research within two weeks. Incoming telephone calls to be recorded as to time, telephone number of caller and a brief description of the constituent's complaint. Again, offer a result within two weeks and if not, contact the constituent and advise the reason for the delay.

During the period when I operated out of an office in the legislature in Victoria, I would fly from Victoria to YVR where a secretary would meet me and advise me of the needs of the day. In the forenoon I met with the mayor of the city in concert with the chief of police to discuss matters of mutual concern and in the afternoon, I met with constituents. Following that, I returned to Victoria, again via airplane.

The point of this is that an elected representative must be available and open to listening to or meeting with any constituent who writes or telephones or wishes to meet privately to discuss a matter deemed to be of importance.

In closing, I will leave readers with this tidbit. At one time during my appointment as a ministerial assistant, I considered running for office and gathered a team of supporters. Because of my practice of attending to each incoming concern, I made contact with a number of constituents who were not supporters of the MLA, nor the political party he represented.

One day I received a telephone call - the first of several - from a caller who told me that while he was not a political supporter, he would support me financially in my quest. He refused to tell me his name but we did have additional telephone calls in which certain details were worked out. In the end, I opted not to run as the minister I worked for had decided to run for the party leadership and I felt my loyalties lay with him.

I point this out to show that the elected representative ought to attend to the concerns of all constituents as doing so might just gain a supporter.

Incidentally, I have all my records of incoming telephone calls during my time as a ministerial assistant in files stowed in my storage locker. Those records go back to 1979.

Bob Orrick