By Pepper Parr
October 22, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
If you are a regular reader of the Gazette published by the federal government you would know that it is Official – Karina Gould is the Burlington member of the House of Commons.
When an election is called the Governor General instructs the Chief Electoral Officer to issue a Writ to the Returning Officer in each of the 338 constituencies. That Returning officer is the person who causes the election to be held in each constituency. The Returning Officer, Pat Barr in Burlington, writes the results of the election on the back of the Writ she was given to hold the election and sends it to the Chief Returning Officer by Priority Post.
Karina Gould – Burlington’s member of the House of Commons.
The Chief Electoral Officer has those results published in the Gazette which is the publication the government uses to make official announcement. At that point Karina Gould becomes the member of the House of Commons for the Burlington constituency.
She has a job.
Next week she will be in Ottawa for several days of Orientation. These are formal classes given to all new members who take five or six classes designed to teach them everything they need to know to get themselves to the point where they at least don’t get lost in the House of Commons.
The Gazette interviewed Karina Gould Thursday afternoon and asked when she would be setting up her Burlington office. “I don’t know” she said. She did say that she expects to take over the space at the Burlington Mall that Mike Wallace used for her constituency office.
When will you have an Ottawa office? “I don’t know” she said.
She thinks she will get a phone call from the Liberal party who will tell her where she is to be and what she is to do as a member of the government. One of the first things that has to happen is the swearing in ceremony – that might take place sometime after the Cabinet has been sworn in. Members are sworn in by the Clerk of the House of Commons.
Where will you sit in the House of Commons? “I don’t know” replied Gould.
It is rare for Karina Gould to say more than once that she does not know something.
For the immediate future her time and energy are going to be spent on getting herself organized and learning all the procedural rules and finding her way around the House of Commons and getting all the security passes she will need.
Samantha Nadler is handling some of the transition tasks from a campaign organization to the office of a member of Parliament.
What do you plan to do during the first month you are in Ottawa? “I don’t know” she replied.
At some point in the near future she will take part in her first Liberal Caucus meeting – which will be the start of the political part of her role as an MP for the next four years. Caucus is where the Liberals get brought up to date on what the leader of the government plans and where individual members get to ask political questions of the Prime Minister and to make their own comments about what they think of the direction the government is taking
Where will Gould live in Ottawa? “I don’t know” she said.
Are you excited? “Yes, I am excited” she said.
Which of these seats in the House of Commons will be assigned to Karina Gould?
Burlington now gets to see what a 28 year old with a good education, a quick mind, a sense of humour and a desire to make this country the kind of place she believes most people want it to be, can do for her constituents.
Campaign manager Claire LaRocca, who the Gazette thought was going to be a critical part of the team Gould puts together to serve the community, left Burlington for the UK where she starts a new job. During several conversations with LaRocca the Gazette talked about how she would manage the Ottawa office and the Burlington office for Gould once she was elected. She didn’t say a word about taking up a job the day after the election ended – so not quite the transparency we thought. Something to keep in mind as we track and report on the Member of the House of Commons for Burlington.
We have learned to probe a little deeper and to not assume that we are being given the full story. Such is the game of politics – it is seldom what it seems on the surface.
