By Pepper Parr
May 1, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Pam Damoff, MP for Oakville North Burlington announced today that”
Even great chapters come to an end, and it is time for this chapter of my career to end.
Pam Damoff at her best. She wanted to serve and now finds that the environment in the House is such that she can’t.
I will not be seeking re-election in the next election. While I know that I still have something to offer Canada, Ontario and my community, the hyper-partisan nature of politics today is not the environment that I see myself serving in. I continue to believe in public service and the power of each of us to make a positive difference in the lives of others.
I don’t know yet what the next chapter will be for me, but I do know that it will be in a role that will make a difference in the lives of others, as I have always striven to do. Sadly, I feel politics is no longer the best venue for me to do that in.
The current tone of politics, the drive for social media clips and likes, and the lack of respectful dialogue have drastically changed how we interact in parliament and in public. The tone and tenor of public discourse has deteriorated significantly, and I fear the loss of trust in public institutions we are seeing that is driven by misinformation and lies being spread by politicians and on social media.
Being a Member of Parliament these days is a different job – not one Pam Damoff was cut out for.
Unfortunately, the toxic drive for social media likes and clips among elected officials has hindered constructive conversations, exacerbated differences between us, and diminished our capacity to show empathy towards each other. The threats and misogyny I have experienced as a Member of Parliament are such that I often fear going out in public, and that is not a sustainable or healthy way to live.
Quite simply, politics is no longer for me and so it is time for me to turn the page on this chapter. Until the next election occurs, I will continue to represent Oakville North–Burlington and my office will continue to assist those in our community.
Ms. Damoff is fed up with misogyny? Really? Didn’t she vote to expel JWR and Dr. Jane Philpott from the Liberal caucus? Why didn’t she raise the alarm when Celina Caesar-Chavannes quit the Liberal caucus over her treatment by the PMO/Justin Trudeau? Apparently, she wasn’t too fed up when these events occurred.
Or is it more likely that now that she qualifies for her fat parliamentary pension and seeing that she is currently 11 points down in her riding, she simply doesn’t want to face the deserved consequences of supporting the Liberal record.
I don’t doubt Danoff being fed up with the toxicity on social media and elsewhere but I note that this was already well in play the last time she ran again and was elected, that she will have secured her pension by the time she leaves and that it appears obvious that her party is going down in flames in the next election.
Frankly if all politicians could be banned from social media, the world would be a better place for all of us. But of course they love to use it to get the attention they want for their next campaign and to write their spin. I agree with others here that our “leaders” are in fact some of the worst ones for spreading toxicity and disrespectful rhetoric and behaviour. Oh, and misinformation .
“Misinformation” must be the word of the year. Pam Damoff invoked the word in stating why she is not running again, and we have certainly heard it time and again from Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward. The “misinformation machine” was a by-product of the Justin Trudeau government and it finally caught up to them. When you don’t know what else to say or have been caught red handed doing something you shouldn’t do, you can always invoke “misinformation” as a filler word. Damoff even confirmed it opining that, ”…misinformation and lies being spread by politicians….”
Having said that I have always been thankful to those who put themselves forward to work on our behalf and I thank Ms. Damoff for her time and efforts.
How much will the pension and severance be?
Let’s connect the dots here, down 20% in the polls, on track for the biggest defeat next to the Wynne government, a narcissistic leader that does not want to leave and does not have big job to go to (nor anyone who wants him). Polls starting to show further decline with the new budget. A cushy pension, the ________ are starting to jump ship with more to follow.
The alternative is try to convince doners to contribute to a losing cause, canvas door to door to have your ear chewed off. Yep, “ don’t like partisan politics”, really?
While I don’t disagree with Damoff’s assessment about the degraded tone of political discussion, let’s be clear: she’s been a trenchant flame-thrower on behalf of Justin’s feminist agenda since the day she was elected. Now that the tide is vigorously turning against proponents of the WOKE agenda, the public’s tolerance for “cancel culture” is ending, and the meltdown in the federal Liberals is well underway, I guess it’s time to exit. How convenient.
Damoff skated into office on Justin’s coat-tails. She was never a “heavy hitter”.
She was never going to be appointed to Cabinet given the presence of Anita Anand and Karina Gould who are both from Halton Region. She has also qualified for her lovely gold-plated indexed public sector pension. What’s left?
A bitter comment on the state of Parliament. And on the lack of principled leadership in that place. Canada is on the edge of a precipice. This must stop, but who will lead?
Being new to Burlington, it would be nice to know which party she represents.
Editor’s note. Liberal.
I think she wants Gary Carr’s job
Our society has become toxic…our politicians are not the only ones who feel less safe than the Canada that I grew up in. Sad to say but our politicians including those in the current government in power are in large part to blame for this.
I live in Pam Danoff’s riding and although I am not a Liberal supporter, Pam Danoff’s analysis of the situation is spot on. Sadly, although she didn’t mention it, it applies to all parties and her boss is one of the leaders of the pack when it comes to dividing the country. He has made a mess of the country, as his father did, and Pam went along as a mouthpiece for him.
As a Premier once told me Politics is “A blood sport”
Only the tough survive.
Courageous! Nice to be honest about what the reality of political life truly looks like- best of luck to Pam in whatever she does next!