By Pepper Parr
October 21, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
And so now what does Karina Gould do? Begin looking for an apartment in Ottawa for starters and then going through the Briefing Books she will be given as she learns what it is to become a Parliamentarian.
She is twenty – eight years old, has solid university degrees and a hard fought election campaign behind her. She has experience with the Organization of American States in Washington and knows more about international trade matters than any other newly elected Member of Parliament.
Claire LaRocca, centre, ran the campaign that is sending Karina Gould to office. Expect to see LaRocca running either the Ottawa office or the Burlington office. The two women go back a long way.
There will be some significant committee work for her to do. If she thought she was busy going door to door as a candidate – she will wish for those days again once she has a year or two of experience as an MP behind her.
She will thrive in Ottawa – what kind of a constituent MP she will be is something we can only guess at today. She had a remarkable team working with her – expect to see the staff she has to create for both her Burlington office and Ottawa office as well to come from within that group.
Her campaign chair, Claire La Rocca might become the person who runs her Ottawa office – the two women go back a long way – they first met as students at McGill University. LaRocca bunked in with Gould’s parents while the campaign was being fought.
Mike Wallace conceding the 2015 federal election to Karina Gould. “I have been in public service for 23 years” he said “tonight I was defeated by a 28 year old”. He said it with a smile.
Mike Wallace, who was much more graceful in defeat than his leader Stephen Harper, now has to pick up the pieces and move on to another phase of his journey. It will be with a heavy heart that he closes his office at the Burlington Mall and does as much as he can to find places for the staff that have served him during his term of office.
Wallace has always had a strong sense of humour that served him well. He was able to laugh at his own short comings.
Burlington did well by Mike Wallace – Gould will have to work hard to even begin to equal his record.
The early numbers didn’t put her that far ahead of Mike Wallace – she too benefited hugely from the NDP disaster. She has four years to learn the craft of being an MP and to solidify what she won last night.
What to expect from this newly elected MP? We will hear thank you, thank you, thank you for the next few weeks – then she has to settle into a new career. The new government will be sworn in and we will watch for what she has to say during her maiden speech in the House of Commons.
Burlington is in the process of developing an Advanced Manufacturing Hub that the Prime Minister promised the city would get – if he was elected. That hub will be located in Burlington – a lot of work has yet to be done on it before it is a reality – Gould will need to meet with the people who are doing the ground work on the project. They will find her to be a delight to work with and very smart – add to that her being a quick study.
When will the new government be sworn in? November 4th. Justin Trudeau has to get his voice back and have the conversations with the men and women who will be in his Cabinet. Karina Gould will learn just how federal government bureaucrats work as she completes mountains of forms to get herself onto the payroll and learn where her office is going to be.
Her first caucus meeting will be exciting – she will fully appreciate then what it is to be part of a government that has a vision, has a mission and will want to do good things quickly.
How soon will we see refugees on the ground from the Middle East? What will the first piece of legislation be?
Is this the first date of a significant political marriage? Mayor Rick Goldring moves in for a hug with newly elected federal MP Karina Gould. She does have a wary eye doesn’t she?
Gould got off to a good start on her victory night – Mayor Goldring got a great hug – those two will get along just fine.
Her meetings with the Economic Development Corporation will be both interesting and fruitful. The Executive Director over there, Frank McKeown, would be well advised to ask Gould to sit in on one of their board meetings.
While the Mayor has yet to tell the citizens of the city why he was in China bits and pieces of that puzzle are coming to the surface. We know for certain that he was not in China to participate in a ping pong tournament – but there was a hint made recently that it has to do with foreign investment – there isn’t enough information available yet to say much more than that.
Gould has significant experience in foreign trade – the Mayor would be well served to give her a call and talk through just what he has been up to during his travels.
These two women painted the town red. MPP Eleanor McMahon won the city and put a Liberal at Queen’s Park for the first time in 70 years. Gould followed up with a win earlier this week – replacing a two term Conservative. What kind of a city are we going to be four years from now?
An added plus is the helping hand MPP Eleanor Mc Mahon will be giving. During the victory celebration McMahon came across as a proud den Mother – she will be a useful resource; ideally those two woman will serve the city well.
Can we expect Paddy Torsney, a former Burlington MP, to drift back into town to have a chit chat with our newest member?
I was fortunate to meet Karina twice at the GO station when she was campaigning and watched her speak with poise, confidence and intelligence during the televised Burlington debate.
Karina,
After listening to YOU and your party platform…I voted for both…NOT strategically. Congratulations!!! Well done!!
On reflection, I would agree with Lois.
It was very early on that we decided to vote Liberal, for the strategic reasons stated. We wanted rid of Harper, and weren’t sure Mike could beat by any party, but figured that the NDP had no chance in Burlington. As the province went Liberal for the first time ever in Burlington, that cinched it.
Over the course of the campaign we were won over by Justin, the party platform, but we never met Karina, so we had to rely on the media and campaign literature. Not her fault, but that’s reality in general.
That said, my point that people voted against Harper and his government cannot be dismissed, as the strategic voting cannot be as well. I liked the NDP but they went conservative fiscally, no different than Harper on that key plank. Biggest mistake!
But in the end, the Liberals and especially Justin Trudeau’s young and positive energy won the day. Karina needs to know this, but she took a lot on tackling Mike Wallace and winning. She must have made a great impression at all the doors she went to.
Good job and good luck! But you have a lot of promises to keep – no excuses!
Pretty much everyone we know decided to vote strategically in Burlington to try and get rid of Harper. We didn’t think the NDP could win here, but the Liberals could. That’s what happened we think, and the lunch chats were of this opinion.
Let me tell you, social media organizers and crowd-planning are a potent force and showed.
For whatever reason, far more voters decided to make their vote count,as a result the electoral system, Canada and Burlington have all won in a big way.
In Burlington the number of votes that determined our new MP was virtually the same as it was in 2011.
2011 Mike Wallace 32,958 votes.
2015 Karina Gould 32,228 votes
What we got was increased interest,participation and confirmation that each vote can make a difference.
Thank you Mike for all you have accomplished,and your dedicated service.
Thank you Karina for being a big part of the increased interest and participation. I am sure Burlington will have you to thank again for your accomplishments. Congratulations!
Thank you to all that voted in Burlington, you have made your vote count and you can do it again, municipally, provincially and in a few years federally.
Our Burlington Council should take serious note of our new Federal government’s ways. We have elected a government for the people. One that will be open to communicate with their constituants unlike Harper and some of our long serving councillors who close their ears and eyes to us. Burlington is not transparent!!! and it’s time to change that NOW!!
Article Highlights: OTTAWA — The Globe and Mail
Published Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015 10:03PM EDT
Last updated Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015 10:06PM EDT
“I will be engaging the premiers in coming weeks to establish a strong
position for Canada so that people know that
“Today I’m thinking a lot more about Xavier, Ella-Grace and Hadrian,”
he said. “I’m very proud of my father and what he accomplished, but I
understand that the job I have to do today and in the years to come
has to be based on the current and future needs of this country.”
“One of the things Canadians expect is a cabinet filled with people
who are not just representatives of their ministries and departments,
but actual deciders,”
Mr. Trudeau, whose party surged to a majority government on Monday,
insisted he will continue to have close contacts with the Canadian
public – entailing a looser security detail than Stephen Harper
enjoyed – promised to hold more media availabilities