James Moore is a former federal cabinet minister under prime minister Stephen Harper, and a columnist for CTVNews.ca.
Dear members of the coming 45th Parliament: Congratulations on your successful election/re-election. The privilege of serving as a member of Canada’s Parliament is a true honour and you should feel enormously proud that you will have an opportunity to serve.
If I may, as a former member of Parliament over five terms and 15 years, I would like to offer some humble advice.
First, the election is over. Move forward. Let whatever internal party consequences and leadership matters that flow from the last election present themselves in due course. Do not be distracted by them; certainly do not be obsessed by them. Do not burn what precious time you have in public office obsessing solely about politics and the next election. If you do, I promise you, you will regret having wasted your time in office.
Second, your time as a member of Parliament is going to end. For most of you, it will end before you wish it to. And when it ends it will likely be with either profound heartbreak and disappointment, or very anti-climatically and you will feel forgotten faster than you can imagine. Just know this now and accept reality on reality’s terms that this will end faster than you think so that you don’t waste your time in office and aren’t unprepared for the end.
Remember why you ran
In the time that you have as an MP, you can become overwhelmed with the process, lifestyle, politics, nonsense, procedure or being subsumed into being an extension of the service delivery machinery of government programs and answer calls all day from constituents frustrated with the inadequacy of government programs or frustration with their delivery.
You can be overwhelmed, spun around, get trapped in the process fog and, before you know it, your time as an MP is over, and you have little to show for your time in public life. Avoid this at all costs lest you spend the rest of your days living in regret of an opportunity you let slip away into dust.
When I first ran for office a dear friend of mine suggested to me that I write myself a letter. He said the letter should describe, in blunt language, why I ran for office, what I wanted to accomplish, what I would consider a success or failure 10 years after leaving office and how I wanted to be remembered. The purpose of the letter was to provide myself clarity about my mission in public life. And, whenever I felt like I was frustrated, had lost my way, had disappointed myself or needed clarity about why I ran for office, I should re-read the letter to re-centre myself and ground myself in what matters most to me. I did this and was better for it. You should consider it.
Leave a legacy
In my experience, the best way for you to leave office—whenever that day may come—with the greatest sense of pride and accomplishment of your time as a member of Parliament is to make meaningful and lasting contributions to public policy.
Politicians come and go; governments and parliaments come and go; but good ideas stick. Good policy is a legacy worth fighting for. It matters. Solving problems matters. Fixing programs is essential, ending the mindlessness in runaway spending to steer funds to better purposes is important. Changing laws that angle us objectively towards greater justice is a job never complete. Fortifying the best elements of Canada’s successes is fundamental.
Modernizing approaches to helping connect Canadians has to happen. Being a voice for an issue that matters to your soul is time brilliantly spent – I promise you, there are endless ways you can make a difference.
Be a problem solver
And you can best make a difference by doing your homework, presenting not just problems but rational solutions, and by being sincere and earnest. Don’t be a partisan hack who just barks and fights and wants to be aimlessly self-righteous. Be substantive, purposeful and diplomatic.
This will get you further than you can imagine, and the people in your life, the people in your constituency, your colleagues, your family, they will all notice and come to have greater respect and trust for you than you can imagine. And their esteem in you will last well beyond your political career.
Your contributions can be through public pressure, private argument and persuasion through effective channels, or through substantive earned media engagement and persistence. You can build relationships and present ideas and solutions, have thoughtful interventions at committees (where the minority power of this still minority Parliament can be felt), or make several other smart and strategic moves.
Yes, it can be done. Yes, you can make a meaningful difference. Do not believe the constant cynics and cranks who snipe from the sidelines. Good work can be done.
I offer this advice after reflecting on my time in public life, where too often I did not live up to the standard that I describe above. Too often I was drawn into the partisan heat, the day-to-day nonsense, the polls, and the distractions. You have an opportunity to set your own standard and decide how to properly invest your energy in this coming 45th Parliament.
Be meaningful and have a mission, Canada needs you. Get to work and good luck.
