What Makes a Good Canadian MP

I'm not sure...

I wasn't sure what to write about today, I started out thinking I might write something on why, and how Ruth Ellen Brousseau is still a politician, but after a cursory search of her record it turns out she's done a pretty good job as a member of parliament. 

(The MP for Berthier-Maskinonge presumably about to
kick ass as an MP)

She’s on several committees, has run a few critic portfolios well, does a good job connecting with her constituents. That last one is juxtaposed with the fact she managed to go from ‘not speaking french’ to bilingual since her initial election. Oh yeah, this is also all while being a single mom. 

Dam, and that was my attempt at slinging mud her way. I mean no, way to go Ms. Brousseau obviously I want you to do well, its just that how you got there still bugs me. 

As someone who will likely have to finish my degree before I start working, it pains me to see someone plucked from university (where i currently find myself) and become and elected member of Canada’s highest political because in a fairy-tale move for a political science student. There are tons of qualified people with degrees out there, hell half the professors i’ve been taught by had the candour and knowledge to be successful candidates, but the NDP picked a bartender, who wasn’t finished her degree. Now not only was it maddening that this happened, but now MP Brousseau is actually doing a great job. Its almost like the job doesn’t require a formal education in political science…

I’m not going to go in depth into how she has done such a job, for that you can google her record. Suffice it to say that she is tenacious and has a fantastic work ethic. She also had a lot to prove and it seems she has used that to motivate her. 

So what am I mad about then. Well this comes back to a great book I read in my third year. What I Learned About Politics.

(A Great Book I am not getting paid to plug,
as I bought it on amazon for $0.01)

Written by former provincial NDP finance minister Graham Steele. That section i’m reminded of is where Mr.Steele talks about the ‘qualifications’ of the members of the cabinet. He basically says the geographic and tokenized modern cabinet is actually crap when it comes to having a skill set, and that the politicians he encounters who do well, tend to be the ones who can present themselves as expert in something after doing some minor research on a subject. Knowing a little about a lot of things, and being able to speak convincingly on a range of subjects. Now i’ve worked as a bartender before (as well as being a chef’s apprentice, Pizzaolo, security guard, maintenance worker, call centre employee, house painter etc.) and bartending is some very hard work. I don’t mean its hard compared to something else either, its objectively hard. You have to be in decent shape, lifting up to 25kg is common, so is being on your feet for 8+hours. You are constantly learning new skill sets, relating to products, POS systems, bookkeeping and more. Mental math and quick thinking are essential, so is problem solving and dealing with some of the most difficult people the service industry has to throw at you… drunks. Amidst all this if you want to make any real money your appearance is key. There’s a reason most bartenders are attractive, they are the face of a business, they are on display for everyone to see, and regardless of whether you think its morally wrong, people will support a business much more if their employees look ‘good’. 

(Senator Duffy who has never been criticized for his appearance)

These qualities translate pretty well to public service if you think about it. An MP also has to think quickly, learn new skill sets in a hurry like Mr. Steele said in his book. As an MP you have to stand around for long periods, listen to people like lobbyists and constituents talk at you for hours at a time. Not only that but as we have seen in both the female members of the house, and trial of senator Duffy, body image and appearance are for the foreseeable future are up for criticism. 

I’m not really sure what i’m saying here, maybe more bartender/university students should run for office ? Maybe the adaptability of the millennial generation makes them far better at the rapid pace of holding a public office? Maybe Ruth Ellen Brousseau is just a kick ass MP? Maybe this article didn’t turn out nearly as funny as I hoped? 

All of the above I guess.