As I continue with my roundup of queer MPs
at the start of the winter sitting, I caught up with NDP MP Dany Morin after QP
today.
Q: What were you up to over the
break?
A: A lot of time with my constituents. I launched for 2012 a monthly
town hall meeting. I have nine municipalities in my riding – one big and a lot
of villages, and I wanted to make sure that every single community has its
voice when I speak in the House and that I put to the front of the national
scene their [issues]. I started with the municipalities of 5,000 people, and it
was really interesting. I met several organizations and elected officials, so
it was good.
Q: Is this one a month, rotating
between the towns, or nine every month?
A: No, one in every month. In 2011 I met all of the mayors, but the
general populations have different priorities than the mayors, so in 2012, I
intend to meet a lot of them in all of the different parts of my big riding.
Q: What do you have planned in
terms of legislative work this sitting?
A: Probably next week or the week after, I’ll table my anti-cyber-bullying
bill. I made sure that I have a lot of support from people who are involved in
fighting cyber-bullying, so the experts gave me the big thumbs-up. The next
step is to table it in the House and then get the support of the
Conservatives. I made sure when I wrote it that it’s a non-partisan bill, and I
don’t expect it to be controversial. It doesn’t ask the government to spend any
more money, and not that there’s anything wrong with a “cyber-bullying
awareness day,” but I wanted to make sure that there’s something concrete, and
I’m looking forward to discussing it, but we have to table it first.
Q: In terms of committee work,
what do you have coming up?
A: I have big news: I have a second committee. I’m with Libby
[Davies] on the health committee, but as of this week, I’m replacing Alexandre
Boulerice on the ethics committee. So now I juggle two committees, two on
Tuesday and Thursday mornings, so today was the first day and it was pretty
hectic, but I love it. I think that I will be a good asset on the ethics
committee, having a strong personality and not being afraid to play the bulldog
– at least the francophone bulldog. I’ll let Charlie [Angus] be the English
bulldog.
