Continuing my fall roundup of gay and
lesbian MPs, I caught up with Liberal MP Scott Brison after question period
yesterday.
Xtra: How did you spend your summer?
Scott Brison: I did a lot of work in my constituency, getting
caught up after the election with the people of Kings-Hants. A lot of events, a
lot of casework helping communities and individuals. I travelled to Colombia
again for meetings. Maxime and I joined the Canada-Israel Committee in Israel
for a week, and I travelled quite a bit within the country. I was in Northern
Saskatchewan and Toronto, and all kinds of points in between.
Xtra: What are you looking to tackle this
fall?
SB: The economy is the number one issue, and
the focus ought to be on jobs, jobs, jobs. I think the Tea Party North in government
we have in Canada is ignoring a lot of the real challenges facing Canadians,
and the real hardship and uncertainty and fear in Canadian families right now,
and they’re pursuing a completely ideological focus that is not connected to the
real hardship that Canadians are suffering from right now.
Xtra: What about committee work? Anything in
particular you’re looking forward to there?
SB: The Conservatives tried to control all
committee business when they had a minority. They’re going to find it easier to
do that now, so I expect you’ll see committees being operated as branch plants
of ministers’ offices to an extent that we’ve never seen.
Xtra: Anything else in the fall that you’re
looking forward to?
SB: I’m looking forward to Bob Rae being the
de facto leader of the opposition in the House of Commons. He’s doing a good
job, and I think that will continue.
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