Nanaimo-Ladysmith MP Paul Manly has planned a series of community meetings to connect with constituents. Manly says this is part of his commitment to be accountable to the riding.
“I’m going to do a short report back of what I’ve done since I’ve been elected. It’s been a short period of time, but it was a very busy time in Ottawa. Then I’ll open up the floor for people to ask questions and let me know what their concerns are. It’s really a forum for constituents to have access to their member of parliament,” Manly said.
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Manly’s meetings will be modelled after Green Party leader Elizabeth May’s constituent meetings, which she has held for years in her riding of Saanich—Gulf Islands.
The first meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 18, at the North Oyster Community Centre, 13467 Cedar road, Ladysmith. Manly will return to Ladysmith July 30 at the Saltair Community Centre, 3850 South Oyster School road. The last scheduled meeting in Ladysmith before the general election is August 19 at the Eagles Hall, 912 1st Ave. Manly also has meetings planned for Nanaimo, Gabriola Island, and Protection Island. All of the meetings take place from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.
“It’s an important way to communicate directly with constituents… not everybody likes to email, not everybody is on Facebook. Often, meeting face to face discussing issues is a good way to get information and figure out where people are at,” Manly said.
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If Manly is reelected in the upcoming general election, he has committed to continuing these meetings, and will hold them for as long as he remains MP.
“That’s how democracy should work. People should have access to elected officials,” he said. “They should be able to ask questions and get answers in a public forum that other people can hear.”
For those who cannot make it to any of the meetings, Manly posts weekly reports from parliament on his website, paulmanlymp.ca
