[fvc-wat-disc] Meeting with Bardish

Mon Nov 20 17:04:55 EST 2017

However, Bardish is a cabinet minister and isn’t she, as a member of the cabinet with responsibilities for Small Business and Tourism and Government House Leader, responsible to all Canadians, not just her own constituents????
May I add that we must meet with her in a positive manner in any case.
In my two meetings with her she becomes defensive quickly and can demean those who don’t agree with her or with the Trudeau government.
However, it is our job to be ready for this and to have solid, well-prepared points to counter this.
Dave A

From: Stephanie Janzen-Martin 
Sent: Monday, November 20, 2017 1:34 PM
To: FVC Waterloo Region Discussion 
Subject: Re: [fvc-wat-disc] Meeting with Bardish

Hi Anita, 

Thanks for that info. Very useful. :) 

SJM

On Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 12:59 PM Anita Nickerson <anitann88 at gmail.com> wrote:

  Hi folks. I'm only partially following this discussion.. but if it's that Bardish's office wants the names and addresses of all attendees, so that they will only allow people who live in the riding to attend, in organizing MP visits with Liberals across the country in the past 1-2 years, that's pretty common practice for the assistant to require that. Sometimes you can give them a few names and addresses and then kinda add other people in who just show up with you. But they don't want to deal with non-constituents. 

  Anita

  On Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 11:52 AM, Mary Jackes <mkj at bell.net> wrote:

    Yes, indeed.  Anything other than a polite approach to a politician is completely counter-productive.  Perhaps simply asking for clarification?  That could present the opportunity to say that we find a requirement of details on the visiting group unprecedented.

    Based on 13 years of association with Fair Vote and other groups here in Waterloo, plus years in Alberta, I would say such a request is unprecedented.  And it's for that reason that I find asking for names and addresses odd.  Definitely "intimidation" comes in different forms in different countries (I've worked in several where intimidation could mean really bad things - for me up to and including a wall and a sub-machine gun in one country and being chased by armed goons through the night in another).  But in Canadian terms.......... My reaction to Stu's email was that "intimidating" was a reasonable word for him to have used, in the sense of inducing anxiety.

    Mary.

    On 11/20/2017 10:16 AM, Stephanie Janzen-Martin wrote:

      Hi all, 

      Thank you for the responses. I am all in favour of pushing MPs (respectfully), on policy issues. My only concern with how this email thread was going was that it seemed to be veering into territory that seemed unnecessarily harsh and negative - if we see our MP as treating people as second class citizens and intimidation etc, those are big claims, and I hesitate to throw them around lightly. (I've lived places where that is a real threat, and that kind of stuff actually does happen, and it looks very different from this - trust me! :)) Not that there isn't maybe a way that Bardish could have handled this better, but jumping to intimidation just seems unrealistic to me - especially since, as far I can tell, nobody has even asked her why she wanted the info. Feels like a lot of negative speculation that is very thin on facts. :)

      Why would we confront Bardish (even if it is done politely) and tell her that some people didn't like her request, and are accusing her of intimidation, when we haven't even bothered to ask her why she asked for the info in the first place? Shouldn't we learn more first?

      Let's have a great chat with Bardish about PR and policy, and be smart and clear-headed about it. Let's not jump to falsely positive conclusions (overly naive), but let's also not jump to falsely negative conclusions (overly cynical). 

      Thoughts?

      SJM

      On Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 9:59 AM STUART CHANDLER <stuchandler43 at gmail.com> wrote:

        Hi Stephanie‎ (and all) 

        I, for one, certainly value your viewpoint. It's good to know you've had a positive experience working with Bardish's office. 

        Personally, I always approach life from the perspective of "Expect the Best", so, I want there to be no misunderstanding of my intent. I agree 100% that we should approach EVERY meeting with ANY person or group from that positive perspective. 

        However, I believe it is wise to consider all factors before such a meeting, so as not to be blind-sided by something that, in retrospect we should have seen coming. And we are left standing with mouths agape, not knowing what say in response. I also believe it is possible to say challenging things ‎in very respectful ways. 

        In my opinion, the best way to approach this would be to respectfully advise her office of how the email is being received by some people, and to add the assurance that we imagine that reaction was not intended.

        I have identified 3 reactions: 1) surprise and concern over the introduction of a new practice in the visit to the MP's office. ‎2) the feeling of intimidation generated. 3) the feeling of possible exclusion (or being considered 2nd-class) if a prospective visitor lives in a different riding. 

        As we are a group that is focused on the promotion of increased Democracy, I suggest that before we passively accept a new practice by an MP, we consider if it is likely to advance the cause of Democracy (and access to MPs) or more likely to have the opposite effect. ‎To me, this seems to have the opposite effect. And an MP should be respectfully advised. 

        Sincerely. 

        Stu. 

        Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone on the Rogers network.
              From: Stephanie Janzen-Martin
              Sent: Monday, November 20, 2017 9:00 AM 

              To: FVC Waterloo Region Discussion
              Reply To: FVC Waterloo Region Discussion 

              Subject: Re: [fvc-wat-disc] Meeting with Bardisheach meeting ‎ 

        Hi all, 

        I'll add my thoughts in here, if you don't mind. I am not a particular fan of the liberals (I'm NDP/Green) - but I have had several issues where I have been working with Bardish's office (here and Ottawa) for the last year or so. She and her staff have been extremely polite, positive and helpful, while working with me on big questions, despite there being no immediate fix available. (On another issue, they worked very hard with me over several weeks and found an immediate solution, which was great!)

        Maybe she really is trying to secretly intimidate the opposition by getting logistical info, or maybe this is a simple misunderstanding that is being escalated every time someone else responds in the email thread. If so, I am sure that any meeting we might get with her in this issue will be compromised if we go in assuming the worst. How can we expect to work for positive change if we are so convinced of such negative things about her, based on so little info?  If that is how the meeting is going to be started, then I'd rather not be a part of it, since I already have a great working relationship with her and her staff, and I don't want to jeopardize it with these negative assumptions.

        All I'm saying is that I would give the benefit of the doubt and get more info before assuming intimidation... :)

        Hope that helps,

        SJM

        On Sun, Nov 19, 2017 at 1:09 PM Mary Jackes <mkj at bell.net> wrote:

          I must say that this leaves an unpleasant taste in the mouth.  It feels like intimidation. 

          Best,

          Mary

          On 11/18/2017 9:21 AM, STUART CHANDLER wrote:

            Thanks Sharon for passing the Bardish email along. 

            Holy crap!!  More proof that Bardish has a HUGE amount of nerve, and indulges in covert/overt intimidation (although I'm sure she would cleverly try to sell it as "genuine interest in her constituants". ‎ I have no doubt that she has a pretty clear sense of the effect that "interest" (in having the names and addresses of those interested in visiting her office - particularly if coming with intent to complain or challenge) would have on anyone so inclined. 

            Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone on the Rogers network.
                  From: Sharon Sommerville
                  Sent: Friday, November 17, 2017 8:08 PM
                  To: FVC Waterloo Region Discussion
                  Reply To: FVC Waterloo Region Discussion
                  Subject: Re: [fvc-wat-disc] Meeting with Bardish 

            Hi Cathe, 

            That would be great, thank you!  Will 

            Here is th email that I rec'd today from Bardish's constituency assistant:

            Hi Sharon,

            Thanks for your email and for your call the other day, could you please let me know some info about who would like to meet? Could you please also provide their Waterloo addresses for our records?

            Thanks and I hope you’re having a great day.

            Sincerely,

            In my experience, it is unheard of to screen constituents for a meeting with a MP.  Let me know if you want to provide Bardish's office with your address.

            Cheers,

            Sharon

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