York Region Government Liaison Program Presentation
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A Government Liaison Program presentation by Howard Brown to the York Region Chapter of Professional Engineers Ontario.
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York Region Government Liaison Program Presentation
- 1. Get your skin in the game: Running a successful campaign for political office Howard Brown President Brown & Cohen Communications & Public Affairs York Region Government Liaison Program December 3, 2009
- 2. Six engineers in the House of Commons Pierre Lemieux, MP Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, ON Conservative Robert Carrier, MP Alfred-Pellan, QC Bloc Quebecois Thierry St-Cyr, MP Jeanne-Le Ber, QC Bloc Quebecois Marc Garneau, MP Westmount-Ville-Marie, QC Liberal
- 3. Only two engineers in the Ontario Legislature
- 7. The facts Role Salary The Premier $202,788 Cabinet Minister with Portfolio $160,941 Cabinet Minister without Portfolio $134,815 Parliamentary Assistants $129,273 MPPs $113,100
- 11. The Steps
- 13. Federal Provincial Municipal School Board What level to run?
- 24. Any questions? For more information or to become involved, contact: Howard Brown Brown & Cohen Communications & Public Affairs 321 Brooke Avenue, Toronto ON. M5M 2L4 [email_address] 416-844-1180
Editor's Notes
- Engineers are leaders in our community and with that comes a natural progression into public life. Engineers in public life include six members of parliament, two members of the Ontario legislature, and three senators. Here are selected examples of engineers who are currently making their mark in public life.
- Currently two MPPs are in the Ontario Legislature, including Phil McNeely, the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure and Carleton-Mississippi MPP Norman Sterling.
- It’s very important to have an interest in public policy. I’ll tell you the issues that drew me to public life. In high school we challenged things, even as simple as toilet paper. We had squares, remember those little squares, we wanted rolls. is very crucial. I ran for city councillor 20 years ago and was surprised to find that your family can be one of the best resources for help. If the family and friends support you, people will see that you are worthy of support and help you and s At University, I was very concerned about the student loan system.....A first year student from Kitchener had arrived in Toronto and was raising issues in question period such as affordable housing for students, tuition, student loans etc. A supportive network peak positively about you. Many professionals are scared of belonging to a political party, but this can be extremely helpful. You will benefit from a campaign with people who are politically involved.
- Let’s dispel myths about who can run for office by using an example. Bonnie Crombie, who before last year, you’ve probably never heard of, was just elected 11 months ago. Now she is a leading voice in Parliament, co-chair of the national liberal outreach committee with Justin Trudeau and a member of the influential renewal commission, which is looking at party structure and how it can better touch the grass roots of society. Let me spend a minute talking about Bonnie Crombie. She got involved as a young liberal and for 30 years volunteers her time .... She has worked in public affairs for organizations such as the insurance bureau of Canada. Her husband suggested she run, and I organized for her to meet Greg Sorbara, the campaign chair. Bonnie was active in her riding and known in her riding. Greg Sorbara was so impressed with her he offered her a nomination in any riding. Wajid Khan became the Prime Minister’s special advisor in the middle east and that opened up a nomination in her riding. There were 7 candidates in that riding and Bonnie went out and spoke to as many people as possible, answered their questions, told them her vision. She won 70% of the vote on the first ballot for the riding. Unbelievable story of a young mom who was able to build a team around her and got to know the people of Mississauga-Streetsville. She won the MP seat by 5,000 votes, in an election that the Liberals did not win!
- An issue is something that is not just a slogan. It’s something that has legs and it should be something you’re passionate about. Probably the most important issue of the last federal election were which leader was best able to govern the country, and a carbon tax. Provincially is was who was best able to develop and inclusive education system. Municipally you can focus on too much traffic, too much development etc. Across the country, Mayors and city councillors are taking a long term view. Looking at waterfront development, waste reduction and public transit. This is a place where architects can add value. City building is more than just a debate over the size of the building, it’s about creating a city.
- Become involved in as many engineering associations as you can. Having the trust and respect of your peers will take you a long way. But let’s look at each level.
- The Federal Government deals with issues such as:
- The Provincial and Municipal governments deal with different issues. Such as:
- I’ll tell you how I picked my party. Rally at age 15..... I read everything I could, went to all candidates meetings. It’ s important to get to know the people involved and what they stand for. To go to the Liberal Party Annual meeting you had to join. Thus began a 35 year journey. There have been many times when I’ve disagreed with my party. Many people shift political alliances depending on the issue, depending on the leader. Joining a political party is not a life sentence. It’s $10, you can do it online, for one year.
- Your profile is your strongest asset. Raise this properly and you’re on the correct path.
- Community Support. Volunteering on a board or club in the community should be a requirement to run. Bonnie Crombie got involved with the local hospital in Mississauga.... It’s not just good enough to be a supporter, you need to be involved. It takes no work to write a cheque. It takes work to call hundreds of people to attend a gala, it takes work to develop sponsorship, it all takes work.
- This is one of the most crucial components of an election. You can’t physically get to every door, but you can try. Start with the people who love you and go to key opinion leaders, let them know you're running. If you’re running municipally, meet with some city councillors and people in the mayor’s office. If you’re running provincially talk to people who may have represented the riding in the past, people who are active in the riding. Join the riding and get to know the riding presidents. Building a team means you’re not walking in alone. You have support.
- One of the most challenging issues. In one federal cabinet, 5 ministers in the federal cabinet of the day lived in the same riding. You need to have a connection to the riding, you have to understanding the riding. Look at Bonnie Crombie, she doesn’t live in her riding, but she lives in Mississauga and knows the community. No matter where you come from there is a community of interest. Can someone living in Sault Ste. Marie run in London? Very tough. But someone living in Sault Ste. Marie running in Algoma-Manitoulin next door may be possible. If you want to run on a pro-development platform for city council in Windsor, and you helped run some significant development problems in Windsor council, you are probably very credible. Less so if you did that in Vancouver and tried to come to Windsor. Look at John Tory, who lost to Rick Johnson, because he was from Toronto, not Kawartha Lakes.
- When I first ran I put in $12,000 of my own money. It wasn’t a lot, but I used the money to pay a campaign manager $400 per week for three months. To run, you’re going to need to rely on family and friends, because you can’t do it alone.
- When I first ran I put in $12,000 of my own money. It wasn’t a lot, but I used the money to pay a campaign manager $400 per week for three months. To run, you’re going to need to rely on family and friends, because you can’t do it alone.
- We’re back to talking about a team. You’ll need over 100 volunteers. I know that sounds like a lot, but nomination can be expensive and difficult. If you can get volunteers to each bring five people, you have a better chance to win the nomination. You want to nail down people who are prepared to take time out of their busy lives to come out and help you, a number of times. If you can get an appointment of a party leader or if you run municipally, you don’t need to run for a nomination.