As a member of Parliament (MP) representing the party that just won a majority government after five-plus years of minority status, it's not surprising that John Weston would feel a "sense of newness" upon arrival in Ottawa to begin his second term.
What is a bit surprising is that a member of a right-of-centre party caucus would feel a "great sense of anticipation" not only at the chance to be a member of a majority Conservative caucus for the next four years, but at the chance to witness the emergence of a youthful Official Opposition that is much further to the political left than its predecessor in that role.
"There is a sense of newness on Parliament Hill which is perhaps specific to the aftermath of this election," said Weston, who on May 2 easily won re-election as MP for the West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country riding. "No matter what party you're from, I think there's a great sense of anticipation. I think the youthful members that are coming in under the NDP stripe will bring their own culture, and to a certain degree that will be different, but welcome."
Weston, who was sworn in as a member of Canada's 41st Parliament on May 25, said he'll likely find out around the time that the parliamentary session opens on Thursday (June 2) what committees and roles he's been assigned to. While MPs can request certain appointments, the decisions aren't entirely his to make, he said.
"I thought my role in Fisheries and Aboriginal Affairs were pertinent to B.C. and to my constituents during the first term," he said. "The [local] fisheries advisory group that we formed with many well-informed volunteers was very productive, and with three prominent First Nations in our riding, I felt my position on the Aboriginal Affairs committee was appropriate to the riding as well."
Weston said he would like to continue on those two committees, adding that he also expects to be named to continue serving as the government's liaison to the Persian and Iranian community.
Weston said that since the election, he has been in contact with mayors, regional district board chairs and First Nations leaders in the riding to get a better sense of their priorities as he enters his second term.
"I wanted to ask to what priorities they see in their communities to better help inform what I do and to formulate a plan to ensure that we're focusing on the priorities of the riding," he said.
He said he expects the federal budget, due out on June 6, will be similar to the one presented by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty in April, before the minority government fell. The priorities will likely be continued economic recovery and job creation, Weston said.
He said that in a broad sense, those are his own priorities for the riding as well.
"Continued economic development and the sustaining and creating of jobs underlies much of what we do," Weston said. "We had good success on that front in my first term, in cooperation with the leaders in each of the communities that we serve. I will continue that theme in this second term."
One offshoot of that effort is continued engagement between the riding and the Pacific Rim - China, Japan, Hong Kong, etc. -in promoting tourism, trade and educational interaction, he said.
"We will continue to promote human rights, both in Canada and abroad," he said.
Weston said he will continue to operate four offices - constituency offices in West Vancouver, Sechelt and Powell River and his parliamentary office in Ottawa. In the previous Parliament, only five of the 308 MPs operated four or more offices.
"I'm really looking forward to how the country will benefit from the stability that four years of the same government will bring," he said.
