BENNETT: Come out for a neighbourhood ‘checkup’
Ever since I was elected an MP in 1997 I have been obsessed by the need to take the “patient as partner” approach of the doctor-patient relationship to the imperative of a real “democracy between elections” — a meaningful relationship between citizens and their elected representatives.
Last month we were thrilled that we had a standing-room-only response to our St. Paul’s Summit on Health and Health Care, where the elected representatives from all levels of government — federal, provincial, municipal and school trustees — were accountable to our citizens for our shared responsibility in helping to keep them and their families as healthy as possible.
It was the best of what has been called the St. Paul’s Model of accountability to citizens, with all of us there explaining our role and listening. We were so impressed that Camille Orridge, CEO of the Central Local Health Integration Network, and Tracy Nelson, of the Community Care Access Centre, were there to explain the vision as well as the challenges of the local system.
They were clearly committed to listening and to ensuring that their policies and programs are responsive to the needs so passionately articulated by our citizens.
On the weekend of April 23 we hope you will join us for our twice-a-year Neighbourhood Checkup weekend.
Our Neighbourhood Checkups have no particular theme — just what’s on your mind. And we hope encore une fois that the unfortunately almost invisible francophone community will join us for our “Pause Café” en français!
In addition, our regular themed Town Hall meetings are very important, as they help us in listening to experts and discussing the issues identified by you as priorities.
My Sunday Night Facebook chat at [url=http://www.facebook.com/carolyn.bennett.stpauls]http://www.facebook.com/carolyn.bennett.stpauls[/url] enables me to go back to Ottawa each week with a real finger on the pulse of St. Paul’s.
From Budget 2014 to the “Fair” Elections Act, the treatment of our veterans and Aboriginal people to the huge youth unemployment rate and seniors struggling on fixed incomes, there is so much to talk about. Hope to see you out to a “check-up” this month in your neighbourhood.