When Parliament is in session, says Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa MP Dan Mazier, everything is about legislation and about Ottawa. When he’s back home in the constituency, the job is getting in touch with people, listening to what their priorities are, and getting their feedback on the issues.

This year, that meant holding nearly a dozen barbecues in the riding throughout the summer, holding three rural passport clinics, and appearing at several local festivals and parades. Mazier says that’s the best way to get out to meet people, and that elected officials in rural areas especially tend to be very approachable. Even for people who don’t attend the events that he sponsors, he can run into them elsewhere in the community.

The passport clinics in particular were a point of interest. Mazier says they helped process about 400 passports by providing a photography station, volunteers to help check over applications, and taking charge of mailing all the applications afterwards. This assistance was considered especially valuable in rural areas where Service Canada does not offer services.

Mazier and interviewer Christine Waddell also discussed some of his work as vice chair of the Environmental Committee, which includes reviewing many studies and reports on topics such as the fire in Jasper and the spread of zebra mussels. As well, with the recent election in the U.S., they talked about the differences between the two systems of government and the ways in which they operate, focusing particularly on the transparency of the Canadian electoral system.

While they touched on Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s position on programs like the local journalism initiative, Mazier, a member of the Conservative Party, pivoted to talking about Bill C-18, the Online News Act, and how he’s a proponent of letting the free market figure it out.