Interview with Bruce Hyer, MP for Thunder Bay - Superior North

Looking back on the last seven years, what would you say is your proudest achievement as an MP so far?

I have introduced more legislation than all of the previous MPs for my riding combined. Two achievements in particular stand out so far.

Number one: I worked hard to gain enough votes from all three parties in the House of Commons to get the Climate Change Accountability Act through three readings and ready to become law, only to have the Harper-controlled Senate kill it. I have the dubious distinction of having the only Bill in the history of Canada passed in the democratically-elected House, but killed without debate in the unelected and unaccountable Senate. In an environment where so many are committed to working AGAINST all-party co-operation on the important issues facing this country, I consider it a great accomplishment to get as close as I did to passing this bill into law. It is crucially important for our country and its economy.

Number two: Over a period of 35 years, I had the foresight, contacts, and knowledge to get the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Act passed in the last two weeks of this year’s Parliament. Not only passed, but passed unanimously! Again, this was an example of all-party persuasion at its best. The new Act protects an area of over 1 million hectares, including over 600 islands. Not only will traditional use of land and water continue – such as fishing, hunting, trapping, and boating – but tens of millions of dollars in federal funding will be gained, with many direct jobs and hundreds of indirect jobs created. The Lake Superior NMCA Act is ecologically important and will also kick-start the renewal of the tourism industry on Lake Superior’s north shore.

While I am proud of these two huge legislative achievements, I am even more proud that I had the courage to stand up to Mr. Mulcair and his bullying NDP whips, who were determined to put the wishes of urban voters – especially those in Quebec – before my own constituents. I chose to become an Independent MP for almost two years in order to best represent my constituents, as I had promised.

Notably, parties are nowhere mentioned in the Canadian Constitution. From 1867 until 1970, party names were not even on the ballot. In 1970, Pierre Trudeau amended the Elections Act to put party names on the ballot. I believe that was a mistake, but far worse was that in the fine print, it required that national leaders sign the nomination papers of their candidates. Soon MPs were under the thumb (and sometimes the heel) of their leaders and back room party hacks. Within months of his Election Act changes, Pierre Trudeau called his own back-benchers "mere trained seals." Which is exactly what most of them are today. This is very, very sad. It means that power is centralized in the hands of the small group of people who surround the Prime Minister. Regions with small numbers of seats, like my region, will never do well under such a system.

The voters in Thunder Bay-Superior North have a choice to vote for three well-intended people who will find that they are totally controlled by the three large parties, or for the person who has shown that he always puts the interests of his constituents first.

Finally, what advice would you give to young people who may be considering a career in politics?

You are inheriting a non-democratic and dysfunctional parliamentary mess, and a planet at great risk. It is your future. Become informed and engaged. Know where you stand, then stand there!