Robert Kitchen admits he has faced a steep learning curve during the adjustment to his new job as the member of Parliament (MP) for Souris-Moose Mountain.
Kitchen spoke at a meeting hosted by the Estevan Chamber of Commerce on Feb. 11 at Enbridge Pipelines’ building. He discussed his experiences in Parliament thus far, his stance on some of the issues facing southeast Saskatchewan, and his work as the Conservative Party's critic for sport.
The first two months following his election victory in October were spent getting his offices set up in Ottawa and in the constituency. It's particularly challenging in such a vast riding, which spans 43,000 square kilometres; some of the urban constituencies are five square kilometres.
“They don't realize that for me to get to Moosomin (from Estevan), it's a 2 1/2 to three hour drive, if the weather's good and the roads are good,” said Kitchen.
Procedures have to be followed in Ottawa, and he has spent a lot of time learning the protocol and rules associated with being an MP.
“I knew it was going to be a … large learning curve,” said Kitchen. “I don’t think it’s been any more challenging than I thought. It’s just that sometimes … things surprise you with what goes on.”
Time management has also carried a big adjustment. He wants to hear what people have to say during meetings, but those meetings are often shorter than he wants.
He has spent a lot of time in the House of Commons and caucus meetings, along with listening to lobbyists and speaking with constituents.
Kitchen said he was disappointed the speech from the throne last fall didn't mention agriculture. He regards agriculture as the backbone of Souris-Moose Mountain, while the energy sector is the arms and the legs.
Carbon capture and storage projects, like the one at the Boundary Dam Power Station, are the type of infrastructure projects that Canada needs, he said, since it benefits both the economy and the environment.
“They want ready-made projects for infrastructure,” said Kitchen. “Here’s a project that is there, we have the technology, we know how it’s working, it’s doing well and we need to promote it.”
There are thousands of coal-fired power plants under construction around the world, particularly in China and India, so if the technology can be exported, then it’s a “win-win” for Saskatchewan and Canada.
Kitchen is also a strong proponent of pipelines for transporting oil. He noted the Tories put forward a motion recognizing the importance of the energy sector, the safety of pipelines for transporting oil, and the benefits of the Energy East pipeline, but it was defeated.
He believes the government is putting up roadblocks that only delay the pipeline process.
In southeast Saskatchewan, people have lost their jobs because of the plunging price of oil. Some have been forced to leave the constituency.
“We need the government to step up and show they have confidence in the industry,” said Kitchen. “By having confidence in the industry, that puts confidence in the investors. Confidence in the investors puts money back into the area.”
A lot of Liberals have heard about what’s happening in Alberta due to the oil prices, but they don’t know what’s going on in Saskatchewan.
Kitchen is also supportive of the Accelerated Well Cleanup Program that Saskatchewan’s government recently introduced. The provincial government believes it will result in the cleanup of abandoned wells in the province, creating both economic and environmental benefits.
The proposal was just announced, and Kitchen has been studying the plan.
As for his sport critic portfolio, Kitchen looks forward to meeting with Sport Minister Carla Qualtrough. Previous meetings with her have been cancelled.
He touched on four aspects during his speech to the chamber: a national strategy on concussions, the upcoming National Health and Fitness Day on June 4, the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and promoting health to other MPs.
“If we’re not healthy, then how can we turn around and say to the public to be healthy?” he asked.
Kitchen hopes to have some input on the concussion strategy, since he dealt with many patients suffering concussions during his career as a chiropractor in Estevan.
