Eric Duncan, SDSG MP, with his stepsister Erin Wigney and her husband Garry Wigney, during the open house event. Guy photo
Ginette Guy
Record Contributor
CORNWALL – Eric Duncan, MP for Stormont, Dundas and South Glengarry, hosted his first Christmas open house at the new constituency office last Thursday. The freshly decorated office saw a constant flow of well-wishers sharing cheers and treats. A gracious host, Duncan took the time to greet and connect with everyone.
Located just south of the traffic circle on Brookdale Ave. in Cornwall, the new office is fully functional and ready to help constituents. Of the 97 newly elected MPs in the fall 2019 federal elections, Duncan was one of the ones to have his office up and running. He is quick to point out that he was very lucky that all of Guy Lauzon’s staff came to work for him. Duncan feels this will be an asset in keeping the same level of customer service. In the new year, on a local level, Duncan is planning an income tax clinic and a passport outreach within the community.
In an interview with The Chesterville Record, our local MP took the opportunity to mention a few goals for the coming year. His focus will be on bringing local issues to parliament. “The water level issues in the St. Lawrence River is a big one,” says Duncan.
He is very happy and impressed that he can work across the aisle. “When I talk about the water levels on the St. Lawrence, it’s not a Liberal or Conservative issue, it’s just something that needs to be addressed and get done. There are a lot of things we can agree on at a micro-level and advance things,” he comments.
Another issue for the City of Cornwall will be the Transport Canada lands; the sale of those lands is an ongoing concern. On the rural aspect, the recent CN strike brings up a follow-up issue: “We need better and more access to natural gas, in rural areas,” noted Duncan.
The New Year will bring both opportunities and challenges for Duncan and the Conservative party. He believes the out-going party leader Andrew Scheer made the right decision for himself and his family. In the race for new leadership, Duncan is looking forward to helping out someone’s campaign. He has received calls from colleagues already, who are thinking about running and he is excited about the prospects.
In closing, he commented, “In federal politics, there is really never a dull day, but I’m loving it all so far and I’m very grateful to have been given this opportunity to represent my community.”
