Source: Jason Hafso (Unsplash)
A local politician is revealing the struggles politicians current face during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kate Young is the Member of Parliament (MP) for London West. She’s also an alum of Fanshawe’s Broadcast Journalism program.
She says her life today is completely different compared to just a month ago.
“It’s like [taking] on new roles… I’m working from home, [and] on the phone constantly, all of a sudden I know what Zoom is, and I had no idea what Zoom was before this,” explained Young.
“It has been eye-opening and challenging… I don’t like to say [this is] the new reality, but it is, at least for now.”
Young recounted her initial reactions when she heard the news about COVID-19 and how quickly it was spreading globally.
She says she was “shocked” by the virus’s rapid impact on the country, but the big moment for her was when Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, the Prime Minister’s wife was confirmed to have contracted the virus.
“[It was a] wake-up call for all of us.”
The MP says that’s when she decided to make sure her staff are distancing themselves from one another, and sent all but one staff to work from home.
During this time, Young says the community’s concerns were piling in, and it’s been especially difficult to address them due to constant-changing updates.
Kate Young (photo: provided)
“The [pandemic] just shows how important [it is] to stay connected with your community,” said the London West MP.
“[People] are worried about who should be accessed for government programs [for] wages and emergency funding, and we’re worried about health-care workers…. We need to be aware of what’s going on out there.”
Until the pandemic passes, Young says her main local priority is to try to keep businesses feeling positive about what the future holds, “… but that’s tough when you’re right in the eye of the storm.”
Federally, she says the next steps for MPs are to connect with Canadians who are stuck outside the country.
“We’re trying to get them back; that’s another part of our job, and that is to make sure as many Canadians as possible get home safely.”
Young is also reminding the community to take care during this time.
“Everybody needs a bit of a break [from] thinking about COVID-19… I think it will get to you after a while.”
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