New critic positions for Oshawa MPP
By Graeme McNaughton/The Oshawa Express
Many people took the holidays to relax and catch up with family and friends. For Oshawa MPP Jennifer French, that time was spent reading up on new portfolios.
To start the new year, the provincial NDPs shuffled its critics positions at Queen’s Park, which will see Oshawa’s French become the party’s critic for citizenship and immigration, as well as youth engagement.
Speaking with The Oshawa Express, French says the change will allow her to dive deep into a new portfolio that she does not know much about, much like what she did for her now past position as critic for community safety and correctional facilities.
“With the portfolio that I had before – pensions as well as community safety and correctional services – I had invested a lot of time in the corrections side and recognized that it was a neglected ministry. I definitely know that that happens, and I expect there will be pieces that we can focus on. At this point, I don’t know what we’re going to find,” she says.
“I had the opportunity to really see and work in an entire ministry. I learned so much in the last year about that ministry, and you can’t unlearn that. I’ll carry that forward, the perspective, the understanding.”
French says that, much like she did when she visited 17 jails and numerous probation offices while critic for community safety and correctional services, she will do more than just read up on what’s going on at her desk.
“I didn’t just learn about it – I went. I’ve been there, I’ve immersed myself so that I had a very definite understanding, and I think that the gains that we made in terms of understanding and really applying pressure to the ministry and push them to address the issues,” she says.
And while it is not a ministry for her to critique, French is looking forward to being the critic for youth engagement, saying she believes that, far too often, the views of younger people are being left out of political discussion.
“As a teacher, I have a lot of enthusiasm for working with youth and bringing their voice into the conversation. We are making decisions that will impact them, so having them be a part of the decision making and bringing a voice will leave our communities better off,” she says.
“When I have the opportunity to work with youth locally – we’ve had some teen town halls and some of my students who are in high school or university have really brought forward ideas not just for the future but for now. And their perspective should carry more weight than it does.”
The Ontario legislature is set to reconvene in mid-February.