Fellow residents of the Tri-Cities.

From your candidate in the recent federal election, thank you.

Thank you for your time and willingness to talk. Thank you for your smiles and handshakes. Thank you even for just taking a leaflet and considering where to place your vote - such consideration is key in upholding the democratic process. But thank you most of all for the 30% share of the vote that I received. A result like that vindicates the honest and open campaign that we tried to run.

Even if - as I was told many times - there was little chance of winning the riding, it was still worth the attempt. From the many people I talked to, I discovered a whole raft of concerns and issues that really impacted their daily lives. When you suddenly realize the extent to which people's lives are affected adversely by government decisions, and their desparate need to find an ear that will listen and a voice that will speak up on their behalf, it's impossible to do anything except throw yourself into the fight to the limit of your strength.

In particular, the nurse who cried on my shoulder as she described the pressures on her and her family made me consider that politics isn't about winning an election: it's about fighting for fairness and justice for everyone in society. So my campaign didn't win. So what?! If it helped to bring some issues to the fore and maybe (we can hope) added to the pressure needed for the government to change the way it behaves, then it can still be considered a victory.

And that's where your challenge comes in. Even if the current MP is not your particular choice, he is your voice in the government. Pick an issue - I've listed a few that mean the most to me below - and badger him about it. The election is over, but our day-to-day lives carry on. Make sure James Moore knows that and make sure that whenever he makes a decision, your voice is in his head. That's what he is getting paid for!

Mark Ireland

NDP Candidate, Port Moody--Westwood--Port Coquitlam, 2011 Federal Election

June 26th, 2011

These are just a few issues you can contact your MP about - there are many more. Why not pick a particular issue and become more familiar with the debate and with the government action/record around it?

• Early childhood education: It does so much. It helps in education - obviously - but cuts future social problems and identifies health issues (like autism) at a stage when something can still be done. Why is government action on this issue so poor?

• Firefighter death benefits: Most firefighters leave no benefits to their family if they are killed at work. Why is there no national program? That's a great question to ask your MP!

• Policing: The government claims to have hired 2500 new officers. It didn't: it just provided a one-off payment equivalent to a year's costs. But what happens then? Ask why funding for these positions wasn't sustained.

• Transport: Canada is the only G8 country without a national transit strategy. So is it any wonder projects like the Evergreen Line get stalled indefinitely? Never was it truer to say "failing to plan is planning to fail"!

• Mental Health: It's very easy to make a link between mental illness and crime, and politicians frequently do. But the two are not irrevocably joined - you can have a mental illness without being a criminal. Make sure your MP does not fall into this trap!