• Sir_Osis_of_Liver@kbin.social
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    7 months ago

    Comments from people who have never had real exposure to the political system are useful as tits on a fish.
    Being an MP or MLA is an absolute grind. Even more so now with myriad anonymous threats being levied at not only you but your family. They have some reimbursements, but inevitably end up spending some of that pay on expenses.

    And for the most part, they aren’t rich.

    Here is the list from Manitoba MPs:

    Niki Ashton NDP university lecturer
    James Bezan CPC Rancher, crop adjuster
    Ben Carr Lib Teacher, consultant
    Raquel Dancho CPC –
    Terry Duguid Lib Non-profit organizer
    Ted Falk CPC Construction company owner
    Leah Gazan NDP Lecturer
    Kevin Lamoureaux Lib ATC assistant & Military
    Branden Leslie CPC –
    Larry Maguire CPC Farmer, Lobbyist
    Dan Mazier CPC Pres Keystone Agricultural Producers
    Marty Morantz CPC Lawyer
    Dan Vandal Lib Middleweight Boxer, Social worker

    Bezan (CPC), Falk (CPC), Maguire (CPC), Mazier (CPC) and Morantz (CPC) are pretty well off. The rest are doing okay, but hardly rich.
    Dancho (CPC) and Leslie (CPC) went from school right into politics.

    A former MP that I new pretty well was a teacher and served on a small city council, an unpaid position in those days, before getting into federal, and then provincial politics. He was the hardest working person I knew.

    He got calls at all hours as a federal MP regarding garbage pickup and street plowing FFS. Some constituents were completely clueless as to what level of government does what. He’d listen and try to direct them to the right people, and the only thing he got in return was abuse.