McDonough advises newly elected MPs

Dal graduate speaks to new Members of Parliament during a new orientation put on by Carleton University

Megan Leslie speaks to constituents in her office during Nocturne 2011. Oct 15, 2011. Photo: Adam Scotti

Dalhousie graduate Alexa McDonough may have retired from federal politics in 2008, but she continues to be involved in shaping tomorrow's leaders.

This past August, the former federal NDP leader took part in a first-of-its-kind Member of Parliament two-day orientation launched by Carleton University's new Initiative for Parliamentary and Diplomatic Engagement.

McDonough addressed about four-dozen new MPs on the second day of the orientation and spoke about developing leadership skills, balancing family life and the importance of confidence in themselves and their team.  "Confidence building in your own ability to do this job," she said. "Its being part of a team that is mutually respectful and has a sense of mission about what were doing. Takes a kind of collective consciousness."

Maureen Boyd, director of Carleton's program, says there was a need for members to learn about "personal accountability to yourself, the need to continually learn, the need to get the balance right between your different roles whether its in the House of Commons, in the constituency, to your party and most importantly to your family."

Enlarge Image
Alexa McDonough in 1965 before receiving her BA at Dalhousie in Sociology and Psychology (right) and in 2009 before receiving an honorary doctor of law from Dalhousie (left). Photo: Courtesy of Dalhousie University Archives and Special Collections. Right: Courtesy of Dalhousie Media Centre

MP party seating distribution:

Canada's 40th Parliament - 2008-2011

• Conservatives: 143
• Liberal: 77
• Bloc Quebecois: 49
• New Democratic Party: 37
• Independent: 2

Canada's 41st Parliament - 2011-Present

• Conservatives: 167
• New Democratic Party: 102
• Liberal: 34
• Bloc Quebecois: 4
• Green: 1

Source: Elections Canada

Working on the program with that in mind, Boyd says McDonough was a logical choice when selecting speakers, given her background as a woman in the House and her former leadership roles.

McDonough had never conducted a procedural or administrative orientation because she was a party leader without a seat for two years before becoming an MP. Moving from being leader of Nova Scotia's NDP Party in 1994 to being the leader of the federal NPD, McDonough never had a tour of Ottawa's main government buildings such as the Supreme Court and the governor general's residence, Rideau Hall. During the first day of the orientation, McDonough took the opportunity to join the new MPs on the tour, getting to know them better and talk more informally.

Continuing party support

The mentorship role is nothing new to McDonough who also helped NDP MP Megan Leslie become her successor in the Halifax riding. McDonough stayed on as a member in the riding association, joining Megan on canvassing and helped with volunteers. Leslie says the best guidance McDonough gave her was no advice at all when she contacted McDonough a few weeks into her first parliamentary session.

"She looked at me and she said, 'Well Megan, just make a decision and see what the outcome is.' It was at that moment that I realized she was supporting me by taking a step back and letting me find my own feet and letting me become my own MP," says Leslie.

Not having an official role within the party has not stopped NDP leadership hopefuls from contacting her for advice. "I've actually had meetings and extensive conversations with everybody who's so far declared and then a couple who are deciding whether they want to go," says McDonough.

McDonough will continue to watch Parliament from afar, calling herself a political "junkie" but she has no interest in getting more involved than she already is.

"If you had asked me if I would start watching Question Period in the afternoon, I would've said. Are you crazy? I'm going to get a life! And now I watch Question Period quite often in the afternoon."

Distance evidently makes the heart grow fonder.

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