Trying to get a meeting with Lisa MacLeod – A Timeline

Back in February, after Minister Lisa MacLeod originally announced changes to the OAP, I, like many other concerned parents, decided that I’d try and meet with my MPP to discuss my concerns.

I live in Nepean, so my MPP happens to be Lisa MacLeod. It turns out it’s not so easy to get a meeting with her. Ask around. I don’t know of anyone who has been successful. I thought I was close.

I was not.

Let me show you what this process looks like.

In theory, in neighbouring ridings, if a constituent wanted a meeting with their MPP, they could call the constituency office, ask for a meeting, and they would get a time and a date. Wow, the system works.

To meet with Lisa MacLeod, it’s a little different.

If you call the constituency office, it’s known to be rare to have someone pick up. On my first attempt in early February, it went to an answering machine, so I left a message, and patiently awaited a call back. About a week passed, no call back. I tried again, and to my surprise someone answered. I let them know I was hoping to meet with my MPP to discuss my concerns over the proposed changes to the OAP. They took down my information, and then sent me an email with a Meeting Request Form. I know many that didn’t even reach this step (either they never had a human answer the phone, and/or never had their message(s) returned).

The Meeting Request Form looks like this:

Feb 28th — I received by email the Meeting Request Form from someone we’ll call ‘P’ at the constituency office. Note: My wife called the office on the same day, and did NOT receive a form.

March 5th — Meeting Request Form sent back by email to P.

March 6th — Received an email back from P acknowledging receipt of the form, and was told it was forwarded to the Minister’s scheduler for consideration.

March 13th — No word yet, so I emailed P to ask for the contact info for the scheduler so that I could follow up with them directly.

March 14th — Emailed back by Susan Truppe, the ministry’s director of policy and legislative affairs (remember her?), was told that she was in receipt of my request for a meeting with the Minister, and that she cc’d the Minister’s scheduler, who we’ll call ‘J,’ so that she could contact me when she’s scheduling meetings in Ottawa. Susan also asked for my patience “as the Minister is quite busy with 5 portfolios.”

March 15th — I email J, and ask for the earliest available opportunity to meet with the Minister. I let her know that I’m an optometrist in the same strip mall as Lisa MacLeod’s constituency office, so it would be easy to make myself available. I also offered to travel to Toronto to meet with Lisa there if that was more convenient for her, as I know she’s in Legislature at Queen’s Park 4 days a week. I reiterated that I was concerned about the OAP, and all the uncertainty, and that I was hoping to meet with her as soon as possible.

March 15th — I receive a reply later that morning acknowledging my email, and was told that it would not be possible to confirm a meeting in Toronto, and that “Ottawa would be the best place for you to meet her, the earliest date in her calendar is Friday April 12th before or after one of her events. Please let me know if this date works for you.” I replied back right away saying that date would work for me, and asked what time. I told her I could be available any time of day. I put a tentative block on my schedule at work to keep the day open. I asked her to let me know the time of the meeting as soon as she could, which would allow me to open up the rest of my day if possible.

March 18th — No response yet, so I reply and ask if Minister MacLeod’s events are set for the day yet.

March 18th — J responds an hour later saying “I am still waiting for confirmation”

March 20th — My office administrator asked me if I still needed April 12th off, as they were working on the staffing schedule. I emailed J back to relay that, apologized for being so persistent, but that my office needed to know my availability. I told her that I was going to prioritize this meeting with Minister MacLeod, and that I will book the rest of my day around the meeting. I acknowledged the Minister’s busy schedule, and told her that I appreciated her accommodating my meeting request.

March 20th — Another quick response from J, saying she “cannot confirm yet, possibly early morning however the Minister’s schedule is constantly changing; there is no way to guarantee even when confirmed.” She encouraged me to go ahead with my appointments and “then work the meeting around your schedule. I will try my best to firm up the time as we get closer to the date.”

March 20th — I respond back to reiterate that I have committed to making myself available, but would appreciate advance notice of the time so that I can make any necessary arrangements.

March 29th — 2 weeks until the date discussed, no meeting time, so I email J to ask if a time has been firmed up yet. No answer.

April 2nd — I ask again

April 3rd — J responds: “I am still not able to confirm this meeting. Please follow up with me again on Friday.” (April 5)

April 5th — As requested, I follow up. She responds: “I still have not been able to clear the Minister’s calendar so I am unable to confirm the meeting at this time. We might have to reschedule as the Minister will be in Toronto most of next week.” (Note: Lisa MacLeod is in Toronto most of every week – you know, because she’s in Legislature)

April 5th — I respond back explaining how I had kept the day open to remain available, and that at one week out from the meeting date it was too late for me to re-open my work schedule for the day. After maintaining my availability at personal expense, I passed on my hope that Minister MacLeod will make time to meet with me. I again stated that I could meet her at any time or place that was convenient for her.

April 5th — J responds back saying this “is why I specifically told you not to change your schedule until you have a full confirmation. Minister MacLeod is a Minister with a full schedule which is constantly changing as she attends functions all over the province. Sometimes things can be added or cancelled the same day or even the same hour. I will do my best to accommodate but I really cannot promise you to clear her schedule as I do not have that power.”

April 5th — I explain that with a job like mine it’s difficult to make quick changes. If I booked a full day of patients, then received a last minute meeting with the Minister, it would unfair to my patients to have to cancel at the last minute (when they themselves likely had to make accommodations to be available for their appointments). I told her that I left the day open because her previous emails suggested that the date was likely to work, and it was just a matter of confirming a time closer to the date. I explained that I understood that Lisa MacLeod is busy, but as a constituent in her riding I felt it was important to be able to bring forth questions and concerns to the Member who is to represent me in parliament. I was still available to meet her any time or place that day.

April 9th – I decide to message a mutual contact that the Minister and I share, and ask them if they would be willing to contact Lisa MacLeod to see if she can confirm a meeting with me.

April 10th — I respond to J with my hope that she was able to accommodate the meeting for Friday April 12th, and again ask for a time.

April 10th – My contact tells me that they’re not overly optimistic about my meeting, and that it didn’t seem Lisa was too keen at this point, based on the response received.

April 10th — Reply from J: “Thanks for the follow-up. Unfortunately this Friday is not possible, the Minister is staying here (Toronto) due to budget day tomorrow.”

April 10th — I tell J I’m sorry to hear that, and ask if there is someone else available in her office that could meet with me on the 12th, someone who works directly with her on the file that could answer my questions and pass the information along to the Minister.

April 10th — I was told that no one would be leaving Toronto as it was budget time. She offered instead to “have one of the Minister’s MPP Liasons call you on Friday to discuss.”

April 12th – It’s the day of the ‘meeting-that-never-was”, I had been told that the Minister was in Toronto and unavailable. I’m in the grocery store, open Twitter, and see this:

Wouldn’t you know it? Lisa MacLeod was in Barrhaven after all. What’s more, so was I:

The new Merdian she was promoting shares a parking lot with the grocery store I was at. What a coincidence. Looks like we just missed each other, Minister.

Nearly 30 emails and 2 months later, and I’m no closer to meeting with my MPP.

Clearly, a government #ForThePeople.

Disappointing to say the least.