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Opinion: Honoured to serve as new MP for Battle-River Crowfoot

New Member of Parliament for area talks about what first days are like
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I am excited to be able to share with you my first column as your Member of Parliament. On Nov. 25, I was officially Sworn-In as the Member of Parliament for Battle River – Crowfoot in the 43rd Canadian Parliament. It is the greatest honour of my life, along with my wife Danielle and my family, to be able to serve this constituency. I am energized and eager to represent all of you, to advocate and fight for East Central Alberta, and to take action on the issues you shared with me throughout the campaign.

Since the election, I have opened a main office in Camrose where my staff are ready to listen to your concerns, help you with federal government programs, and ensure that I am able to represent you to the best of my ability.

In this first column, however, I want to talk a little bit about our democracy and the freedoms we have as Canadians. This past week I was able to see the reality of how powerful elections are and that our system empowers Canadians to be able to choose their representatives. I join 337 other MPs from across Canada to serve Canadians. Even though MPs will disagree, I am looking forward to the opportunity to engage in the process of governing our great country.

While in Ottawa, I was able to attend the turning of the pages of the World War II Book of Remembrance. This is a series of books that records the name of every Canadian Serviceman and Woman who has been lost in service to our country. Each day the pages of these books are turned, to ensure that once a year, every person who died in service has their name displayed in the heart of Canada’s democratic system.

The Parliamentary Protective Services Officer who led the ceremony, a veteran himself, ensured that every detail was in order and the books were treated with the respect and dignity that these men and women deserve.

I share this story with you because our democracy and the freedoms that we have as Canadians are not something that we can forget. We should not dismiss nor can we ever neglect to protect this. Although we face serious challenges as a province and region, we live in an amazing country.

You can expect me to work each day for your interests, and in future columns I will address concerns, current events, initiatives, and many other subjects. But let us never forget to be thankful for Canada.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this column you are encouraged to write Damien at 4945-50th Street, Camrose, Alberta, T4V 1P9, call toll-free 1-800-665-4358, text 403.575-5625, or e-mail damien.kurek@parl.gc.ca. You can also stay up to date with what Damien is up to by following him on social media @dckurek.