Rookie MPP embraces ‘evolution’ of a career (7 photos)

When walking into his Stayner constituency office, Simcoe-Grey MPP Brian Saunderson enters like a whirlwind – juggling three cell phones – and heads directly into an office to set up a Microsoft Teams call.

In an effort to shed some light on local politics, on Wednesday, Nov. 9 CollingwoodToday shadowed Saunderson for a day to find out what it’s like to represent Simcoe-Grey on the provincial stage.

On a typical week when parliament is in session, Mondays to Thursdays are spent at Queen’s Park in Toronto having caucus meetings, participating in question period and helping to form and write policy that governs how Ontarians live and work. On Fridays, MPPs spend time in their ridings, meeting with constituents and attending local events.

This week, however, is a constituency week, which means the rookie MPP has been busy in his home riding with local events, calls, meetings and Remembrance Day preparations.

Saunderson started his day at home in Collingwood, making calls before hopping into his Saab and driving to his riding office on Hwy. 26 in Stayner.

The new office is familiar, as it served as his law office back when he was a lawyer with Christie Cummings. He left the practice in 2018 after he was elected mayor of Collingwood.

Saunderson chose to set up riding offices in Stayner and Alliston after being elected MPP in June. As part of his security briefing training, one of the general requirements is MPPs not set up offices close to their homes.

As former Simcoe-Grey MPP Jim Wilson’s office in Collingwood was close to Saunderson’s home, he couldn’t keep that office, and he says he found it to be a challenge to find other vacant and reasonably priced office space in which to set up shop.

“When you look at values, the vacancy rate and costs in Collingwood, moving to Stayner made sense,” he said. “I think it’s a good change, and a little more central for residents in Wasaga Beach and Clearview.”

When asked about the irony of even the MPP locating his office outside of Collingwood at least partially due to affordability, Saunderson acknowledged the relationship.

“It is an indicator of where the pressures are,” he said.

Day-to-day, when comparing his life when he was mayor to his life now as MPP, Saunderson says he thinks he’s just as busy as before, but in a different way.

“To use an analogy, it’s kind of like going from being a quarterback when you’re involved in the plays and the execution, to being more now like a lineman,” he says.

He arrives minutes before a 10 a.m. call with Town of the Blue Mountains Mayor Alar Soever, Coun. Rob Sampson and other Blue Mountains staff, as well as Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Rick Byers.

The topic for discussion is Bill 23.

On Oct. 25, the provincial government introduced Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act 2022. The province has said the purpose of Bill 23 is to increase the housing supply throughout Ontario and to achieve the province’s goal of building 1.5 million homes within the next 10 years.

Many of the changes proposed to various acts under the bill are significant, including matters relating to development charge reform, the diminished role of conservation authorities, how needed infrastructure is coordinated and paid for and by whom, and removing all legislated planning responsibilities from certain upper-tier municipalities.

During Saunderson’s meeting with the Town of the Blue Mountains, Soever raised concerns with the existing bill and the impact it will have on municipalities and offered suggestions on additions that could help mitigate risk.

“My sense is, they’re aware there’s some tuning to be done, so your input is very helpful,” Saunderson told Soever.

Saunderson takes extensive written notes throughout the meeting, which lasts about an hour. He says writing his own paper notes is part of his own personal thinking process that he traces back to his days as a lawyer.

After the call is over, Saunderson gets back in the car to attend a lunch at Sõl Kitchen in Collingwood with friends Julie LeBlanc and John Eaton.

On the way to lunch, conversation turns to the controversial Bill 28, the Keeping Students in Class Act. The bill sought to impose a contract between the province and CUPE (the union that represents 55,000 education workers such as custodians, educational assistants and early childhood educators) by invoking the notwithstanding clause, which would make a strike by workers illegal.

On Monday, CUPE leaders agreed to stop their protests and return to the bargaining table while Ford agreed to repeal Bill 28.

Saunderson voted in favour of Bill 28. He was not present at his Stayner office on Nov. 4 when protesters attended MPP offices in an Ontario-wide display of solidarity.

“My understanding based on (advice) from other MPPs that have dealt with (riding office protests) in the past, is conversations don’t go that well,” he said. “We had our doors locked but our staff were here, and we asked (protesters) to set up appointments.”

He says that prior to 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that the right to strike was not a guaranteed freedom, so it wasn’t necessary to invoke the notwithstanding clause in the past to get education workers back in the classroom.

“The decision in 2015 changed that. That’s why we had to invoke Sec. 33 (the notwithstanding clause),” he said, noting that teachers’ unions have gone on strike under every political stripe. “They went on strike under Bob Rae, and they were legislated back to work with a zero per cent increase. They went on strike under Dalton McGuinty and they were legislated back to work with a zero per cent increase.”

“In this situation, legislating back to work has the same constitutional impacts as Bill 28,” he said. “It was an unfortunate process and it was a decision this government did not want to be in a position to make but in the end, the kids are back in the classroom and hopefully we can keep them there.”

During lunch, Saunderson talks with his friends about a variety of current issues, including Bills 23 and 28 and the polarization of viewpoints throughout the pandemic that is amplified through social media.

“The onslaught is becoming, more generally, acrimonious and more pointed,” he says after the lunch. “I’ve received lots of respectful emails telling me (people) don’t agree with me, and that’s fine. That’s part of the process and part of the job.”

Saunderson says his inbox receives much more feedback as an MPP than it did when he served as Collingwood’s mayor, as the feedback now comes from all over the province.

“I think it’s an accepted part of the job. It can be difficult,” he said. “Disrespectful emails don’t get responded to.”

He employs a communications staffer who is responsible to send out releases, monitor email and run his social media.

He says he thinks many people are more comfortable corresponding with him via email or a Zoom call, but he hopes there might be a societal return down the road to more face-to-face interaction.

“I think, generally, conversations face-to-face are more respectful.”

At the end of the lunch, Eaton and Saunderson make tentative arrangements for Saunderson to appear on Eaton’s morning radio show on The Peak FM Talk of the Town.

During lunch, LeBlanc asks Saunderson if anything about being an MPP has surprised him since taking office. Following lunch, he elaborates on his answer.

He says being an employer himself is at the top of the list as MPPs are given an overall budget which they then use to hire their own staffs and pay for administration.

“We’re responsible for getting the (constituency office) leases done and hiring our own staff. I had a clear impression of what I’d be doing as an MPP at Queen’s Park, but I didn’t appreciate that I would become an employer,” he said. “I was also pleased to be named the parliamentary assistant to the attorney general.”

Saunderson was named parliamentary assistant to attorney general, Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte MPP Doug Downey, in June.

The parliamentary assistant role sees Saunderson both assisting Downey on files as well as gathering information for five files which he has been specifically assigned to tackle: working to clear the Provincial Offences Act backlog, joint and several liability matters (municipal insurance), the Guns and Gangs Program, civil rule changes for family and small claims courts, and the duty to consult with Indigenous stakeholders.

“It’s broad stuff, and things that are immediately affecting our communities,” he said.

After returning to his Stayner office, Saunderson has a phone call with local landlord Maulik Desai, who is seeking help with a landlord-tenant issue as he says his tenant has stopped paying rent.

Saunderson advises him to fill out a form to request an expedited hearing on the matter at the Landlord and Tenant Board, which Saunderson’s staff then sends to Desai directly.

When asked if he ever misses being a lawyer, Saunderson says he is happy with the direction his work is taking him.

“I found the legal profession engaging and interesting, but I could see, especially being in a smaller community, the cost of access to justice,” he said. “I’m pleased to be able to evolve my legal experience into where I am now.”

Mid-afternoon, one of Saunderson’s executive assistants Don MacNeil brings him 27 certificates that require his signature: two are for significant birthdays, and the others are volunteering awards. The award winners will be sent to the premier’s office.

“Happy things,” muses Saunderson, noting he recognizes the name of one of the birthday celebrants.

“She’s 95. Wow.”

Saunderson and his wife Susie have three sons: Dylan, 28, Max, 26 and Cole, 24. He says Dylan lives and works in Collingwood, while Max lives in Squamish, B.C. and Cole lives in Ottawa.

“(Being MPP) does put more demands on my time, but my boys are older and are pursuing their own interests and lives,” he says.

Last week, Saunderson says he and Susie were in Toronto together as he’s setting up his new, 500-square-foot apartment close to Queen’s Park where he’ll be during the week when he’s required to be in the legislature.

“It turned out to be a really busy week so I didn’t get to see too much of her,” he said. “Family time and holiday time is certainly impacted.”

When leaving his Stayner office for the day shortly before 4 p.m., Saunderson has plans to drop off a wreath at the Collingwood Legion in advance of Remembrance Day events slated for Friday. He also has plans to have a call with his executive assistant in Toronto, Robert Morales, to nail down some calendar requests.

When asked about his future political aspirations, he says he’s still playing it by ear.

“Most of the rookie MPPs that I’m serving with, I think they all got into it through volunteerism and municipal politics,” says Saunderson. “I think it was an evolution for them.”

“For me, the journey is… as long as I feel like I can contribute and there’s a role for me to play, I’ll stay involved.”