David Coon – Fredericton South
Despite the COVID limitations, I have continued to engage with constituents in many ways so, as your MLA, I can represent you in the Legislature to the best of my ability. I took my regular community gatherings on-line when the pandemic hit, along with the monthly meetings of my youth and seniors round tables. My office was closed to constituents only during the initial lock-down back in 2020. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me through the constituency office: 506-455-0936. Or email me. David.Coon@gnb.ca. I try my best to respond personally to everyone.
I met recently with my Youth Round Table members to get a sense of their priorities for this session of the Legislative Assembly. They expressed concerns ranging from how we are going to live with COVID-19 in the long term to the dominance of the Irvings in the province. When questioned about what they would like to ask the Premier or what they wanted to change in the province, they brought up the problem of low, unlivable wages; the poisoning of the waters of Miramichi Lake to eradicate Small Mouth Bass; and the need for our society to become more accepting of diverse opinions and people. I was so impressed with the breadth of their concerns.
My Seniors Round Table has been meeting regularly since 2014. I have kept them in the loop on decisions government is making that concern seniors, particularly in relation to nursing homes, healthcare, homecare, and accessibility. In turn, they have helped guide my advocacy for seniors in the Legislature.
On November 16, I held my fourth virtual community gathering. If you missed it, you can watch the meeting here. Attendees brought up concerns about lobbyists; political interference in the Office of the Chief Medical Officer; urgently needed Climate Change initiatives; the Public Transportation Strategy recommendations (happily it seems the government is finally working on this); the status of the Playhouse and Aquatics Centre; and healthcare workers’ job security. For me, it is always interesting to hear what is on your mind and I am grateful to everyone who attended. I am always happy to provide you with insights gleaned from working in the Legislature and pushing for answers to some of your questions.
If you are interested in joining either my Youth or Seniors Round Tables, please let my Constituency Coordinator, Taeyon Kim, know at Taeyon.Kim@gnb.ca. Please join me at any of my Community Gatherings. If you are receiving this newsletter, you should also be receiving invitations to all my Community Gatherings. Finally, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at David.Coon@gnb.ca.