The political parallels with law
New Conservative MP David McKenzie believes that responsibility to constituents ties his former career with his new one
David McKenzie sounded only slightly frazzled as he described the hectic transition from a commercial law practice to federal politics.
“I’m into two phones and two computers and I scarcely know if I’m coming or going these days,” the new Conservative MP for Calgary Signal Hill said as he set up his Ottawa office last spring.
“As a lawyer, I like to know what’s on the list, and that’s been the first challenge: things are getting added at the same rate you’re checking them off – things you didn’t even know were issues.
The 59-year-old added with a laugh: “Learning a brand new job at this age is either going to keep me young or kill me.”
McKenzie, K.C., worked with Wilson Laycraft Barristers & Solicitors in Calgary before winning the riding April 28 by more than 16,000 votes and 60 per cent of the total.
He does not come from a family of lawyers, but developed an interest in the law while still in high school in Regina.
He was especially drawn to the intellectual rigours of a legal career.
“It’s a thing of continuous learning and you just never stop advancing,” he says.
“A rules-based system would be complex and challenging, and then I’d be able to help people. That’s always been something that’s important to me.”
McKenzie studied law at the University of Saskatchewan and was called to the bar in Alberta in 1993. He then got a business degree at the University of Regina and practiced commercial litigation before becoming a foreign service officer in 1996 with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in Ottawa.
So began a two-year stint at the Canadian embassy in Venezuela under the late president Hugo Chávez, working mostly with oil companies based in western Canada.
“Oil revenue is what kept the country afloat,” McKenzie says, adding that the local grocery store where he shopped went from a “place of great abundance” to “Soviet-style bread lines.”
“It helped to shape my political views on the caustic effects of socialism – a corrupt socialism, at that.”
As McKenzie gets settled in his new role in Parliament, his focus is clear.
“My goal without question is to represent the people of Signal Hill. That may sound trite, but I’m very serious about it and it’s actually a fairly daunting job.”
He says people contact their MP for all kinds of reasons, from specific problems with a federal department to general requests for information.
“Responding to and supporting them is the number one job.”
McKenzie believes that responsibility to constituents ties his former career with his new one.
“I’m a servant of the people very directly now, but the practice of law is about serving people, so that’s the common thread between the two in a very significant way.”
Many Albertans, especially in his riding, depend on the energy sector. Since 2015, they have been increasingly frustrated with the federal Liberals, and talk of a referendum on provincial secession is heating up.
“The reality of life in Canada has shifted, and maybe we should be doing things differently,” McKenzie says.
“I think it’s a good thing to make money. I felt a little bit over the last few years, in particular, that our federal government has started to look askew at some people who make money.”
Small businesses form the core of Canada’s economy, he stressed.
McKenzie worked early in his career in commercial litigation but grew “a little weary” of battles he likened to opening up a vein and then seeing which side bleeds to death first.
“It’s not constructive. I wanted to work on building things,” he says, while helping people grow and prosper.
“For me, those kinds of ideas and thoughts just flow right into politics.”
McKenzie rose June 4 in the House of Commons to thank everyone who helped him get there, including his daughter Kristen, who is completing a Master’s degree in biology, and his son Alex, who works in finance.
He also reflected on the April campaign and how often voters implored him to work with all MPs to obtain the best outcome for Canadians.
“A good idea is a good idea, regardless of which side of the House it arrives in, and members of this House need to focus on ensuring that the best ideas win the day.”
McKenzie finished by quoting from a letter he’d received from a young constituent in Calgary Signal Hill.
“My name is Lily. I am nine years old. I noticed that you won the election in my riding. Congratulations. I wanted to ask you to make good, kind and fair decisions for us. Thank you.”
