Foothills MP John Barlow says having the confidence of constituents is of the utmost importance to him, so he’s excited to have been selected favourite local politician in the Western Wheel’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards.
"It’s the first time we’ve won gold so we’re pretty thrilled,” Barlow said. “It’s certainly an honour and an affirmation that people appreciate the job we’re doing.”
The Conservative MP, who was first elected to the House of Commons in 2014, attributed the support to several factors, including his efforts to be as accessible as possible, letting constituents know they can reach out anytime with questions or concerns. He said he also makes an effort to be visible and to attend as many functions as he possibly can.
“I think it also comes down to a matter of trust,” Barlow said. “I believe my constituents trust me that I have their best interests at heart and that I listen to their points of view and their concerns and that I’m truly the voice of Foothills in Ottawa and not the other way around.”
The MP said he’s had to make some difficult decisions during his political career, but has done so after receiving extensive feedback from constituents.
“In this job you cannot possibly please everyone, but I like to believe I speak for the majority of the people in the Foothills and earning a gold in the Readers’ Choice Awards affirms that,” he said.
Barlow said anxiety has been at an all-time high the last two years with people stressed out by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing health restrictions, concerns which have inundated his office.
“So this is nice recognition for me and my staff who have dealt with all the phone calls and emails,” he said. “It's a nice thank you for a job well done. I know my team is really excited, my staff is ecstatic with the award. It's kind of a nice little affirmation for everything we’ve done for the riding.”
Barlow said he’s energized heading into the fall session of Parliament after the overwhelming victory of Pierre Poilievre in the Conservative leadership race. He attended rallies with the new leader over the summer and said he hasn’t seen that kind of enthusiasm for a politician in a very long time.
“I think this is the leader that Canadians have been looking for, someone talking about the issues that Canadians really care about; the economy, affordability, smaller government, less red tape and bureaucracy,” he said. “He’s focusing on the needs of Canadian families.”
