Denise Savoie
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SAVOIE’S TEAM HELPS HUNDREDS OF CONSTITUENTS IN FIRST YEAR
VICTORIA – In the one year since being elected, Victoria NDP MP Denise Savoie and her staff have helped more than 500 hundred constituents with their immigration, income tax, pension and federal student loan problems.
“I’m proud that my office has been able to help so many constituents who have had difficulties with federal government agencies. We can’t fix everything, but I’m pleased that we have had many significant successes.”
As examples, Savoie pointed to cases in which her office was able to help a number of single parents whose children had been wrongly denied the Child Tax Benefit. Other notable achievements include successfully advocating for a seriously ill constituent who had been led to believe she was ineligible for forgiveness of her federal student loan, and helping a constituent who had been denied disability benefits by the Canada Pension Plan. Savoie’s local office has also been able to intervene effectively on behalf of several constituents whose relatives had been denied temporary resident visas, and more recently has been providing assistance with passport applications.
“Citizens who have problems with federal government agencies and programs are too often met with a daunting maze of voice mail options and bureaucratic barriers. Faced with these hurdles, many people just give up hope of obtaining the benefits to which they are entitled. While our resources are limited, I consistently get positive feedback from constituents on the service and assistance they receive from my office.”
As Savoie promised during the last election campaign, she has also made herself available and accountable to her constituents by holding a total of seven public meetings this year. These meetings have taken place in James Bay, Saanich, Oak Bay, Oaklands and downtown. Savoie has also made a point of keeping in touch with local priorities and concerns by continuing to knock on doors when she’s in the riding, and calling individual constituents directly.
“It’s been an incredibly busy year, but also a rewarding one. I look forward to more hard work on behalf of the residents of Victoria, Oak Bay and Saanich in 2007.” Savoie said.