Barrie-Innisfil Member of Parliament John Brassard will appear on an episode of TVO’s Political Blind Date documentary on Tues., Mar. 22, to discuss the state of veterans’ affairs in Canada. The episode airs at 9 p.m., streaming across Canada at tvo.org and on YouTube.
Brassard will meet with Liberal Member of Parliament Darrell Samson who represents the riding of Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook in Nova Scotia.
“I would like to thank Darrel for being my political date, and TVO for giving me this opportunity,” Brassard said. “At a time when Canadians are growing more and more concerned about political divisions, Blind Date fosters important dialogue and demonstrates the value and necessity of bringing people with partisan differences together to build bridges,” Brassard said.
A typical “date” starts with two politicians getting to know each other before heading out to explore the issue of the day. Each participant chooses where they will take the other and keeps it a secret.
Brassard takes Samson to visit veterans in Barrie-Innisfil to hear about the difficulties accessing federal benefits and in Nova Scotia, Samson takes Brassard to talk to people who have benefited from programs to help veterans.
“This was a great experience,” Brassard said. “Canada is facing tremendous challenges and while MPs don’t have to agree with each other, I believe it is critically important that we listen to each other so that we can find effective solutions for all Canadians.”
“Now more than ever, I believe that listening to each other and considering diverse opinions will help us meet the challenges we are facing.”
