Masse’s MP departure after 23 years forces ‘reset’ of unfinished case files: Former staffer

The recent federal election has seen some changes in parliament. What does this mean for residents being helped by now closed MP offices? Sanjay Maru has more.

Windsor West’s new Member of Parliament may be inheriting a massive caseload following the electoral defeat of longtime NDP MP Brian Masse — who spent more than two decades helping residents navigate federal programs and services.

A sign taped to the door of his now-shuttered constituency office reads: “All ongoing cases must be halted.”

“Staff are already being denied access to government departments,” said Masse’s longtime assistant, Darlene Mahler, in a statement.

“As a result, all work has halted, and case files will be deleted.”

According to Mahler, Masse’s team routinely helped constituents resolve issues involving passports, pensions, Old Age Security, Guaranteed Income Supplement, child tax benefits, employment insurance, the Canada Revenue Agency, and immigration.

“We have helped thousands of constituents per year,” said Mahler.

“Our office was a bridge between constituents and various government departments and organizations.”

That bridge, according to those who have worked in the office, was built through years of institutional knowledge and deep familiarity with Windsor’s specific needs.

“At any given time, Brian would have had easily 1,000 open immigration files — whether it’s refugee claims, visitors’ visas, a straight immigration process,” said Windsor city councillor Kieran McKenzie, who worked in Masse’s office from 2004 to 2016.

“With our community being the fourth-most diverse community in all of Canada, the demand for immigration services was extremely high.”

McKenzie said Masse’s office was set up to meet that demand.

“At any given time, the phone would be ringing off the hook all day long — from open to close — with people coming through the door looking for assistance," said McKenzie.

“Because it’s a very complicated system, it’s very challenging for an individual, especially one that perhaps may not be as familiar with public sector frameworks, to be able to access those services.”

But, he added, the volume of casework went far beyond immigration.

“Canada Revenue and Employment Insurance were two others that were very high in terms of the volume of casework,” he said.

“But then you think about all of the different other things, whether it’s issues related to the border, federal aspects of criminal justice, anything that touched the federal government. Sometimes it’s real hard to get in touch with the government. One of the things that an MP’s office does is it gives you access. You can get access to somebody. You can get answers to questions.”

McKenzie said Masse’s staff weren’t just conduits — they were specialists.

“Navigating that entire system, it takes a long time to learn it,” he said.

“The folks that were working in Brian’s office had a very strong handle on how to manage those cases and those files as they would come in. They really understood the programs that people in the community needed to have access to. They understood the ins and outs, the pressure points, the advocacy opportunities within the policies themselves.”

While a new MP, Conservative Harb Gill, has been elected, his constituency office has not yet opened to the public. A spokesperson said they are awaiting instructions from the House of Commons on how to proceed with the transition.

According to Masse’s office, constituents will need to provide paperwork to the riding’s new MP if they want to see their cases resumed.

McKenzie said Masse’s departure doesn’t mean casework will stop, but it does mean many residents will need to start from scratch.

“We’re definitely hitting the reset button here. The learning curve is going to be steep for any new incoming member so there will be a void in terms of the service delivery capacity of the community,” he said.

“It has nothing to do with party affiliation. It just has to do with the new job and new people. It’s going to take some time for them to get up to speed.”