This Spring, I had the opportunity to work with MPP Rudy Cuzzetto and his outstanding team in Mississauga-Lakeshore. I was lucky enough to be able to work out of the riding during constituency weeks, and always admired how close MPP Cuzzetto holds his community to his heart. My biggest takeaway from this placement was recognizing the value of the connection between MPPs and their constituents, and MPP Cuzzetto demonstrated a strong relationship exceptionally well. Whether it was celebrating a 100th birthday, delivering an anniversary scroll, or attending a grand opening, he never misses the chance to honour his community and acknowledges the vital role each individual plays. One of his most treasured accomplishments is his advocacy for the construction of the Mississauga Hospital, to be one of the largest and most advanced hospitals in Canada. I gained insight into the significance of having sufficient health infrastructure as well as the vast amount of work that goes into projects like this.
Throughout my placement, I worked on writing member’s statements, debate speeches and briefing notes, attending stakeholder meetings, accompanying my member at events, and many more spontaneous responsibilities. I also observed the big parliamentary assistant role shuffle – for five years, MPP Cuzzetto cherished his role at the Treasury Board. In his current role as the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Energy, we traveled to various energy production facilities, attended foundational briefings, worked with stakeholders in the industry, and ultimately gained a wealth of knowledge about growth and innovation in Ontario’s energy sector.
One of the most memorable projects I've worked on was the planning and execution of the annual Italian Heritage Month event. The opportunity to celebrate my culture at Queen’s Park was a wonderful experience.
Thank you MPP Cuzzetto and Team Rudy – Michael, Cassandra, Joanna, Dorothy and Zahra – for valuing me as a member of the team and ensuring I had a fruitful four months in the office.
