Fellowship Spotlight: Mathew

Politics has always been a passion of mine. As someone who enjoys history, I have admired the change that great leaders can make in this world, and have always wanted to be a part of that.

Growing up in a military family, I moved around a lot. As such, new schools and new friends became regular occurrences. These experiences instilled in me two very core elements that led me to choose a political career; I want to do everything I can to support the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces, and I want to continue to grow the country I love – Canada.

If I could make a graph outlining my political career so far, the giant spike would be when I first started the CJPAC Fellowship. The Fellowship gave me the tools and confidence that any young professional needs, but particularly in the political field. Not only that, it has given me lifelong friends and a sense of community. The first thing I ask every young politically-inclined person I meet is: “have you ever heard of CJPAC?”

I worked as a Legislative Assistant for James Bezan, the Member of Parliament from Selkirk-Interlake-Eastman and Shadow Minister for National Defense. My role in the office varies from communications to policy and everything in-between. My work allows me to interact with members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the defence community on a regular basis – which for me, is in many ways a dream come true.

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Matthew continued working in the House of Commons, having roles in the Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition, eventually becoming its Associate Director of Media Relations. His is now the Executive Director of Issues Management for Office of the Premier of Ontario.

CJPAC Fellow 2013-2015