A year ago this week, Canadians headed to the polls to elect Prime Minister Stephen HarperB次元官网网址檚 first majority government since 2004.

And while Capital Region residents donB次元官网网址檛 have any of the ruling Conservatives representing them in Ottawa, the politicians who were elected said theyB次元官网网址檝e still managed to get things done for their ridings.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 obviously been challenging, with a Conservative majority, but weB次元官网网址檝e been able to do things like get funding for the E&N (Railway) B次元官网网址� so it proves that not everything is impossible,B次元官网网址� said NDP MP Randall Garrison, who represents Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca.

Garrison, serving his first term in Ottawa, said the year since election day has been B次元官网网址渢umultuousB次元官网网址� for his party, B次元官网网址渨ith the high of the NDP becoming the official opposition, to the low of losing (leader) Jack Layton.B次元官网网址�

Saanich-Gulf Islands MP Elizabeth May, who made history one year ago by becoming the first Green party member elected in Canada, said the year has been eye-opening and productive.

B次元官网网址淚 feel my team here in Sidney has been providing quite excellent levels of service for people dealing with immigration issues and tax issues, and the pension problems. We work very hard, and we have resolved a lot of issues for a lot of people,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淏ut in some ways itB次元官网网址檚 harder emotionally than I anticipated. You get so caught up in peopleB次元官网网址檚 lives. Quite often theyB次元官网网址檙e going through hell from some level of government and theyB次元官网网址檙e coming to you in desperation.B次元官网网址�

In Ottawa, partisan politics is the biggest obstacle to making the kind of progress Canadians expect from their elected officials. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 much less scope for individual action than I expected.B次元官网网址�

Both May and Garrison have been able to introduce private members bills since being elected.

The regionB次元官网网址檚 most veteran MP, the NDPB次元官网网址檚 Denise Savoie, has represented Victoria since 2006. For her, the past year hasnB次元官网网址檛 had much of a silver lining.

B次元官网网址淚 think our people have a less secure future,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭he direction that (the Conservative government is) taking Canada, IB次元官网网址檓 clearly uncomfortable with. B次元官网网址� I think this year has not been a good year to get the regionB次元官网网址檚 agenda heard in Ottawa.B次元官网网址�

Pointing to funding for light-rail transit in the Capital Region, Savoie said the discussion is B次元官网网址渘ot very present in the governmentB次元官网网址檚 mind.B次元官网网址�

Savoie called the current government makeup a B次元官网网址減rivate-interest government,B次元官网网址� where oil and state are B次元官网网址渙ne entityB次元官网网址� when there should be just as much separation as between church and state.

B次元官网网址淚 think whatB次元官网网址檚 been lost by this government is that government represents public interest,B次元官网网址� she said.

Garrison said the next year in government will likely be focused on the ramifications of this yearB次元官网网址檚 budget.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e finding out every day, more and more things that have been eliminated that effect the services which are provided to Canadians,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hey said they were eliminating waste, and now the cuts are down to the barebones so much that services are disappearing.B次元官网网址�

kslavin@saanichnews.com