Hehr brings fresh perspective to post
When Kent Hehr was sworn in Wednesday as a member of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s new cabinet, he became the first Liberal minister from Calgary since 1972.
But it is the perspective he brings to his new post as Canada’s Veterans Affairs minister that truly marks him as unique.
In 1991, Hehr — then a promising college hockey player — was the victim of a random drive- by shooting that left him a quadriplegic, confined to a wheelchair after spending nine months in hospital.
In an interview from Ottawa after the first meeting of cabinet, Hehr said he will bring a sense of empathy as he takes over a Veteran Affairs file that in recent years has seen controversies around office closures, job cuts, as well as changes to pensions and benefits.
“I’ve gone through some of the situations veterans have to. I understand red- tape issues, those things that bog you down that don’t allow you to get the services you need,” said Hehr, who was elected in Calgary Centre in the Oct. 19 federal election. “I think having an understanding of that ... not from a veteran’s point of view, but a person who has had an injury, I think that will lead to a fresh set of eyes on the file.”
Despite his disability, Hehr went to law school and became a local lawyer before embarking on a political career that saw him serve as the Liberal MLA for Calgary- Buffalo from 2008 to 2015.
In the recent vote, Hehr and Calgary Skyview MP Darshan Kang became the first Liberals elected in Calgary since Pat Mahoney won a city seat in 1968 when Trudeau’s father Pierre led the Grits.
Mahoney served briefly in the senior Trudeau’s cabinet in 1972 as minister of state without portfolio.
Hehr’s parents, Richard and Judy Hehr, who attended the ceremony at Rideau Hall on Wednesday, said they could have never envisioned their son’s ascent after he was shot.
“We were simply concerned with getting from day- to- day. We had absolutely no idea what the future held in store,” said Richard, who credits his son’s ability to look to the future for helping him recover.
“The first time Judy and I saw him after he was shot, his lines were, ‘ Mom, Dad, I’m paralyzed, I wish I was dead.’ About an hour later, after he had gone through the MRI, his words were, ‘ Well, I guess I’m paralyzed. We better start getting on with it.’”
The Liberals won four seats in Alberta in the federal election that saw the defeat of Stephen Harper’s Conservative government.
Hehr will be joined in cabinet by Amarjeet Sohi, a former Edmonton city councillor who has been handed one of the Trudeau government’s major files as Infrastructure minister.
In the federal election campaign, Trudeau promised to ramp up infrastructure spending and run deficits to spur the Canadian economy.
Hehr pledged that between himself and Sohi, Alberta will be well represented in the Liberal administration.
“We understand what Alberta’s priorities are, we will add to the national discussion and be part of the cut and thrust of debate at the privy council,” he said.
“This is a win for Calgary, having a voice at the table who understands our need for infrastructure, understands the importance of oil and gas and the multi- faceted community it is.”
Chima Nkemdirim, who worked in the same law firm as Hehr and managed his first provincial campaign in 2008, said he expects Hehr to be a strong advocate for Calgary. The city is looking to Ottawa to provide funding for the Green Line transit expansion and flood mitigation projects.
Nkemdirim, now the chief of staff to Mayor Naheed Nenshi, said the rookie MP is fully capable of handling the new portfolio.
“There’s one thing about Kent, no is not in his vocabulary,” said Nkemdirim. “He’s not deterred ... from reaching his goals.”
Premier Rachel Notley, first elected to the legislature at the same time as Hehr, said she expected the new federal minister to “shine” and noted how they had served time in the opposition trenches together.
“He’s a very agreeable, affable person who was pretty straightup about a lot of things,” she told reporters Wednesday.
“I was joking around earlier today about how many of us from our little corner of the legislature appear to be doing better these days, so that’s kind of exciting. Because there was a time when we’d be in the house late at night, ruminating how maybe our lives didn’t seem so successful.”
About an hour later, after he had gone through the MRI, his words were, ‘ Well, I guess I’m paralyzed. We better start getting on with it.