Congratulations on winning the election — now what?

The campaign and winning the vote are one thing, the reality of a life in politics is quite another

Elections by their very nature produce those who are victorious and those who are defeated.

For both, the resulting upheaval to their lives can be dramatic.

Thursday’s provincial election was no exception.

For some, it means heading to Queen’s Park as a newly elected Member of Provincial Parliament. For others, it marks the end of their political career as they head home due to defeat or retirement.

As someone who has lived through both the thrill of arriving at Queen’s Park as a brand new member, as well as the bittersweet experience of retiring from politics, I know that this is not going to be an easy time for either group.

Yes, being newly elected is exciting but it quickly wears off as you settle into a very different lifestyle and your evenings and weekends fill up with community gatherings, dinners and ribbon cuttings.

Family time will become rarer and rarer and out of town members will learn to loath the Sunday night trip to Queen’s Park as they begin another week away from home.

During the campaign, you probably represented hope and change.

If you were elected as a government MPP, you will now represent the status quo, which is never as exciting. Be prepared to constantly defend all those government actions that appear entirely reasonable at Queen’s Park but don’t go over so well back home.

And if you are one of the fortunate few to become a cabinet minister, be ready for the shock of your life as you suddenly discover that all those campaign promises are not as easy to implement as you claimed.

Allow me to let you in on a dirty little secret of being in power: Every government has basically the same budget to work from and most of the money is already earmarked for things such as hospitals, schools and policing.

And for those that end up in opposition, be prepared to face a different sort of frustration.

Not only will you be sidelined by the government, you will find yourself always being negative.

Assuming the role of the constant critic, attacking every policy and every program can start to wear on you after a while.

No matter what side you are on, be prepared to have your personal lives scrutinized.

People will notice what car you drive, where you shop and how you conduct yourself.

Someone once told one of my volunteers that they wouldn’t vote for me because I apparently bought California instead of Ontario wines at the LCBO.

While wandering through an outlet mall in the United States, I was once confronted by someone who identified himself as a constituent and demanded to know why I was not shopping in Ontario.

Is it all worth it?

Of course it is.

The chance to represent your community and have a role in the governing of your province has tremendous rewards. That is why it will also be difficult for those who will be leaving through defeat or retirement.

A fast-paced life that had lots of focus, a bit of prestige and the odd perk, will be replaced by what can be a restless existence where you often feel a bit lost.

All of us need to do our part to support those who choose to serve in these roles, even if you didn’t vote for them.

So if you bump into an ex-politician, thank them for their work. When dealing with a newly elected member, cut them some slack. Understand that they have a steep learning curve and they are trying to learn the ropes of a very complicated role.

And if you do notice your MPP at a U.S. outlet mall, maybe just say hello and mention how nice it is that they found some time to get away. If we want a strong democracy we can’t make holding elected office a nightmare.

John Milloy is a former MPP and Ontario Liberal cabinet minister currently serving as the director of the Centre for Public Ethics and assistant professor of public ethics at Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, and the inaugural practitioner in residence in Wilfrid Laurier University’s Political Science department. He is also a lecturer in the University of Waterloo’s Master of Public Service Program. John can be reached at jmilloy@wlu.ca or follow him on Twitter @John_Milloy. A version of this column was originally published in the online publication QP Briefing.

All of us need to do our part to support those who choose to serve in these roles, even if you didn’t vote for them.