By: Kris Sims
OTTAWA – The rural Ontario woman who publicly pleaded with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for help with her crippling hydro bills and implored him to not impose a federal carbon tax personally met with her Liberal Member of Provincial Parliament and spoke with staff for her Liberal Member of Parliament after the televised encounter.
Kathy Katula had stated Tuesday on Ottawa Now with Evan Solomon on News Talk Radio 580 CFRA that she hadn't heard from anyone in Trudeau's government or Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne's government after her tearful plea to Trudeau. The scene at the January 13th Peterborough town hall ended with a hug from Trudeau and a promise to 'fix it.' It was live-streamed and went viral on newscasts and social media.
The offices of Maryam Monsef, the MP for Peterborough, and Jeff Leal, MPP for Peterborough, both say that they spoke with Katula.
“Following the Peterborough Town Hall with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday, January 13th, senior staff from Minister Monsef’s constituency office (MP office) contacted Kathy Katula by phone on the afternoon of Monday, January 16th, 2017,” Monsef's Constituency Assistant said in an email to News Talk Radio 580 CFRA. “Staff noted her concerns and communicated this information to Minister Monsef, offered to answer any questions she might have or provide assistance, and offered to connect Ms. Katula with the local MPP’s office to investigate the hydro bill in question. Staff subsequently referred Ms. Katula to Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal's office and understand that they have been in touch with her directly.”
On Wednesday Katula spoke to Ottawa Now with Evan Solomon again and said she had previously meant that she hadn't spoken with Monsef directly and she didn't understand who Jeff Leal was at the time.
“I spoke with a lady who addressed herself as a secretary and she said if I had any questions and wanted to speak with Maryam Monsef and I said, yes, I would like to speak to her, and she said she (Monsef) was not available, she was in meetings, and I asked if I could leave a message on her answering machine and she said no, they don't do that, you can just call back, and that was our conversation,” Katula told Evan Solomon Wednesday. “When you asked me (about being contacted by governments Tuesday) I thought you were talking about Premier Wynne or Trudeau in regards to the threats (that she recieved after her January 13th plea for hydro help).... Monsef it was just a secretary and I was waiting to hear back from Maryam Monsef and I never heard back from her.”
Staff for Member of Provincial Parliament for Peterborough Jeff Leal told CFRA that Ms. Katula met with Leal at his constituency and brought her hydro bills for discussion.
“Jeff Leal, in his capacity as MPP of Peterborough, personally reached out to Peterborough riding resident Kathy Katula after she attended Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s town hall in Peterborough,” MPP Jeff Leal's Constituency Spokesperson told CFRA in an email Wednesday. “MPP Leal spoke to her by phone before they proceeded to meet at his constituency office last Friday, January 27th. Ms. Katula brought in her hydro bills and together, they discussed her concerns. MPP Leal’s constituency office staff then followed up with Hydro One to facilitate a conversation between Hydro One and Ms. Katula.”
Katula said that she hadn't realized that there was more than one level of government represented in one town. “Jeff Leal I thought was just an agricultural man, I don't follow politics, that's why there was a misunderstanding but as far as Maryam Monsef, no, I have never spoke to her, she never returned my call.”