November 3, 2025.
Canada likes to parade itself as a high-tech, forward-thinking nation, the sort that would jump at the chance to showcase a female founder using artificial intelligence to revolutionize nonfiction and gaming. In practice, when one actual Canadian woman entrepreneur reached out to eleven elected officials, ranging from local backbenchers to federal ministers, even the current Prime Minister, the result was empirical: universal silence, empty promises, and bureaucratic stonewalling, regardless of political stripe or level of office.
Why Should Canada Care?
This wasn’t mere cold-calling. Letters were written politely, professionally, and factually, with credentials and documentation included. The ask was simple: a meeting to discuss innovation policy and business funding for a real, working tech company. Perplexity AI, my virtual assistant, even sent reminders to keep these busy offices on track, such as with Tony Baldinelli, who replied enthusiastically, changed the meeting time, then cancelled not once, but twice. Each time, a last-minute excuse flew in just after the virtual nudge.
How Much Is This Silence Costing Us?
These 11 politicians collectively represent over $7.1 million per year in public spending just to operate their offices. Let’s break it down:
Each federal MP: $646,200/year (salary, staff, office, travel)
Office budget alone: Enough for 5–8 full-time staff, dedicated to serving constituents
But instead of engagement, those resources built fortresses of silence. Offices that should be accessible to the public became toll booths for passport applications and little else. When my mother tried to follow up in person, she was treated as a potential threat and grilled for her intentions, only to be fobbed off with the promise of a call that never came.
The Politicians: A Pillar-by-Pillar Account
| Name | Office Level | Engagement Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Carney | Federal | No reply |
| Pierre Poilievre | Federal | No reply |
| Melanie Joly | Federal | No reply |
| Ned Kuruc | Provincial | No reply after follow-up |
| Vic Fedeli | Provincial | No reply |
| Rechie Valdez | Federal | No reply |
| Nina Tangri | Provincial | No reply |
| Wayne Gates | Provincial | No reply |
| Neil Lumsden | Provincial | Office asked if I was a constituent; complied; then radio silence |
| Doug Ford | Provincial | No reply |
| Tony Baldinelli | Federal | Scheduled meetings; cancelled twice after reminders; then disappeared |
Not About Party, Province, or Position
It didn’t matter whether they were backbenchers or the Prime Minister, whether they represented my riding (Ned Kuruc, Neil Lumsden) or someone else, it was total silence across the board. Party didn’t matter: Liberals, Conservatives, New Democrats. Every correspondence was traceable, opened, and ignored. Staff acted as gatekeepers, reducing public service to a game of bureaucratic keep-away. All the professional polish and respectful advocacy in the world meant nothing to Canada’s so-called ‘accessible’ democracy.
Policy-Making: Out of Touch by Design
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: meaningful policy can’t be made when politicians refuse to acknowledge voices from their own communities, especially those with direct expertise in the very sectors politicians claim to support. Instead, the system rewards disengagement, leaving public investment in constituent offices fundamentally wasted.
Kicking Down the Excuses: The Scarpaleggia Deflection
Commons Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia’s newly signed declaration blames the internet for Canadians’ “public cynicism and intemperate language against legislators.” But let’s get real: the internet didn’t invent cynicism, it just gave ordinary people a megaphone when the politicians blocked the line. That’s like a failing restaurant blaming Yelp for bad reviews instead of fixing its food and service. The public is frustrated precisely because politicians ignore sincere, solution-driven business outreach while soaking up millions in public funds intended for engagement.
Democratic Accountability Demands More
At $646,200 per MP, the minimum job requirement should be responding to a respectful letter from an engaged citizen. Anything less isn’t just bad service: it’s a breach of the democratic contract. This ‘silent treatment’ is a policy failure, an economic drain, and a public insult that women innovators and all taxpayers have every right to challenge head-on.
Canadian politicians, you’re paid to listen. So start listening.