Western Standard - Hope on Parliament Hill

00:00:00.000 Good evening, Western Standard viewers, and welcome to Hannaford, a weekly politics show.

00:00:26.520 I'm Jen Hodson, filling in for Nigel Hannaford this week.

00:00:30.000 It's Thursday, February 13th, 2025, and my guest today is Anne-Claire Charrette-Brique,

00:00:38.060 spiritual care provider on Parliament Hill, a Christian chaplain ministry for MPs from

00:00:43.780 all parties and their staffers.

00:00:46.000 But first, a word from our sponsors.

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00:01:20.420 Anne-Claire Charette-Freak serves as spiritual care provider on Parliament Health.

00:01:27.420 She and her husband Grant serve in a Christian chaplain ministry called Leading Influence

00:01:33.420 for MPs from all parties, including their staff.

00:01:37.420 Anne-Claire, welcome to the show. Bienvenue.

00:01:40.420 Thank you, Jen. Merci beaucoup.

00:01:45.420 Can you tell us a little bit about Leading Influence?

00:01:49.420 Absolutely. Well, it's a privilege. Thank you for the invitation.

00:01:53.420 My pleasure.

00:01:55.420 It's a privilege to serve and be from all over Canada.

00:02:00.420 We are a national team of chaplains or spiritual care provider.

00:02:06.420 And our organization is called Leading Influence.

00:02:09.420 And we provide excellence in spiritual and emotional care to all Canadian politicians.

00:02:18.420 We have chaplains in five provincial legislature in Canada, and my husband Grant and I, we

00:02:30.900 are here posted in Ottawa serving MPs and their staff at Parliament Hill.

00:02:38.620 So if I can continue, three points that are really important for our organization is that

00:02:50.640 we are an organization that we've been around for 18 years already, almost next week, 18

00:02:59.900 years of serving and important to understand that we are nonpartisan.

00:03:06.940 That means that we are a Ministry of Presence and we serve MPs and their staff from all

00:03:14.360 different political allegiance.

00:03:18.360 We are non-issue based because we're serving all those politicians from different political

00:03:28.540 Allegiance. And we are a Canadian charity, and we are registered. And by our choice, we're not

00:03:39.860 seeking a government funding, nor asking or receiving government funding. So we are a donor

00:03:46.840 funded. Awesome. And we can definitely relate to that at the Western Standard, because we also put

00:03:53.760 a lot of emphasis on being independent and not donor funded so I think that's

00:03:59.500 really important for people who are looking into this ministry to know like

00:04:03.840 where where the funds are coming from yeah we have no political ties so we

00:04:11.220 really function out of donations of people who believe in that mission

00:04:15.420 beautiful so on Claire how do you engage with MPs and their staff as you are

00:04:22.360 running this missionary literally right in the halls of Parliament Hill yeah well that's great

00:04:29.500 question we we are a ministry of presence means that we are present in their workplace so my

00:04:38.300 husband and I will be present in Parliament Hill at question period we go four to five times a week

00:04:46.280 And we attend question period and then we go in a corridor and we engage through conversation with MPs and their staff or in the corridors or through meetings, through people who are knowing us and then recommend us to other MPs.

00:05:06.080 We're word of mouth. A lot of it happened through referrals because it's a confidential ministry, of course.

00:05:14.300 And, yeah, we want to be and we are this familiar face with engaging and with time, at least to conversation that become confidential and non-judgmental.

00:05:34.280 And so this is an example that we do.

00:05:40.680 Important to. Oh, yeah. Go ahead, please.

00:05:44.300 Well, you mentioned that this was a ministry of presence and that you spend time with your husband, Grant, just being in the halls of Parliament Hill so that MPs are becoming familiar with your face and becoming more comfortable coming to speak with you.

00:06:02.120 And a lot of that was word of mouth, you said, right?

00:06:05.300 So MPs are actually telling each other about their experience, receiving spiritual guidance from yourself and your husband.

00:06:11.200 yeah yeah it's it's really uh we're not advertising we're just making ourself available

00:06:17.240 and uh and and just meeting sometimes we will go to different events and we'll meet them there and

00:06:23.800 then connect with them on on by email and because we had already a human touch a human a conversation

00:06:31.380 they invite us in their offices and that's where uh we provide the care uh emotional care we're

00:06:37.780 there for them. We listen to them. We offer them a place where they can have a respite or a moment

00:06:45.860 of peace so they can be refreshed and go on in their day after. Yes and so many of general Canadians

00:06:55.580 will maybe think of their politicians as you know someone that they can be constantly critical of

00:07:03.040 and uh you know really examining their behavior and rightly so they are representative of

00:07:09.520 canadians but um often you know people we can sometimes um forget that they are people too

00:07:17.800 and that they have the same needs as us and um that they are capable of mistakes and therefore

00:07:25.140 for repentance of mistakes too though,

00:07:31.320 like they're just coming back from that mistake.

00:07:33.920 There is avenues for them to look at what they've been,

00:07:41.340 they've been doing as representing Canadians

00:07:44.820 and maybe get that humility too,

00:07:47.340 through this spiritual guidance.

00:07:49.740 Do you ever see that?

00:07:51.600 Yeah, well, it's a stressful environment.

00:07:55.360 They are constantly under pressure.

00:07:58.080 And no matter what decision they will make,

00:08:00.740 someone is going to be there to be upset.

00:08:03.560 They would go this way.

00:08:05.800 Some people are upset and they go the other way.

00:08:09.060 They get critics from other ways.

00:08:12.520 So it's an important environment,

00:08:15.680 but it's a very, very high pressure level environment.

00:08:19.820 And so we have to remember, just like you said, Jane, that politician leaders are people too.

00:08:30.780 And we need to remember that they have spouses, they have families, and life happens to them too, just like us.

00:08:42.140 And so they will have good days, they will have bad days.

00:08:45.200 But because we are present most days on Parliament Hill in their workplace, we are there if they have a difficulty or personal crisis or just like day is not going very well.

00:09:03.200 Well, we are available to be a listening ear, encouraging presence.

00:09:09.580 And when those moments happen, we can interact with them there on the spot and be a present help.

00:09:19.460 That is really encouraging to hear that the elected officials that represent us in Parliament do have that spiritual support and that they're talking about it and that they're making good use about it.

00:09:30.720 So can you share with us any anecdotes of your work with MPs?

00:09:35.160 I understand that it's highly confidential, but can you maybe illustrate for our viewers what that might look like?

00:09:43.560 Absolutely. Like you say, it is highly confidential.

00:09:48.620 So I can give you an example that happened just before Christmas, though.

00:09:53.760 we are in question period we are in the gallery and one MP who knows us knows that we are up there

00:10:02.700 and at the end of the question period we receive a text asked that this MP was asking to to meet us

00:10:10.680 and so we went because we were there on spot we were available for them and we were able to

00:10:18.420 go and meet them and they had just received a really sad news and they were pretty shaken

00:10:26.620 by that news and they needed a place where they can just unpack and talk about it and they knew

00:10:33.480 that we were there for them and so we spent that time with them just listening and then bringing

00:10:42.000 some comfort and after that that mp was taking that moment of respite it was that that they were

00:10:51.820 refreshed and they were ready to go on their day and this is an example that that we have

00:10:59.380 you know on a weekly base uh often this happened this kind of example happens over and over and

00:11:08.140 that's why we're here. Wow that's so wonderful to hear that there is that support for MPs like

00:11:15.660 when they're going through something really difficult that they're they're not alone that

00:11:20.460 they can come to this non-political ministry and you know it's really important too that you

00:11:27.720 emphasize that it doesn't matter if you're representing blue red green or orange in

00:11:34.680 Parliament Hill. What matters is that you're a person too and you have this high responsibility

00:11:40.400 and that everyone is worthy of this kind of support. And so even that yourself and Grant

00:11:46.940 have that presence on Parliament Hill and are demonstrating that, I think that your work is

00:11:53.320 incredibly meaningful. Thank you. You're welcome. And you know, as I mentioned, you know, even here

00:11:59.920 the western standard we're rather critical of those in power um yet you remind us that our

00:12:05.520 politicians are just like anyone else as we discussed earlier you know with real human needs

00:12:11.840 and issues and and the trials of life so what is your message of hope well we work in a behind the

00:12:21.840 scene and so um it's important to know that uh well-supported leaders make better governance

00:12:32.460 huh yeah right if they're well supported and they're they're well supported emotionally

00:12:40.680 and for some of them as well spiritually they will govern much more efficiently and so that's

00:12:50.420 why we maintain regular ongoing contact with MP of all political allegiance. These men

00:12:59.960 and women, as you mentioned earlier, Jen, they choose to serve the nation, but they 0.99

00:13:08.320 make significant sacrifice as doing so. They serve in parliament, yes, but they travel

00:13:16.520 weekly away from their spouse away from their family working long hours up to 70 hours sometime

00:13:23.460 more on the week and then on weekend and the price they pay is real and so we were behind the

00:13:34.140 scene to provide much needed support through confidential non-judgmental one-on-one meetings

00:13:41.180 and uh we are here to listen and pray and encourage them on their journey as they serve

00:13:49.800 so we yeah yeah that does really provide hope i think to all canadians not just the politicians

00:13:59.280 because i loved what you said that supporter supported leaders make for better governance

00:14:05.500 and don't we really need that in Canada right and so for Canadians to know that parliamentary

00:14:13.820 leaders are are getting that support and that it's a non-judgmental place where they can go

00:14:21.640 and they can share their heart they can talk about the personal stuff so they can get back

00:14:26.740 to focusing on these you know just you described 70 hour work weeks yeah and being away from their

00:14:32.140 families for long stints of time while they're out in Ottawa on Parliament Hill, of course not right

00:14:38.060 now since they're in prorogation, but I think that that's a message that a lot of Canadians would want

00:14:44.060 to hear. Now, speaking of prorogation, since Parliament isn't in session and MPs aren't on

00:14:51.180 Parliament Hill, are you able to continue your ministry? Well, we all have heard of conference

00:15:00.300 call right yes video conference call so yes we stay in touch with those contacts that we have

00:15:09.340 on parliament hill we stay in touch with staffers we stay in touch with some mps where we're able

00:15:16.540 to either have a phone call or just have a video conference moment so yes we continue

00:15:25.660 to meet with them and bring as much support as we can, considering the situation where we are

00:15:32.940 here now. And so our heart is to really make Canadians aware of these people being people

00:15:42.380 first. And as we serve them and make sure that as they exercise, as they sacrifice, as they serve,

00:15:51.740 There is a people that are there for the person.

00:15:54.940 We're not there to bring activism or lobbyism.

00:16:00.200 We're not there to ask them anything.

00:16:02.780 Leading Influence is a team that come and offer them support.

00:16:07.020 And that's important for the kind of work that they do.

00:16:11.080 Absolutely.

00:16:12.340 And so about Leading Influence,

00:16:14.000 so you mentioned that you've been in Ottawa and Parliament Hill

00:16:17.340 for about six months.

00:16:19.100 and before that you were at the Quebec legislature and you also mentioned Leading Influence operates

00:16:25.880 out of several provinces. Can you give our viewers a little bit more details on that?

00:16:31.120 Yeah absolutely. Well Leading Influence right now have served MPs throughout almost 18 years now

00:16:41.000 And we've been hosting breakfast since 2018, Breakfast for Politician.

00:16:50.500 And yeah, we serve in five provinces, but we've hosted around 100 members

00:16:56.420 in four different prayer breakfasts yearly since 2008.

00:17:02.040 When members are in session, our team serves in five provinces and on Parliament Hill.

00:17:09.900 and we serve about generally connecting with the 25 to 30 member daily so that's something

00:17:18.940 is incredible so so across Canada including the provincial governments and the federal

00:17:25.020 government your team is serving that many people yeah yeah yeah yeah wow that's still extending

00:17:31.840 yes well speaking speaking of prayer breakfast our very own Nigel Hannaford whose seat I am

00:17:39.680 currently occupying he was actually the keynote speaker at calgary's prayer breakfast in 2023

00:17:46.280 wonderful yes so we were all very proud of him for his keynote yeah yeah we we provide as well

00:17:55.140 we believe in prayer and so we have prayer network attached to each province we have pray canada and

00:18:05.260 and if we compile all the prayers that we've prayed we pray uh we post on our prayer networks

00:18:12.700 about we've posted about 12 000 different uh personalized prayer blessing for each mp or mpps

00:18:23.500 throughout canada that's a lot and we post them on their website and on our facebook page

00:18:29.900 and uh yeah so prayer is a force to be reckoned for so so how does this this prayer network work

00:18:39.100 you you select an mp or an mpp or an mla to pray for in particular or they ask you for that kind

00:18:46.140 of prayer it's a good question we have prayer organizers in each province and they just

00:18:56.540 separate every day uh all the mps on a year uh schedule and all the mps over one a period of year

00:19:06.780 will have a prayer prayed individually personalized and it's a prayer non-issue non-partisan

00:19:13.900 we're just blessing them so there's writers that are functioning on those under those uh prayer

00:19:21.180 coordinator that's the right term prayer coordinator in each province and uh yeah so we can

00:19:26.940 go on the leadership leading influence website and you'll see the prayer network there amazing

00:19:34.620 so actually i was going to mention your website in case people want to donate but i guess also

00:19:39.980 in case people want to volunteer to contribute to the prayer ministry people want to pray for

00:19:46.460 our elected officials in this organized way they can also go to your website to check that out

00:19:51.180 yeah yeah yeah so we the ministry was founded by tim shindle in 2006 it's been 18 years he

00:20:00.140 was in british columbia and for the last three years he's come to ottawa for uh part-time once

00:20:07.980 a month and since september now we are here uh walking in this trace grant and i were working

00:20:15.580 here full-time on Parliament Hill and yeah so we're happy we've done that in Quebec for three

00:20:22.460 years part-time and now we're doing full-time and we'll fully bilingual that's incredible and

00:20:30.460 and the first full-time chaplains or spiritual leaders that are are functioning on Parliament

00:20:36.620 hell yeah yeah that we are solely dedicated to provide a spiritual and emotional care uh to our

00:20:45.100 mps and their staff yeah oh that's amazing well i hope that this video even more so helps to uh

00:20:51.980 raise awareness so that mps that maybe haven't seen you around parliament hill as much or aren't

00:20:56.940 really familiar what you and grant do uh perhaps they might come knock on your door and introduce

00:21:02.140 themselves who knows yes yes we're here for all of them now by the way you mentioned five provinces

00:21:10.380 what provinces does leading influence operate out of we have bc we have um ontario saskatchewan

00:21:20.380 quebec bei and and then we are on ontario uh in ottawa yeah so did i say five yep

00:21:33.020 excellent okay so maybe we can hope for alberta here absolutely yeah yeah that we need more

00:21:39.580 chaplains there's some provinces that we need chaplains in yes absolutely so if ever someone

00:21:45.900 here and and is interested in providing care uh we can contact tim shindle in our organization

00:21:53.900 at leading influence beautiful and i'm sure premier smith would be amicable to that idea as well

00:21:59.900 Sure, sure.

00:22:03.340 Okay, Anne-Claire, so thanks so much for joining us. I'm going to let our viewers know if you would

00:22:08.540 like to know more about this or if you would like to donate to Leading Influence, you can go to the

00:22:13.900 website and it's just leadinginfluence.com. If you want to donate, you just go to the About tab or

00:22:21.100 or leadinginfluence.com slash meet Grant and Anne-Claire.

00:22:27.780 And as you can see, we have the QR code up on the screen,

00:22:31.200 so you can just scan that as well.

00:22:34.060 Anne-Claire, thank you so much for joining us today

00:22:36.900 and for your uplifting message,

00:22:38.740 and all the best to you and Grant

00:22:41.200 as you continue on this endeavor,

00:22:43.440 providing spiritual care for our leaders on Parliament Hill.

00:22:47.240 Such an important job.

00:22:48.700 Thank you.

00:22:49.740 It was my pleasure.

00:22:50.740 Thank you very much, Jen.

00:22:53.740 Thank you.

Western Standard - February 14, 2025

Hope on Parliament Hill

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