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Fitzpatrick’s situation was, as we know, hardly unique.

After spending the summer reaching out to dozens of shelters, charities, police officers and the like in preparation for the bill, Drever said one of the most moving experiences came when discussing it with her own mother.

“I know, personally, people who have been in this type of situation. One of which is my mother, actually,” Drever said. “Talking about my bill, she was in tears, actually. With her experience, she had to get a bottle broken over her arm to prove to her landlord that she was the victim of domestic violence.”

Drever said she asked her mom whether she could talk about her experiences in explaining the bill’s rationale. “I don’t think it’s a secret that with my childhood, I got quite a rough start. I witnessed domestic violence with my mom there, so yeah, I think she’s very pleased to see that this bill is in its stages.

“Me, myself, growing up I remember waking up in women’s’ shelters as a kid, going to Children’s Cottage (A crisis shelter for children in need in Calgary.)

“These are places you go because you have to flee from domestic violence.”

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Bill 204 passed second reading last week. If Drever is demonstrating one thing, it’s that people from unexpected backgrounds have something to bring to the table, too. The machinery of government isn’t always best left to lawyers and time-serving partisan volunteers. Drever may have been a lucky paper candidate — so what? As in life, sometimes chance dictates the course of politics. If the occasional electoral shakeup brings in people who wouldn’t have otherwise found a path to public service, our system is better off for such hiccups.

The only thing that qualifies someone to represent a constituency in parliament is the ability to earn the votes of her constituents. Drever may have been ill-prepared for her role when she was elected in May, but I’m happy to see her step up. Albertans are well served by her efforts.

National Post

jgerson@nationalpost.com

Twitter.com/JenGerson