Chronic absence: Black member Simon Marcel suffers from bipolar disorder

Black Cubacois MP Simon Marcel explained on Tuesday that he had suffered from “mental health problems” last year to explain his nearly year-long absence from the Commons.

“From week to week, I’m hoping to be back, but contrary to all expectations, my vacation was unexpectedly extended when my health was slowly improving,” De Mirabel initially told the district spokesman on his Facebook page.

Eventually after weeks of questioning with his doctor, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

“Now that my diagnosis is known and my treatment has been adjusted after a few months of trial and error, I hope to be back soon,” the politician said.

First revealed National Post, The MP’s lack of work since last January led to several ulations of grievances from experts on Tuesday, criticizing the lack of transparency of the Black Quebecois.

“This decision is very strange, very strange,” he said National Post Mike Mediros, a Canadian electoral policy expert, now teaches at the University of Amsterdam. He is an MP, he has responsibilities over his constituencies. And part of that responsibility is to be direct about what is going on […]. If you disappear for a year, it becomes an issue for representative democracy. ”

However, Marcel promised in his publication that his constituency office would “continue to meet the needs of the population under the supervision of the Black Cubacois team”, thereby echoing the party’s official position.

“Every week, my team contacted the head of the constituency office of Simon Marseille,” Black Whip Claude Debellefule previously noted. Post. So I can assure you that a large number of citizens have been helped […] Although in the absence of the deputy. We confirm that all services are still provided by the constituency office. ”

Om^{To me} Debellefule said the party had chosen not to publicize Mr Marcel’s absence to protect his privacy. She said he would return to work on January 10, a date not confirmed by the relevant principal.