Parliamentarians of the Year 2012 — Kirsty Duncan: hardest-working

Kirsty Duncan rarely stops working.

If there’s light emanating from the Confederation Building at 3 a.m., it’s probably because she’s still sitting in her office. The Liberal MP for Etobicoke North says working late is a matter of routine for her. She grew up train- ing rigorously as a gymnast six days a week, and the lifestyle stuck. Late nights don’t mean late mornings, either. She says she averages about four or five hours of sleep each night. But that’s just part of the job.

“I love to serve,” she says. “You don’t know how long you’re [an MP], and I’m going to make the most of every minute.”

Duncan regularly takes part in a dozen meetings from dawn until dusk, in addition to committee work and other duties. Her constituency office sees about 100 families every day, she says. She spends “marathon nights” preparing for the next day’s work. It’s a daunting schedule. But Duncan is motiv- ated by veterans who surrounded her when she was growing up in Etobicoke. (She danced with the 48th Highlanders of Canada for 25 years.)

“You see the commitment, the dedication, the time, and what veterans do for this country,” she says. “I can jolly well put in some hours.”