It must be an exciting time to be an NDP.
I met Stephen Harper once on Parliament Hill while I was lobbying for Working Families. He came across as arrogant and dismissive. I shook his hand. As soon as I identified myself as a labour activist he said, “Oh, you’re one of those.” He ripped his hand from mine, spun on his heel and turned away.
What have you learned campaigning in Leeds-Grenville?
People here are hard-working and they are really struggling to get by.
The NDP this time seems to be running on pocketbook issues, rather than ideals.
I kind of disagree with that question. I don’t think it’s idealistic to put families first. We have always advocated for the services families need to live a good life. That is what the NDP has historically tried to do.
Andrea Horwath gave a good account of herself in the debate.
Absolutely. In terms of a popular summer movie, Andrea has magic, and the other two are Muggles. She is the most down-to-earth and likeable of the three major candidates. She has real leadership qualities and has put forth the most financially responsible platform.
In the September 13th issue of the CCPA Monitor, economist Jim Stanford pointed out that there is a $10 billion hole in the Conservative platform. And not one graphic in the Change Book is to scale.
Now you slag the Liberal platform.
No need. The Liberals are not a factor in Leeds-Grenville.
Which is the more powerful influence on the campaign? Jack Layton or the memory of Bob Rae’s NDP government?
Definitely Jack Layton. People are longing to vote for something positive. At the door I get a lot of: “Are you running a negative campaign? No? Ok we’ll vote for you.”
Jack’s life and especially his letter spoke to Canadians, encouraging them to make a positive choice. Working together we can do better. He gave Canadians the opportunity to make a positive choice.
Campaigning on slurs like “The Tax Man” isn’t educating the public, it’s scaring them. If your platform has real worth, then you should be able to run on it. I’m running on mine.
As of this morning, an aggregation of the polls has the NDP with the support of 25.2% of Ontario residents over the age of 18. Can you get these Ontarians to polls?
That’s always the challenge. The third or fourth most often-heard statement at the door has been, “I don’t vote because things never change and my vote won’t make a difference. These guys all say one thing and do something else.” My response to that has been that by not voting, you are accepting the status quo, and has that worked for you?
If you want things to change, you have to take a chance, get off the couch, go to the polls and have your say. That is the only way we can ever change. Ten years ago in Florida it took less than 700 votes to elect a President. Your vote counts.
With Steve Clark shooting to beat the 67% he got last time?
As we walked out of the meeting with the Ottawa Citizen Editorial Board, Steve turned to me and remarked, “Well, I guess I won’t be mailing this one in.”
On Sunday John Ivison of the National Post called your leader, Andrea Horwath, “the most dangerous woman in Ontario.”
She’s determined, resourceful, capable and likeable. Those are all great attributes which any woman would be pleased to claim as her own, and any man would be pleased to associate with.
I don’t think that’s what he meant. She looks as though she will be holding the balance of power come Friday, October 7th, and that causes Ivison some worry because of her lack of experience at governance.
We are running to win, and we have formed government before.
The Rae crew meant well but were inexperienced.
But when we look at fiscal responsibility across the board at the provincial level, NDP provincial parties have been the most fiscally responsible, while meeting the social needs of the constituents.
What happened to the NDP’s green platform?
We do support green energy as a way to bring jobs, opportunity and money back into rural Ontario. Andrea Horwach is on record as supporting that, as am I.
At a meeting in Crosby last week a Sun Energy representative said that Crosby is about to become the solar panel capital of Canada.
I think it’s great. It will bring jobs, money and opportunities to rural Leeds-Grenville and reverse two decades of zombie economics as practiced by the Liberals and Conservatives which has drained away our youth, our opportunity, and the money that makes our local economy healthy.
How about trees?
Harris dismantled the reforestation program which had served Ontario since 1919. McGuinty replaced it with a privatized shadow of itself which produces approximately a quarter of the seedlings formerly produced.
This is a similar story in far too many government services. Just today we hear on the radio that Hudak is going to dismantle the LHINs and shift responsibility for administration back to the Ministry of Health. But under the Harris Government of which Hudak was a part, Ministry of Health staffing was slashed by more than half. They no longer have the expertise nor the staffing to be able to do that job. Staff went from just over 5000 to less than 2500 now. It’s irresponsible.
Is the welfare state dead in Canada?
If Harper has anything to do with it, yes. I believe, the NDP believes, that everyone should have an opportunity to succeed and to live a life that is as fulfilling and rewarding as possible.
Did Stephen Harper drive a stake through Tim Hudak’s chances when he made his trifecta comment last summer at Rob Ford’s barbecue?
A little bit of the arrogance slipped out. I think he did. Harper is taking Ontario voters for granted.
But this time in Leeds-Grenville they are worried: Tim Hudak has been here twice to prop up Steve’s campaign. Seeing our NDP surge, Andrea Howath has been here to speak to Leeds-Grenville twice. Dalton McGuinty, recognizing the trend, has stayed away.
In the last year and a half you have knocked on thousands of doors and have probably patted half the dogs in Leeds-Grenville. What have you learned?
(Laughing) I have learned that if I let the dog lick my hand, it stops barking long enough for me to talk to the owner.
Although many people have lived in Leeds-Grenville for generations, others have moved to Leeds-Grenville because of our strong communities and the beauty and recreational opportunities. And because of the Internet, a surprising number work from their homes. One guy manages a 400-person network in all parts of the world from his home in North Grenville. A woman works full time for a Bay Street law firm from her home in Gananoque. A Delta woman works for IBM from her home.
What is the ballot question for this election?
This election is about two things: one is the Liberal vs Conservative choices on what to spend money on; the other is whether people approve of Mr. Harper’s style of government.
The Conservatives are keen on mega-prisons and corporate tax cuts and sloppy military procurements. They’re often not bothering to get tenders and in the case of the F-35 jets, are signing on for something not completely developed yet. And they are stubborn enough to stay committed to it even as other countries are backing away.
Most economists agree that corporate tax cuts are not the best way to create jobs. Analysts at the Department of Finance, Jim Flaherty’s own department, have placed corporate tax cuts at the bottom of the job-creation list, well below investments in education and families.
The reason investments in families create jobs is that families will spend the money immediately, multiplying the economic benefit, while corporations are already sitting on hordes of cash.
The Liberals want to invest in education as well as other measures to help families get over the hurdles of raising kids, saving for pensions, and looking after gravely ill family members. And we have specific programs to do all of those things.
What about Mr. Harper’s approach to government?
I find it secretive, deceitful, and wasteful.
The most recent examples are their refusal to provide parliament or the public with the costs of the proposed legislation, of the cost to the taxpayers. Siphoning fifty million dollars of money intended for the improvement of our border infrastructure into washrooms and gazebos scattered around the riding of the Minister of Industry. The wasteful G20 photo op and the fake lake. More recently spending millions of dollars on taxpayer-paid ads to announce stimulus programs that had already expired.
Perhaps the most troubling thing about the Conservatives’ approach was that they shut down debate and fired or silenced anyone who disagreed with them. The head of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Agency and the Veteran’s Ombudsman are but two of many examples of principled individuals fired for doing their jobs.
Why should we care?
There are so many issues we need to come to grips with as a country: jobs, climate change, dealing with our aging population, Canada’s place in the world. If we don’t have honest and substantive debates about these issues, we won’t find the right solutions.
Do the Harper Conservatives have too much respect for the free market?
I think they don’t see a role for government, so they’re offloading all responsibility for our economic direction and job creation to the big corporations, leaving our future in the hands of those whose chief requirement is to maximize quarterly profit. We need to balance the short-term thinking of the corporations with long-term plans and investments in education, research and technology. That’s the government’s job.
What things do people bring up most?
People are embarrassed and angry about question period. Teachers in particular complain about this. Personally I think we should try taking the TV cameras out of the House of Commons.
Jobs and job security are both huge issues. People who work for companies going through corporate transitions are seriously worried about the future of their pension plans.
I see lots of potential for jobs here. People with skills want to live in our communities. So let’s make sure we are as attractive as possible to startup and growing small businesses. Green energy is already creating jobs, and can create more.
Can tourism in Leeds-Grenville survive a high dollar?
I think it can because we do have a first class product in our land, our people, and our history.
As a landscape painter I take great joy in the beauty of the Westport area. One great opportunity is to prepare a Michelin-type tourist guide for artist’s studios and galleries in Leeds-Grenville, integrating our tourism and artistic communities.
How are the late stages of the local campaign going?
Not that I notice, but in my neighbourhood we’re winning the sign war, 8 to 6 (laughing).
Quite a few people have told me they plan to cast a strategic Liberal vote this time. I tell them their votes are safe with me. I’m a fiscal conservative, a social progressive, and a dedicated environmentalist. So I encourage those fed up with Stephen Harper’s behaviour to band together and make me their MP.
Steve Pettibone has a fine profile of Marjory Loveys at http://www.recorder.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3091585
On the Campaign Trail
March 26, 2011
Campaign Day 1: Whipped by a sign
A campaign sign consists of a three-sided 3/16” wire frame like a croquet hoop and a printed plastic bag which fits snugly over it. Two of the sides drive into the ground. The middle of the hoop holds the posts in position and supports the bag. Nothing to popping a few dozen of them into the ground, you say? Think again.
Saturday morning when the writ dropped it was cold. Fourteen of us set out across Leeds-Grenville to install signs. The ground was frozen solid. Emails began to fly. Ian Johntson wrote: “O.K., people. I have a question. How are we getting the signs in the ground? I used a large bar and it went in about two inches. What can I put on the end of my drill to make a hole to start?”
Marjory wrote back: “Ian, I was able to get a sign into our lawn by a series of taps, first on one corner, then the other, with a hammer.”
So away we went, frost or no frost.
Ever tried to pound a heavy wire frame into frozen ground with a hammer? The thing whips about mercilessly, and whenever the vibration touches bone it stings like a teacher’s strap. The only painless way to drive one with a hammer was to grip the frame loosely with a heavy leather mitt while leaning against the wire with fleshy body parts like calves and thighs to keep the thing from bending into a pretzel.
I had measured a frame at home and brought along a 3/16” masonry bit in my cordless drill. Of course a 3/16” bit isn’t very long, and the resulting hole wasn’t much help in supporting a two-foot sign. Besides that, most of the holes I drilled in the rough grass along the roadway I couldn’t find, so the masonry drill was a bust.
If I got lucky and found some softer ground and drove the frame in, it usually ended up too wide for the bag, splitting the frigid plastic, or so narrow I feared the sign would blow away. Turns out it’s best to measure the gap, add 2” for tension on the plastic cover, and then drive the frame in.
Adjustments are impossible after the plastic cover is in place.
With great effort I managed to place a dozen signs between Forfar and Rideau Ferry in the morning.
Promptly at noon fellow volunteer Moe Lavigne joined me and we headed south, but with some improvements. I replaced my drill bit with a 10” piece of 9 gauge brace wire. It worked pretty well at finding its way through frosty turf and mixed gravel and stones to the correct depth. Moe could find the hole by feel in the long grass to start the frame as I pulled the drill away, and he measured each gap between the posts so that we had a more consistent fit on the signs. The job is definitely easier with two, especially if the other member of the crew is a veteran of previous campaigns and doesn’t mind working on his knees on the cold ground.
A honk and friendly wave from a driver in Morton was very encouraging, especially because at that point we were tired, cold, and struggling to find another hole drilled in the grass.
After the loop to Lyndhurst and back to Forfar, I was worn out. Moe headed off with one of my improvised drill bits to plant more signs on his way back to Crosby Lake.
I’ll never look at one of those signs in the same way again. A campaign is hard work, but this is how we Canadians, in our polite, honourable way, bring about change when we are determined.
Make it worthwhile. Please vote!
Campaign Day 2: Sign teams overlap
Moe and I were approaching the Gananoque turnoff when we saw the flash of a red sign in the hand of a man getting out of a Jeep. We pulled over to say hello. Roger Haley had spent the morning working from Mallorytown to Gananoque along the river and then nipped up to plant a few of Marjory’s signs around the Hwy. 15 intersection. He said his drill’s second battery was well worn down.
We had shared the cordless drill idea with the rest of the crew by email. Everyone now used it except one holdout, Ross Howard in Grenville, who reported: “47 Signs up in rural North Grenville! Found that a 16 oz rubber mallet and a 12″ x 3/16″ common screw driver the best set of non-powered tools. The rubber mallet does not even leave a mark on the plastic!” Ross and his wife achieved this in seven hours of work over Saturday and Sunday.
Judging by the condition of the only two blue signs we saw, the local Conservatives have not yet twigged to drilling down to provide firm support for the posts.
Ian Johntson reported a driveway bristling with four blue signs in the Toledo area. That’s it so far for other colours.
On the other hand one guy in a house in Seeley’s Bay had three Marjory signs and two enthusastic daschunds digging up his front lawn. He wouldn’t tell us from where he got the signs, but offered them to us if we were short. It was quite an entertaining conversation.
Moe recognized Joan Delaney hiking down the Chaffey’s Locks Road so we stopped to chat. She talked us into a lawn sign for their property on Indian Lake. So we went there and planted it in their flower bed. Then we spent some time talking to Joan’s husband Bob about this year’s sugar-making. Like everyone else, Bob and Joan had to deal with a couple of dozen overflowing buckets – frozen solid. So they took them into the house to warm them up. Whenever this freeze ends, half the country will have white clouds of fog over syrup arches while they boil frantically to make up for lost time.
An interview with Steve Clark, Progressive Conservative Candidate for Leeds-Grenville
February 22, 2010
How would you describe the northern part of your riding to an MPP newly arrived in Toronto from Thunder Bay?
Westport is a tremendously unique municipality in Leeds and Grenville. We all covet its waterfront. North Leeds also has a unique commercial component with the high-end shops in Westport and Newboro. When our friends from all over Ontario come to visit, they often drive up to Westport and Newboro for the shopping experience.
But to explain anything about North Leeds you must begin with the people. Last week I walked into Kudrinko’s Grocery Store, and whether they were going to vote for me or not, they welcomed me with a smile. Friday night I dropped in at the Junior B hockey game at the Arena. Westport and Gananoque were in this fiercely competitive game, but the fans were just so nice to me. It was one of the highlights of last week’s campaign, going to Westport and spending an hour or two watching the game. It doesn’t matter whether people are supporting you or not, people in North Leeds are very welcoming. Visitors here can’t help but appreciate this.
In North Leeds you still have this tremendous rural component. I have fond memories of the plowing match. I have advocated for the municipality with regard to the illegal fishing issue. I have worked with Rideau Lakes on some police budget issues. Demographically, forecasts show an aging population in all corners of Leeds-Grenville. I’m committed to work with staff to provide more effective services for our community as needs increase.
Sawmill owner Kris Heideman recently told us at the Kemptville Woodlot Conference that some American mills are dumping red pine on the Toronto market for less than Ontario landowners get for their timber. From your point of view as an aspiring MPP, what are the issues here?
Here is how I would attack the issue:
1. I would meet with the local folks to get the details of this incident.
2. We would use our office as an opportunity to talk to the Minister of Economic Development and Trade to find out what Ontario Government policies are in place which have allowed this to happen.
3. Because it is an American company which is dumping the product, I want to sit down with Gord Brown to see what Federal Government policies are in place that allow this to happen.
In a recent article Senator Runciman ripped Premier McGuinty for his green plan, claiming that Hydro will have to pay out “outrageous” amounts to homeowners with solar panels. He described Mr. McGuinty’s pricing as “the stuff of fantasy”. Are you prepared to stand by Runciman’s hyperbole, or would you care to offer a more balanced view?
I think Mr. Runciman does make a good point. As someone who is CAO of a municipality, I have received information from the Provincial Government promoting the installation of solar panels on our buildings at a rate of return far exceeding market value. The bigger concern that I am hearing at the doors is from seniors and working families regarding the impact on energy costs of the HST and the installation of smart meters.
Your opponent Steve Armstrong claims that manufacturing is doomed in Leeds-Grenville. Care to comment on that?
We have lost a lot of manufacturing jobs in Leeds-Grenville, no question, and I think in the future we need to be aggressive in promoting the idea that Leeds and Grenville is open for business. We need to work together at the municipal level to realize that not every municipality is going to build an industrial park and become a manufacturing hub. We need to find what works, and then promote the daylights out of it.
What I mean by that is that the tourist sector may continue to carry some communities. Others may find growth around cultural pursuits. The Biosphere Project has possibilities. We need to look at more than the traditional manufacturing model to spirit us out of the current downturn.
What issues do you see emerging in Leeds-Grenville over the next ten years (and how are you uniquely suited to face them as our representative in the Ontario Legislature)?
In the next ten years Leeds-Grenville will have to be innovative in the way we run our municipalities and economic development. We need a representative who can forge alliances between groups who may never have worked together before. My example is the International Plowing Match at Crosby in 2007. When I first made the pitch to host it in North Leeds, people told me that it would be tough to get groups who did not know each other to work together on a project of that size. If successful on March 4th, I think I will be able to bring all corners of Leeds-Grenville together to work on projects which will sustain us in the future.
When as a 22 year old I first knocked on doors in Brockville in the mayoral race, people told me I would have to attend the school of hard knocks before I would be ready. But I won. Now at 49 I have the same way of thinking in this campaign that I had 27 years ago. The number one thing I do at the door is I listen. I hear some really innovative ideas. I am excited by the energy I see in our community and I hope I can be the advocate of those big dreams after March 4th.
Westport grocer Neil Kudrinko has earned the Green Party nomination to run in the March 4th by-election to replace Leeds-Grenville MPP Bob Runciman.
Property values in Westport are higher than in Smiths Falls. What’s going on in North Leeds?
Let’s face it. North Leeds is a great place to live. An increasing number of retirees look to the area around Westport, so increased demand has driven up the value of property.
As a business owner what concerns me about rising market values is the increased assessment which can lead to higher property taxes.
We need to ensure that people who have lived in the community all their lives don’t suddenly find themselves unable to afford their homes. We need also to be careful not to penalize owners for making improvements to the energy efficiency and comfort of their homes.
For example, in order to reduce the environmental impact of our grocery store we have recently spent a half million renovating and retrofitting to reduce the carbon footprint of our business by 26%. This was a long-term investment in local jobs and our ability to service the community. A tax increase because of the improvements would hurt.
We shouldn’t penalize businesses and homeowners through property taxes for making good decisions.
Mr. Harper and Mr. McGuinty have jointly created the 13% Harmonized Sales Tax. Its implementation weighs heavily on voters’ minds. What’s your take on this tax reform?
Quebec and the Maritimes have the HST now. Under its rules businesses can claim exemptions on investments on equipment and supplies that we can’t in Ontario. Ontario Farmers are exempt from the 8% PST but other businesses are not. This puts Ontario businesses at an 8% disadvantage right off the top, so the business community in general is very excited about the HST because it will reduce in some cases their cost of operation.
However, as a small business owner I don’t think the HST will create day-to-day savings that we will be able to pass along to the consumer.
For most people in Ontario the greater concern is the extra 8% on their heating oil bills and services from electricians and contractors. The Green Party position on the HST is that it cedes the province’s power of taxation and puts it into the control of the federal government. We feel as a party that is too important a role to leave up to another level of government.
What are the implications down the road? If we are so tightly integrated with the federal government that we have no leeway, we won’t be able to make changes in how we collect sales taxes without the approval of Ottawa.
Mr. McGuinty’s 50 Million Trees Program sponsors the planting of trees on privately owned land in Ontario. From your perspective as a candidate to represent Leeds-Grenville in the Legislature, what do you think of the plan?
We need to make reforestation of marginal land a priority in this province, but we need to avoid monoculture, the planting of a single species in a field, because we need the mix.
You’ll soon hear more about ALUS, or the Alternative Land Use Services Program in Norfolk County. This new program compensates farmers for taking marginal land out of production so that it can be replanted to extend the Carolinian forest in the area to widen woodlots and improve setbacks along river banks to create natural filtration systems.
It’s important that we make landowners partners in the process, and that we get the mix right.
Should there be a bounty on coyotes?
I like to eat wild game and I help my friends cut up their deer, but I wouldn’t personally go out and participate in a cull of a species I couldn’t eat. The coyote population is currently high, but nature has an interesting way of keeping itself in balance. We’ve all been concerned about fishers over the last few years. The coyote population will correct itself. There’d have to be a lot of science behind a large-scale cull of the coyote population. We shouldn’t leave this one to anecdotal evidence. That said, we must recognize and keep in mind the need for farmers to protect their livestock from predators.
What issues do you see emerging in Leeds-Grenville over the next ten years?
A continuing issue is energy costs and other costs of operating businesses in small towns. We need to make sure that we as a community — that includes municipalities, businesses, and home owners — are making the investments that are going to ensure that we can compete with larger centers in years to come.
All too often a small business ends up subject to regulations that were originally intended for big corporations. We need smart regulations that will differentiate between the two and not unnecessarily penalize small operators who were never the intended target of a regulation like the Nutrient Management Act. Take the example of Forfar Dairy. It had to stop cheese production because it could not comply with the Nutrient Act. And yet the true target of that regulation was not the small producer, but the large industrial scale producer like Parmalat or Kraft. The loss of Forfar cheese production has resulted in one less source of production for local dairy farmers.
The problem with the McGuinty Government’s approach to regulation is that it is focused solely on standardization. It fails to take into account the needs of individual producers.
Prorogation: the view from Leeds-Grenville
January 4, 2010
For a column in the Review Mirror Rod Croskery asked candidates in the forthcoming federal election for their views on the recent prorogation of Parliament. At press time responses had arrived from MP Gord Brown and Liberal candidate Marjory Loveys.
MP Gord Brown’s office responded:
Thank you for your email.
On December 30, the Prime Minister announced that the next phase of our Economic Action Plan will be launched, following the Olympic Games, with a Throne Speech on March 3 and a Budget on March 4.
The call for a new Throne Speech to launch the 3rd Session of the current Parliament is routine. The average Parliament comprises three or four sessions (and three or four Throne Speeches) and some Parliaments have had as many as six or seven Throne Speeches.
This is the 105th time in Canada’s history that a new Throne Speech will launch a new session of an existing Parliament.
The economy remains Canadians’ top priority and our top priority and a new Throne Speech allows the government to respond to the country’s economic priorities.
The three economic themes of the new session will be: (1) completing implementation of the Economic Action Plan introduced in the last Session, (2) returning the federal budget to balance once the economy has recovered – which is a priority for Canadians – and (3) building the economy of the future.
As well, the new Parliament allows us to re-introduce important legislation. Since a Bill can not be introduced twice in any Session, a new Session is required to further a government’s mandate.
I trust this answers your questions.
And I hope you and yours had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Mark King
Legislative Assistant
Gord Brown
Member of Parliament
—
Liberal Candidate Majory Loveys:
Rod:
Thanks for the opportunity to comment on the issue of Mr. Harper’s premature prorogation of Parliament.
There are several aspects of Mr. Harper’s decision to prorogue Parliament and close it for over two months that have been much discussed already.
First, it will enable the Conservatives to use their new-found majority in the Senate to gain more control of the Senate, including the Senate Committees. However, if this were the only objective there would be no need for a two-month Parliamentary shut-down.
Second, prorogation will delay many bills forcefully promoted by Mr. Harper as urgent and crucial, for example bills to reduce crime. His past bluster can now be seen as just that.
Third, Parliamentary scrutiny of the Afghanistan Detainee issue will cease. There has been much speculation that this was the real motive behind Mr. Harper’s decision, and I agree with this assessment.
However, in my view the impact of the duration of the closure of Parliament deserves more attention.
This two-months-plus closure will render Parliament mute until March. During this time Parliament will be unable to quickly respond to any emergency that arises, and the budget will be written with no input from the general public or our Members of Parliament.
If events create the need for Parliamentary action – for example to deal with a work stoppage that is causing hardship for Canadians – the process of recalling Parliament, electing a Speaker, etc. will slow any response. For this reason past governments have learned to prorogue Parliament just a few days before it is scheduled to be recalled. Mr. Harper did not take this precaution. He clearly does not care if Parliament is Missing In Action for months on end.
More importantly, before each budget Parliamentary Committees normally hear from a broad cross-section of Canadians and debate the ideas they hear. Their advice is given to the Minister of Finance well before the budget is written.
Mr. Harper’s stated intent is to recall Parliament on March 3 and have a budget the very next day.
Given this timetable, our elected MPs will have no opportunity to advise the Minister of Finance on actions to help us deal with the effects of the recession, deal with the deficit or improve our pensions. And the Canadian public will have no opportunity for their voices to be heard and participate in an open and transparent discussion on their proposals.
This means that Mr. Flaherty will hear the opinions of big companies who can hire lobbyists and the select few he invites to his meetings; those without an “in” with the government or big bucks to hire well-connected lobbyists will be shut out.
It is the unnecessary length of time that Parliament will be closed that will impact Canadians the most. It suggests that Mr. Harper is placing his partisan interests in shutting down uncomfortable questions about his decisions on our Afghan mission ahead of the interests of Canadians. Perhaps he even sees not having to listen to the likes of us about budget proposals as an added bonus.
In leaving Parliament unable to quickly respond to emergencies or to listen to the public and debate their concerns about the recession, the deficit and pensions, he is preventing our elected Members of Parliament from doing their work.
I can only conclude that Mr. Harper sees Parliament as an inconvenience rather than an essential voice of the Canadian people.
Note: These articles made their way to the Brockville Recorder and Times in its Friday, Janary 8, 2010 edition.
the Walnut Diary 