James Rajotte, MP for Edmonton Leduc. Standard boiler plate, I'm a great guy stuff.
How many of you have met your MP? How many of you have taken the time to email them about your concerns? How many of you have gone to a town hall meeting?
Most of us go to work, come home and could care less about anything going on in Ottawa. I read on Blogging Tories that the opposition is stuck on the Afghan prisoners being tortured issue like a 45 record, but in my world, I could care less about this issue. Most Canadians are not listening. The polls show that fact. When the Liberals were threatening an election, the Conservatives came close to majority territory. Now that we are back to normal, the Conservatives have gone back to 37% support. Why? Who is paying attention anymore knowing that an election is not likely until 2010/2011. Notice that the Liberals have flat lined, it appears they are dead, or close to it.
H/T Canadian Sense
Personally, I think the opposition are looking like idiots for harping on the Taliban issue. They thought they had a WINNER with the Mulroney issue. That died when Canadians realized they had been hoodwinked by some very partisan Liberals into thinking this was an issue, and that commission cost us millions. Now, the opposition are yelling for another commission into the Afghan torture issue. Not going to happen. I wonder if Bill Graham the Liberal Minister in charge of Afghanistan in 2006 will be called by the committee, or will the majority opposition block his appearance? Funny how they only listen to one side of the story, and the media only reports that one side.
With all the junk the opposition is throwing at the government, have you emailed your MP? Have you gone to their office and told them what you want to see done? What has your MP done for you lately?
Our MP's are elected by us to carry out our wishes, not the wishes of their party. I applaud any MP who clearly states their position on issues, like abortion.
My MP is apparently suffering from Ottawa flu, because he has forgotten who elects him to represent us, hint, it's the constituents.
Seriously, what has your MP done for you lately? Give me some examples, something to make me feel good about our federal government. What are the bureaucrats doing to make our lives better? What is the department of the environment doing to us.
Three levels of government exist, federal, provincial and municipal. They all suck, like vampires, off of only one taxpayer. US. Those greenies protesting, the arts funding, and the daycare advocates, just to name a few, all suck off of the middle class people who work hard and lead respectful and moral lives. Maybe those people should try living off of the government teat. If they did I bet none of them could afford to go to Copenhagen.
All that money being spent, and I see no benefit from it. Our Conservative MP's are letting swelled heads dictate their agendas, common sense has flown out the window.
What has your MP done for you lately?
12 comments:
I'm not sure this was necessarily the point of your post, but didn't Rajotte just organize a charity hockey game in your riding that raised tens of thousands for the Leduc Boys and Girls Club? Last I checked, that wasn't on the mandatory duties lits for MPs.
Realistically, Mr. Rajotte is one of the busiest MPs in the country who isn't a minister; He's 'only' the chair of the finance commitee...
Don't get me wrong, I've felt the kind of disconnect you seem to be expressing. But it's worth remembering that we are one of +100,000 of an MPs consituents, and like Rajotte, they may have larger duties in service to their country. The constant asking of what a politician has done for you/me brings to mind 'bring back the bacon' style politics that are ultimately terribly unconservative.
'I wonder if Bill Graham the Liberal Minister in charge of Afghanistan in 2006 will be called by the committee'
I read somewhere that both Graham and Manley have agreed to come to committee.
Now isn't it just too funny that the previous Liberal govt and officials are being probed for 'turning a blind eye on torture' right now, re: Arar
”…Project Prism, an investigation into the actions of (LIBERAL) Canadian government officials who might have had knowledge of or were negligent in the torture ordeal of Arar, was launched following a complaint by Toronto-based lawyer Marlys Edwardh.
Edwardh was one of Arar’s team of lawyers.
That investigation is believed to be ongoing.
….O’Connor said that, after a Canadian consular official first visited Arar in Syrian custody on Oct. 23, 2002, “it should have been apparent that Mr. Arar had likely been tortured in the preceding two weeks…”
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/afghanmission/article/736990–mounties-investigate-federal-role-in-torture?bn=1
Ted Menzies MP is very good seeing that he's extremely busy. He is the Parliamentary Sec to Minister of Finance. He does however regularly hold open house in the constituency office. Attends local events when he can. He is very much available when he can be and answers emails promptly has voted the way I would want him to. He also articulates himself very well getting the message out in a hostile media atmosphere. He confronts opposition attacks with grace and can give a good smackdown once in awhile.
BTW,Hunter,Jen asked me to tell you she sent you an email.
FYI, Rajotte was cited on the National's year-end political panel last night as one of the most underrated pols.
Greetings. My MP Cathy McCleod is taking a replica Olympic torch next week around to various schools.
She will have it at her Open House for anyone that wants to have their picture taken with it.
Cathy is a very committed MP. She goes to great effort to attend community functions and represent all constituents.
BTW I keep trying to send you jokes but your mailbox has been full for a week. Cheers.
I met James here in Calgary on the Saturday of Grey Cup weekend at a fundraiser for Dianne Ablonzy. Got a chance to talk with him a bit and he did indeed seem like a very nice chap. I also got to meet Defense Minister Peter McKay at the same event. Had a great conversation with him.
My MP is Hon. Gary Lunn responsible for sports (and Olympics) and has been very busy with the Tourch Run. However, he has managed to get the riding a number of small, but important grants, and funding for a number of projects all "shovel ready". He is always available for parades, openings, and the like. In my opinion a good responsible MP.
Lizzy May (of broken hockey stick fame) and the Liberal candidate (no-name that I can remember) "snuck" into the Santa Parade with floats when it has traditionally been for elected officials only. Even the NDP were upset and the parade committee has some "splainin' to do".
Maybe I have a different notion of what a politician's role is, but I figure it's not his/her job to solve my everyday problems.
I don't know nor wish to know politicians personally. If I have a comment, critical or otherwise, about policy, I'll email and that's the extent of it. I don't need gladhanding from any of them, but I do expect a reply to my emails - which some of them who claim to be speaking on behalf of "all Canadians" usually never do. If you guessed "the progressives" you guessed right.
What has my MP done for me lately? Nothing much, since he's a Liberal. What would I expect my MP to do when s/he is part of government? To carry out whatever policies/platform s/he was voted in for - unless conditions change radically, thus warranting a deviation from the policies I voted for.
Like The Watchman, I think expecting politicians to solve some of our daily hassles is "unconservative."
Wonder what good it would do for all your readers who have lib MPs, or NDP, or Bloc, to write them and tell them to get over torturegate.
You are not really concerned if some terrorist, who has probably killed or maimed our troops gets a shoe beating from their own people.
They probably deserved it. Maybe they killed relatives of those guards.
OT, but did any of you hear the 911 call from that 57 yr old lady, reporting a breakin. She shot and killed him.
I doubt if she is a liberal obama supporter.
And, breaking news on Fox, Tiger is leaving golf.
Hunter, My MP is Keith Martin so my expectations are modest. Nevertheless he's a very outspoken guy who talks a good game and sometimes I agree with the positions he takes, for instance on the HST. But in the end he wimped out on that.
It's heartening to know that you are really paying attention. I hope everyone keeps their MP's noses to the grind stone.
It's funny how a blog can have more influence than a town hall meeting by an MP.
I seriously think MP's of all strips are under utilizing bloggers.
I have met James, and I like him, but he is in a total fog when it comes to blogs and their usefulness to him.
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