It is not often that I write a letter to the St. Albert Gazette, however Kristopher Wells’ letter (Jan. 13) regarding prorogation, publicly calls for a response.
It also gives me an opportunity to clarify a comment I made in “MP defends prorogation,” Jan. 6, and repeated in the Jan. 13 “Our View.”
When queried by reporter Ryan Tumilty about whether democracy was somehow being abrogated and destroyed by Parliament being prorogued, my response was “Democracy and Parliament are not being sidestepped.” I certainly meant to say “it [Parliament] is only being suspended.” Of course, I do not believe that democracy is being suspended. Democracy is much broader than the daily sittings of Parliament. The government continues to govern; ministers continue to make announcements and the rule of law is firmly entrenched. Thankfully, democracy continues to operate everyday in Canada.
Now to address Mr. Wells’ request that I return to Ottawa to fulfil my obligations as member of Parliament. I did, in fact, return to Ottawa on Jan. 20 and visited the Kingston Penitentiary and met with the acting warden. The purpose of this trip was to study the state of addictions and mental health in the federal corrections system, as part of my responsibilities as a member of the Justice and Public Safety committees. I also attended regional and national caucus meetings on Jan. 22. The purpose of these meetings was to provide input regarding Canada’s economic action plan now that the recession appears to be concluding and economic stability replaces stimulus investment as the overriding economic goal.
Mr. Wells: I do show up for work and represent my constituents. When in the riding, I meet with constituents every day, seven days a week, at formal appointments and at informal settings at the many community events I attend. We discuss specific constituent issues with Immigration Canada or the Canada Revenue Agency. We also discuss national issues of interest to constituents, such as the state of the economy, the Afghan mission or problems with the Canadian justice system.
It is quite improper to suggest that it is only when Parliament is sitting that a member of Parliament adequately represents his or her constituents.
Remembering that I was elected to represent the citizens of Edmonton-St. Albert in Ottawa and not the other way around, I am constructively using prorogation to host receptions welcoming all new Canadian citizens in this constituency. I attended a pre-budget consultation with the St. Albert Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 27. I also am hosting a series of roundtables on immigration issues and most notably, organizing two public town hall meetings (Feb. 11 in St. Albert and Feb. 17 in Edmonton) on Canada’s criminal justice system. I plan to attend a regional symposium, Strengthening Partnerships, (St. Albert, Sturgeon County and area) on Feb. 4 and 5.
I have many other community events scheduled. If you are interested, please check out the calendar on my website at www.brentrathgeber.ca. Rest assured that regardless of whether I am in Ottawa or at home in the riding, it is an honour to represent the interests of my constituents every day.
Brent Rathgeber, MP Edmonton-St. Albert
