This letter is in response to the Gazette's Jan. 6 article on “MP defends prorogation.”
Member of Parliament Brent Rathgeber has committed what Winston Churchill called a "terminological inexactitude" when he says that proroguing Parliament is a common practice. It may be common for Stephen Harper as he runs away from the opposition parties as he has done twice in a year. However typically Parliament is prorogued when the government has exhausted its legislative agenda, which in this case is not true as it had 50 per cent of its legislative agenda still before Parliament, legislation covering most of Harper's anti-crime legislation. These laws, including the abolition of the long-gun registry, will now be put off for another year as they must go through the entire legislative process again. So much for the anti-crime priorities of Canadians!
As to the Afghan detainees issue, Rathgeber apparently supports his government's contempt of Parliament by refusing to give our MPs the necessary documents to do their jobs. Perhaps public opinion polls suggest that many Canadians don't care about Canada's policy of turning Afghans over for torture, but they should be concerned about this blatant attempt to muzzle Parliament. So much for transparency and accountability! Harper's and Rathgeber's contempt for Parliament far surpasses Jean Chrétien's.
If the nation's business has been put off so Rathgeber can attend the Olympics and Harper can have some photo-ops with the Chinese premier (Is he coming or will he stay at home as Harper did at the Beijing Olympics?) then that is far too high a price to pay. The country needs our MPs at work during the present economic situation, not at play in Vancouver.
The real reason for suspending Parliament is Harper's desire to stack the Senate and its committees with unelected Tories. That way he can have his legislation rubber stamped by the Senate, ending the Senate's role as a chamber of sobre second thought! I wonder what would happen if we did elect senators and the majority were Liberals. Where would Rathgeber be then? Undoubtedly supporting another prorogation!
Contrary to Rathgeber's belief that his constituents do not care about Parliamentary democracy, the Afghan detainees, the economy, accountability and transparency, this one does.
Bryan Corbett, St. Albert
