Opinion

GOVERNMENT ALBAS: talk of a summer election

Earlier this week was the last day the House of Commons will sit before it recesses for the summer.

If you have been following media reports, you will also know that many are speculating this may well be the final sitting of Canada’s 43rd Parliament as rumours abound that the Prime Minister will call an election before the House is scheduled to return in September.

Do I believe the election rumours?

Curiously the Liberal omnibus budget Bill C-30, that is scheduled to be passed later today, extends current pandemic related benefits into September.

There is no question that Prime Minister Trudeau will not want to head into an election without the pandemic benefits freely flowing as cutting off these benefits would be very unpopular politically.

So it is conceivable that the Prime Minister desires to have an election using the ongoing benefits for political purposes.

Although the Parliamentary Budget Officer has repeatedly stated that our current spending levels are not sustainable, our Prime Minister and his Finance Minister have stated that as long as interest rates remain low, DAN ALBAS

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OPINION

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Possible election pending

From Page 6

they believe this spending is “affordable”.

The Prime Minister has also recently used terms such as ‘toxicity’ and ‘obstructionism’ and has made claims that Parliament is “dysfunctional”.

Collectively many believe that all of this points to a pending potential summer election being called by the Prime Minister.

From my own perspective, I would be remiss if I did not point out that the Prime Minister and his Government were just found to be in contempt of Parliament by the Speaker.

A vote was held and passed to censure the Defence Minister for his failing to take action to prevent acts of sexual misconduct from occurring against women in our Canadian Armed Forces.

This week the Canadian Forces ombudsman released a scathing report in which he stated:

“When leaders turn a blind eye to our recommendations and concerns in order to advance political interests and their own self-preservation or career advancement, it is the members of the defence community that suffer the consequences,”

This was an obvious shot across the bow at the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister.

Is Parliament dysfunctional?

I was troubled that the Prime Minister made this allegation.

On Tuesday of this week, while other Party Leaders and MP’s were physically in Question Period, there was only one single Liberal MP in the House.

The Prime Minister and all of his Ministers were all absent.

When one is not in the House of Commons, to suggest it is “dysfunctional” does a disservice to those who are there serving the interests of Canadians who we are elected to represent.

On the topic of a potential election, my question is a simple one.

Would you support a summer election?

I can be reached at Dan.Albas@parl..gc.ca or call toll free 1-800-665-8711.

LETTERS to the editor A conference with the local MLA

Editor,

A short notice to those who supported my petition “Stop Wood Burning Stoves”. I met with MLA Jackie Tegart and Professor Michael Mehta in a telephone conference on Wed. June 23rd. It was an enlightening and successful conference, MLA Tegart was not aware that there were so many wood stoves in B.C and Canada. There are about 140,000 in B.C and 6 million in Canada, all capable of emitting as much carbon in 21/2 days as a vehicle does in a year. This does not include smoke from camp fires in parks and backyard fire pits, so the toxic carbon emissions are in the megatons. As many as 2000 deaths per year in B.C. alone. Heart attacks increase 65% during heavy smoke periods, lung disease is compounded, childhood asthma increases and many more illnesses are attributed to wood smoke. Professor Mehta who formed the environmental website Doctors and Scientists Against Wood Smoke Pollution informed us of the toxicity of wood smoke on human health as well as the effects on the atmosphere and environment. He has worked for fourteen years on this important issue only to be stonewalled on every turn, making this his hardest problem to get across to governing departments. MLA Tegart said she would be happy to work with him on making this a target issue, and forming a committee to look into the problem with wood smoke. I suggested a particulate monitor in every school as part of the children’s science education on air quality and environmental protection. Also, an air quality monitor for Merritt, as most of the smoke from Lower Nicola’s 100 plus stoves eventually settles over the whole valley. Therefore, it seems that clean air advocates throughout B.C. are finally being heard. I have posts on my Facebook page which is public, if you want to read about the problem of wood smoke in communities throughout the world.

Darlene Deutch Merritt, BC

Work needed on post office building

Editor,

I contacted the post office headquarters in Vancouver over a year ago about the deplorable condition of the post office and included pictures. I also contacted Mayor Brown to see if she could do anything. Obviously nothing has been done. This is a federal building and it’s a disgrace to the city of Merritt.

Audrey Niehaus Merritt, BC

From the Herald archives: July, 1935

HAY THEFT REPORTED

When Voght Park was being got into shape for the holding of the Caledonian Games, a local man, who keeps horses, was told he could have grass and hay for the cutting of it.

He cut it as arranged and let it lie before hauling it to his barn.

When he came back to the park to collect the feed for his horses he felt like Old Mother Hubbard, for when he got there the mown hay was bare, someone else had got there first.

The theft was reported to the police.

LETTERS POLICY

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