Local MPs split over prorogued Parliament

January 04, 2010

By HANK DANISZEWSKI

The city's four MPs insist their nearly three-month winter break won't be a holiday.

Scheduled to return Jan. 25 to the House of Commons, the MPs now won't be back in Ottawa until March after the Harper Tories prorogued Parliament until March 3.

It's the second time in a year that the Tories have suspended Parliament amid political turmoil.

Local MPs Ed Holder, Glen Pearson, Irene Mathyssen and Joe Preston say they'll be busy with constituency work and other business in the next two months.

But they're divided on party lines as to whether Parliament needs to be at work on issues such as the economy and Canada's mission in Afghanistan.

London West MP Ed Holder said his calendar was packed with community events and meetings starting with New Year's Eve in Victoria Park -- an event he helped organize long before entering politics.

The Tory MP said he will shuttle back and forth between London and Ottawa in the next two months going to bat for more infrastructure funding for London.

"There's lot to do. . . . I have a number of projects on the go and I'll be dealing with a number of ministers."

Opposition critics have accused Stephen Harper of proroguing Parliament to dodge inquiries on the torture of Afghan detainees. But Holder said most of his constituents are more worried about the economy.

That's also the case for Holder's caucus colleague, Elgin-Middlesex-London MP Joe Preston.

Preston says he's busy working with provincial and municipal officials on proposals to fill 1.2 million square feet of vacant industrial space in his riding in the wake of the recession.

"Sometimes I get frustrated in Ottawa when I could have been back here at a meeting where I can make a difference," he said.

Preston said the Afghan detainee issue dates back to 2006 and waiting another few weeks to deal with the issue is not a major concern.

London-Fanshawe MP Irene Mathyssen is also feeling frustrated. But she said it's because so much important work in Parliament has been left hanging.

The NDP MP said important environmental legislation and work on economic stimulus projects has been sidetracked.

Harper has shown contempt for Parliament, Mathyssen said. "We go there to work and make a difference and that has all been wiped out."

Mathyssen said Harper has jeopardized Canada's international reputation by dodging inquiries about the treatment on Afghan detainees.

London North Centre MP Glen Pearson said the Harper government lacks credibility on the Afghan detainee issue but he said there are other issues about the mission that need oversight.

"We have already begun withdrawing troops from Afghanistan and Parliament should be overseeing that. We are not there," said Pearson, a Liberal MP who sits on the foreign affairs committee.

hank.daniszewski@sunmedia.ca