My Letter To My Tory M.P.

As mentioned in my previous post, the Harper Conservatives are starting to receive 'blowback' as a result of their heavy-handed and undemocratic push of Bill C-38, their budget omnibus bill. Now would seem to be a propitious time to express how we feel about M.P.s whose fealty to 'Dear Leader' renders impossible any meaningful representation of their constituents.

Here is my letter to David Sweet, the M.P. for the riding of Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale.

Dear Mr. Sweet:

I am writing to express my deep dissatisfaction with your government in general and your constituency representation in particular.

Being part of three protests near your constituency office has been an educational experience for all involved. High on the hill overlooking Dundas, inaccessible by public transit, your choice of location seems symbolically apt for the distant and disdainful view that Harper Conservatives hold 'for the people.' Coupled with your office's hiding behind the property manager's 'no trespassing' edict and the engagement of the local police to prevent a direct democratic expression of displeasure makes your separation and isolation complete.

Your party, by facilely dismissing all criticism and countervailing views as the work of fear mongers or the result of foreign influences, makes your disdain for democracy palpable. Claiming to hold the only truth worth holding is to have the evangelical fervour of the fanatical. To dismiss the concerns of your constituents as you blithely mouth the party line is to show your contempt for those you pretend to represent.

I speak for many others when I say that I shall work very hard to defeat you in the next election. However, given that it is three years in the future, I and many others will spend the intervening time informing, educating, and persuading our fellow Canadians to reengage in the political process so that by 2015, more than your 'true believers' will show up at the polls, and with any luck, your government will be recognized for what it is.

Sincerely,

Lorne Warwick