A copy of the most recent letters I've sent to my Member of Parliament, Jason Kenney.

from Brad Lazaruk <brad@lazaruk.com> sender-time Sent at 09:58 (GMT-07:00). Current time there: 1:01 PM. ✆ to calgary@jasonkenney.com, Kenney.J@parl.gc.ca cc IgnatM@parl.gc.ca, pm@pm.gc.ca, info@gg.ca, jmarkusoff@theherald.canwest.com, katie.schneider@sunmedia.ca date Tue, Jan 12, 2010 at 09:58 subject Work

 Mr Kenney,

  I find it absolutely pathetic that you and the rest of your party are not doing your job of representing the people in Parliament.  Hiding behind prorogation is a cowardly and devious way to behave in a democracy, and avoiding debate and investigation was never the intended use for it.

 I understand the need to behave in the self interest of the government or party sometimes.  All recent Prime Ministers of both the major parties have called elections at politically advantageous times (even if they had enacted legislation specifically to prevent governments from calling snap elections at politically advantageous times, but I'll leave that aside for now).

 There are important questions that need answering right now.  Why did Canada lose jobs last month when experts were predicting a drop in unemployment?  Is the government's plan to move Canada successfully through the recession actually working?  What did the government or military know or approve of relating to the treatment of detainees in Afghanistan?  These are just some of the many things that the government should have to investigate and explain, but because you are hiding it will be more difficult than usual to get any straight answers.

  I've read many articles that supported the conclusion that it is absurd of the government to claim that they need this prorogation to refocus on the economy.  I must say I do not entirely support this point of view.  I do not find these excuses merely unimaginative, cowardly or ignorant, although those terms are all applicable to be sure.  Instead I believe I can best categorize this prorogation as both terrifying and insulting.  To expect educated people to believe that the government simply cannot get any work done while having to simultaneously answer questions and attend meetings for a few hours a day is preposterous.  Through this excuse the government is implying that it is so dysfunctional that it cannot concentrate on more than one thing at a time.

 This entire series of events is reminiscent of any number of times in the recent past where some dictator suspended a constitution or suppressed some basic rights over a lost election or perceived or manufactured threat.  This prorogation is another power grab by the Prime Minister, another snub in the face of Parliament, parliamentary tradition, the Constitution and the Canadian people.  It is additional evidence that your party seems to consider the general population not as people but as nothing more than nondescript providers of income for government balance sheets, otherwise beneath your notice.

 I wonder if the next time your government is questioned on something if the reaction will simply be to lock the opposition members of Parliament out of the building, to outright refuse to speak to the media (instead of just being vague, dismissive and deceptive per the current policy), or perhaps to suspend parts of the Constitution through the Emergencies Act?  These are, after all, the next logical steps in the seizing of power under any dictatorship.

 Mr. Kenney, if you seriously need to take a break from running the country so that you can focus on attending a few ceremonies during the Olympics then I would suggest that you are not qualified to independently function within Canadian society, let alone be part of the process that is purporting to lead and defend us.  If you and your government insist on defending your prorogation actions with this hazy and insulting worldview then the only rational course of action for you all to take is to resign your positions as Members of Parliament and segregate yourselves completely from the rest of the country so we do not disturb your concentration any further.  There are a number of quiet spots right here in Alberta where you could hole up, build yourself a fence and a cabin, sink a well, plant some grain and carefully go through the rest of your days one to-do list item at a time.  I'm sure it can be arranged so that everyone else on Earth will just leave you alone so you can better focus.

 The reality is that out here in the real world people are expected to be able to juggle many different things at once.  I'm trying to plan a wedding right now sir, and by the precedent set by your government I should be able to tell my employers that I cannot work until the ceremony is completed (yet continue to receive my salary of course), I should be able to sleep well at night while my family starves and freezes because I'm too busy planning my wedding to buy groceries or pay bills.  This is of course absurd while at the same time being functionally equivalent to the prorogation actions taken by the Canadian government.

 I suppose the other course of action is for the Prime Minister to publicly admit that this prorogation was nothing more than a partisan, divisive political tactic used to reduce the government's exposure to embarrassing questions at a time when the bulk of the world's media will be watching Canada closely.  If the government were to stand up and admit this publicly then I suppose I would at least have to respect that.

 Through the Constitution and the democratic process you are my representative in Parliament.  I expect you to be in Parliament, at work and doing your job on January 25, 2010 and every day after that until the Governor-General dissolves Parliament.

 
   -- Brad Lazaruk