As an Opposition critic it is my duty to hold government
to account however as a Member of Parliament I believe
it also important to communicate government policy and
positions accurately, regardless of the Opposition
position.
The need to work constructively to try and raise the bar
in our electoral governance and its institutions is an
important one. While government is often blamed for
cynicism of voters, there is also room for Opposition to
take action and that includes addressing misinformation
when it occurs. As always I welcome your views on this
subject.
Although the House of Commons is currently adjourned
until Monday, Jan. 25, 2016, there are still many events
occurring that involve our federal government.
Throughout Canada including here in our region of
British Columbia, the first Syrian refugee families are
now arriving. While the government has been keen to take
credit for much of this work it is also extremely
important to recognize that many of the current refugees
arriving are privately sponsored.
We all at one point or another have faced a new
situation whether it was starting at a new school or job
and how stressful it can be, particularly if you find
the environment less than welcoming. One can only
imagine then the stress of leaving one’s home to another
country entirely.
I would like to personally thank the many individuals
and organizations who are working tirelessly together as
private sponsors to ensure that our newly arriving
Canadian citizens are successfully welcomed and become
proud members of our Canadian family.
Also occurring in Ottawa this week is the release of the
full report from the Truth and Reconciliation Report
that summarizes one of the darkest times in our history
as the result of aboriginal children being forced to
attend residential schools.
While we cannot change our past we can learn from this
chapter in history and use this experience to build on a
better future. The government has indicated that they
will accept all of the recommendations from this report
and work towards implementation. I will report further
on this subject when more information becomes available.
Finally this week is the subject of town halls. A number
of citizens have suggested they would like to see
community town halls where citizens can meet directly
with their Member of Parliament to discuss matters of
importance and also to pass on comments and concerns.
One area I have heard a number of complaints from is
citizens who worked during this past election and still
have not been paid or encountered other difficulties.
While this is just one example there are others that
have encouraged me to investigate the idea of hosting a
number of community forums throughout our region.
My question to citizens is a community forum something
you would be willing to attend and are there specific
concerns you would like to see addressed or more of an
open format? All responses will be treated in
confidence.
Dan Albas is the Conservative MP for the Central
Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola riding.
Source::::::
Kelowna Capital News, dated 16/12/2015.