Local NDP MPs frustrated with PM
NDP MPs Jack Harris and Ryan Cleary held a news conference Wednesday at Harris’s office to discuss their frustration and disgust over Prime Minister Stephen Harper again proroguing Parliament, this time for five weeks.
“Ordinary people — Newfoundlanders and Labradorians — don’t get to say, ‘I’m taking five weeks off,’ and not work. Stephen Harper is not only doing that, he’s shutting down our House, our democratic institution. It’s unnecessary,” Harris said.
The House of Commons hasn’t sat since June, and there’s much speculation that Harper’s reason for the most recent shutting of Parliament is to avoid answering questions on certain issues.
It’s unfair, it’s undemocratic and it’s a repeat of Mr. Harper’s failure to respect the democratic process and to respect the elected Parliament,
Jack Harris, St. John’s East MP
“He’s clearly trying to avoid facing the music which he was doing back in June with respect to this scandal in the Senate and other issues,” Harris said, referring to the spending scandal that has recently plagued some senators.
“It’s unfair, it’s undemocratic and it’s a repeat of Mr. Harper’s failure to respect the democratic process and to respect the elected Parliament,” said Harris.
Cleary was like-minded with his thoughts on the subject, calling it an affront to democracy.
“We should be in the House of Commons. We should be representing Newfoundland and Labrador in the House of Commons,” Cleary said.
Some of the issues the MPs said they would deal with in the House are the Transportation Safety Board’s report on replacing Sea King helicopters, EI issues such as long waiting times and the care of ill and injured soldiers.
Harris also said the NDP has proposed a private member’s bill that would require a vote of Parliament to prorogue Parliament for more than a week.