Comment Editorial
Minimum standards needed for candidates
Last Updated: April 19, 2011 9:09am
It's easy for voters to be increasingly cynical--particularly those who are legitimately engaged in full-time work-- when politicians take to stumping around the countryside asking to be elected or returned to office.
Too many of them are like teenagers running for high-school student council. Let's win the popularity contest and then we can skip off class.
The common worker would be fired smartly for repeated absenteeism, yet this is not so in the country's hallowed halls of government. In Canada's Parliament, missing work seems to be an inherent right of the elite.
In the 3rd session of the 40th Parliament, which ran from March 3, 2010 to March 26, 2011, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff was the most invisible MP in Ottawa with 135 absences.
In fact Liberals showed (up) very poorly, accounting for six of the seven most-often empty desks in the House.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper misses out on a good attendance pin as well. He was missing in action 82 times, while Helena Guergis didn't show up for work on 81 separate occasions.
It is not acceptable that Justin Trudeau or Bev Oda can miss work 56 times. It is not reasonable that Stephane Dion can have trouble finding the Parliament buildings 59 times, or that Gerard Kennedy can get tied up 88 times.
How many other jobs permit such blatant absenteeism?
Perhaps it is the natural consequence of having to report to the board of directors (the voters in this case) only once every few years.
Elected officials work for Canadians, except of course when they don't.
It isn't enough to simply go to the polls, cast your ballot and trust that your elected representative is in fact working for you.
Be engaged, ask questions, demand answers, or be okay with throwing that $157,731 a year salary down the drain.
--John Chambers
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