Nobody tells Dan Albas what to say

Conservative MP Dan Albas writes to his constituents about the consternation around statements by members.

Obviously I cannot speak for other Members of Parliament however from my own experience I have been able to deliver many Member’s Statements in the House of Commons without incident. Examples of some of my statements include last year’s record breaking season of the Penticton Vees, the good work that Canadian Shriners do on behalf of sick children across Canada and more recently recognizing the importance of responsible resource development to our rural communities such as Logan Lake and Merritt. I have received positive comments on these statements from colleagues on both sides of the House and from many local citizens. Often I find there is great interest in these types of statements as they help to reflect the diversity of our great country…

I make a point of authoring my own Member’s statements largely based on events and achievements occurring within our riding of Okanagan-Coquihalla. My Member’s Statements are not directed by any outside influences and it has never been suggested to me what I should or should not say as a Member of Parliament. From my own experiences in representing the citizens of Okanagan-Coquihalla I have found Members Statements to be a brief but very important way that we as MP’s can share events that occur in our ridings with other Canadians, and I have never encountered any difficulty whatsoever in doing so.

It would seem that Mr. Albas has never spoken the phrase “carbon tax” in the House.