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The corrupting influence of technology

Charlie Angus wants MPs banned from using the Twitter. Bob Rae was asked about this yesterday and boldly declared that it might not be expecting too much to trust MPs with such technology.

Question: A decorum question.

Bob Rae: Decorum.

Question: Yes.  One of your colleagues –

Bob Rae: You’re asking me about decorum?  (Laughter.)   You all look very well dressed this morning.

Question: (Inaudible) to apologize in the House for putting something out on Twitter, an insult, a fat joke about a Tory member and another MP stood and said perhaps we should be focussed on committee work and not playing with BlackBerries and Twitter.  What do you make of these sorts of little outburst?  Is it silliness for MPs  to be doing this (inaudible)?

Bob Rae: No, I mean look, these things – with this technology now these things happen.  I mean I can’t get too excited about it one way or other.  Some people are trying to make a joke or something.  Sometimes somebody who occasionally tells jokes they’re not always well received.  And apparently this one wasn’t by Mr. Del Maestro.  It’s understandable.  I would just let it go. I  think the issue’s settled.

Question: I’ll agree with you there.  I’m just asking –

Bob Rae: Oh, thank you.

Question: — about another question about should we – should MPs  be sitting on their BlackBerries and playing with Facebook and Twitter while they’re supposed to be sitting in a committee doing the nation’s business?

Bob Rae: Well, I think we – the great thing about MPs  is that we’re able to chew gum and walk at the same time and I think occasionally we can do more than one thing at a time.  It’s called multi-tasking.

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