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Albas brings energy to new role as MP

We would like to congratulate Dan Albas on his convincing election night victory that ushered him in as the new member of Parliament for Okanagan Coquihalla.

While Albas may not carry the same political clout as outgoing MP Stockwell Day, we expect he will bring the same energy to his new role that he displayed in Penticton’s council chambers.

During his term on council Albas consistently demonstrated a willingness to listen to his constituents on the issues before reaching a decision he felt would be in the best interest of the community. He brought an unparalleled openness to council’s business, even starting a political blog where he could provide information on the matters being debated at City Hall and respond to feedback from the community.

We can only hope that Albas’ commitment to openness and transparency will continue as a member of Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, which has shown a tendency to muzzle its MPs.

Albas heads to Ottawa during a time of unprecedented change. Voters handed the Conservatives their first majority government since the days of Brian Mulroney. And the once-proud Liberal Party has been left in shambles, with the NDP now forming the official Opposition.

But despite his convincing victory, Albas is not the only one who deserves praise on the local stage. All of the candidates deserve credit for a lively and energetic campaign that brought attention to the many issues being faced by Canada.

And while the candidates were able to draw stark contrasts between their positions and those of their political opponents, the local campaigns never resorted to the partisan accusations and name-calling that we have become accustomed to on the national stage. And we were all the winners because of that.

— Penticton Western News