I am of the opinion that the apparent rush and obsession by Mr. Albas to become an MP is a questionable one.
His nomination by stealth (crowned by Stockwell Day), at the expense of otherwise qualified members of his party, was apparently engineered ahead of time by his predecessor, based on what are considered a breach of ethics and lack of transparency, which is nothing new for the Conservative Party.
The controversy of Mr. Albas holding to his council seat and being paid at the taxpayers’ expense and claiming a leave of absence whilst campaigning at the federal level show an inherent attitude on his part to go to the trough and preserve their paid position in case of defeat. Mr. Albas wants to run at the federal level, he should resign his city council seat and seek his safety net elsewhere, not at the taxpayers’ expense.
City council is also to blame to allow this farce to continue. After all, Mr. Albas’ record as a member of council has not been all glitters and free of mistakes.
During his campaign, will Mr. Albas continue his leader’s and some of his previous minister’s routine access denial of opponent’s views; or limit questions to constituents and members of the media, or throw them out of rallies?
Will Mr. Albas speak against the Conservative Party’s billions of dollars in waste in untendered military jets, G7 meetings and other projects? Will Mr. Albas address the plight of seniors, veterans and homeless who make up some 35 per cent of this riding?
Will Mr. Albas preach the unfounded fear mongering of his leader’s obsession with coalition? Communication, compromise and agreement with other political factions is a democratic way of life, not a threat to anyone.
Will Mr. Albas endorse his unethical leader’s character assassination of other party leaders rather than be a voice for his constituents and issues facing the country? Will Mr. Albas stop the Conservative Party dismantling of the cherished Canadian democratic institutions in order to become a U.S.-type system of government?
Mr. Albas, you represent a Conservative Party which has shown a travesty of justice, ethics, accountability, openness, democratic principles and misuse of power in a dictatorial way. This situation has to stop. The only alternative is to elect a rejuvenated alternative party more attuned and respectful of the people and institutions of this beautiful democratic country. Amen.
Claude Filiatrault
Penticton