To the editor:
It is more than bizarre that, while the country is in the grip of the E. coli-contaminated meat scare, neither of our local MPs so much as mention the outbreak.
The incredibly inept handling of the situation by the government and, in particular, the minister of agriculture, would surely deserve a sentence or two.
Instead, we get the usual pablum-type report on routine House of Commons business (MP Dan Albas: Parliament Starts with Accountability, Oct. 2 Lake Country Calendar) or how great Canadian inventors are (Cannan: Raising Awareness of Canadian Achievements In Science and Technology, Oct. 9 Lake Country Calendar).
The US stopped importing contaminated meat weeks before the Canadian food safety authority finally clamped down.
All the while, the government assured the public on a daily basis that the meat was safe to eat.
Further, neither MP mentioned Motion 312, which was a covert attempt to eliminate women’s right of choice.
To his credit, Mr. (MP Dan) Albas voted against the motion, Mr. (MP Ron) Cannan voted in favour as did almost 90 other Conservative MPs.
This means that women’s rights will continue to be under attack by these MPs.
Since the MPs are provided with free space in the media, we should be able to expect full and comprehensive reports, not the censored version from the Prime Minister’s Office.
Harri Henschler,
West Kelowna