A talked-about spring federal election would be a "huge distraction" in the face of an overwhelming desire among Canadians for leaders to focus on continuing efforts to stoke the economy post-recession, Conservative member of Parliament John Weston said this week.
Ditto on calls by his designated Liberal Party opponent, Dan Veniez, for a series of public, multi-party, forums - election or no - across the West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country riding to discuss challenges citizens and the country are facing and how best to tackle them.
Veniez issued his invitation after a well-attended West Vancouver forum involving himself, Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff and Nova Scotia MP Scott Brison on Jan. 13. Upon hearing of Weston's initial response that such meetings would be a "huge distraction," Veniez countered in an open letter to Weston (printed on page 9 of today's edition).
Weston, who was in Squamish Jan. 18 for a series of meetings, said that as soon as such an election is called, he'll be happy to be part of riding-wide candidates' forums involving Veniez, NDP candidate Terry Platt and other hopefuls, but not before then.
"It's a huge distraction from the work of government and we don't need an election now when the country is focusing on rebounding from the recession," Weston said. "I would say that five successive quarters of economic growth speak for themselves, that he and Michael Ignatieff just visiting the riding are out of touch with what people who live here really want. When the election comes, I'll be delighted to engage with other parties in that discussion. Now, my job is to represent people in the priorities that they have set in terms of economic recovery, engagement, working on fisheries matters and my [private member's] drug bill that we still have to get through the Senate."
Despite recent polls that have shown roughly half of Canadians would be OK with an election in 2011 - Ottawa has, after all, been in a minority situation for almost 2 years - Weston said he doesn't know anyone in the riding who wants one.
By and large, he said, people want their federal leaders to focus on "staying the course" toward full economic recovery.
Weston, who heads back to Ottawa for the next parliamentary session in early February, said the theme of his nearly two-plus years in office has been collaboration, which he credits for having brought approximately $200 million in federal stimulus funding and other grants to the riding.
"I don't take credit for that. I take pride in the teamwork shown by our communities in promoting and pushing so effectively," he said.