Letter of the Week

From "Moncton This Week" and "Riverview This Week"

Published Saturday November 10th, 2007

Appeared on page A2

To the editor:

It was with some concern (but sadly not surprise) that I read the November 3rd column from the Member of Parliament for Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe [On the Hill, Brian Murphy, This Week, Nov. 3, p. 7].

To state, as he did, that the Liberals inaction over the past number of weeks was in the best interests of Canadians was the very height of gall.

It is for purely self-serving motives that the Liberals have decided to abstain from voting on key measures in the House.

By doing so they have handed Mr. Harper a blank cheque to govern as if he had a majority, knowing that Mr. Murphy and his cohorts will sit on their hands when push comes to shove.

We've seen this already, not only with the throne speech, but with the Government's corporate tax-cutting measures that will see the squeeze continue to be put on working families.

The majority of Canadians did not vote for a Conservative government, and for the Liberals to take themselves out of the game and subvert that wish is an affront to democracy.

For Mr. Murphy to further state that the NDP is somehow irresponsible for opposing the Conservative agenda (something Mr. Murphy himself was elected to do) is laughable.

The NDP has consistently stood in opposition to Mr. Harper and what we feel is the wrong direction he wants to take the country in.

The blatant truth is that the Liberals are running scared from any confrontation due to their own weakness and ineptitude.

They have a wildly unpopular leader, a veritable revolt in their Quebec wing, a financial crisis and some very public internal strife.

These are the reasons they have gladly sacrificed any pretense of principle rather than face the electorate.

Shame on Mr. Murphy for trying to spin this into anything else and in the process insulting the intelligence of his voters.

Perhaps if the Liberals and their hapless leader are unwilling to fulfill their Parliamentary duties, the time has come to relieve them of it completely.

David Hackett

Vice President

Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe

NDP Riding Association