One after another, four Liberals stood in the Commons this week to decry the treatment that British Columbia has received at the hands of the Conservative government in the face of a recession.
Ujjal Dosanjh ... wanted to know why Prime Minister Stephen Harper was "incapable" of providing hope to British Columbians who have lost jobs and home equity. Joyce Murray ... asked if the federal government failed to understand the depth of the economic problem and its effect on B.C. Hedy Fry ... said Ottawa has promised hundreds of millions of dollars to deal with pine-beetle devastation, but only a quarter of the money has flowed. And Keith Martin ... asked why British Columbians pay the same Employment Insurance premiums as other Canadians but are entitled to fewer benefits.
The criticism from the B.C. Liberals rings with some of the same anger expressed by Liberals in Newfoundland and Labrador.... But, unlike their colleagues ... B.C. Liberals have not asked leader Michael Ignatieff for a one-time dispensation to express their displeasure by voting against the Conservative economic plan....
First, voters choose MPs to represent THEM, not the candidate's damn PARTY. MPs don't have to ASK PERMISSION to vote according to their conscience and on behalf of their constituents.
Second, this abysmal demonstration of BC Liberals "standing up" for those they're supposed to be representing in Ottawa makes a lousy argument for voting in those four, let alone, more Liberals come the next election.
And, by the way, those Liberals who stood up - once - on behalf of Newfoundland and Labrador? Their obedience to their leader by voting in favour of the budget implementation bill rendered their earlier flounce null.
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