CyberSmokeBlog.blogspot.com: A constitutent writes to their new Member of Parliament!

Former P/Sgt. Shelly Glover, Public Information Officer, Winnipeg Police Service

The Honourable Shelly Glover

Member of Parliament, Saint Boniface

Hill Office

House of Commons

Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6

Telephone: (613) 995-0379

Facsimile: (613) 996-7571

E-mail: Glover.S@parl.gc.ca

Constituency Office

4 - 231 St. Mary's Road

Winnipeg, Maniotba R2H 1J9

Telephone: (204) 983-3183

Facsimile: (204) 983-4279

Dear Honourable Shelly Glover:

Congratulations on a hard earned, well deserved victory in the last election which was over two years in the making.

Sorry for using a picture of you in a former life but, as you are undoubtedly aware, a recent kinder, more gentler one has yet to be posted on your www.parl.gc.ca site much like there is no e-mail address for your Constituency Office. We assume they'll be provided in due course.

While we were almost swayed by your last minute election day voice mail message - "Clare I need your vote" or "Clare there's a lot I'd like to accomplish but will need your support" or "Clare ....." in the end it didn't work. Here's why.

Many have become increasingly concerned with the Conservative Party's concentration of power and decision making within the Prime Minister's Office and Privy Council institutions not staffed by elected officials. This has manifested itself in many ways such as legitimate requests under the federal government's Access To Information Act being more heavily vetted, scrutinized, taking longer and ultimately less readily available. But in the end it was more than that.

During the last campaign Mr. Harper effectively muzzled his candidates limiting them to talking about national issues and insisting their local rhetoric be consistent with the "Party Line." Even the warm, fuzzy sweater still couldn't get the Prime Minister a majority government.Then there was the question, do we really wish to place our trust in a government that passes legislation calling for mandated elections then promptly ignores it?

While you are no doubt well-intentioned and are the only police officer in Parliament with a solid grasp of youth crime issues, as already publicly stated, your Riding is about a lot more than that - a lot more.

Although it is not our place to provide advice, we only hope you don't become like the second coming of Preston Manning. In 1997 he went to Ottawa vowing to turn Stornaway House, Official Residence of the Opposition Leader, into a Bingo Hall. Instead, upon arriving he proceeded to spend significant taxpayer dollars to have it re-decorated. Of him it was said, "He went to Ottawa to change it but in the end it changed him."

Today there is no Preston Manning or Bingo Hall but Stornaway still stands better than ever!