Duty Calls

Originally published on the DaninOttawa.com site on June 15, 2011.

With the Committees now set I am beginning to be able to have a regular routine here on the Hill. On Monday`s and Wednesday`s the TRAN (Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure & Communities) committee will sit in the afternoon while REGS (Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations) sits at the same time on Thursdays. Tuesday is my house duty day and in between these events I try to sit in on the house for question period wherever possible and of course for all votes unless I am attending an event in the riding or elsewhere on behalf of another member of Government. When not in the House of Commons I am often in my office where I can return your calls and emails.

Aside from using my email Dan.Albas@parl.gc.ca you can also leave a message at my Penticton office 250-770-4480 where my staff are happy to relay your messages to me here in Ottawa.

Today in the House of Commons the debate was largely focussed on Libya. It is an important subject and one that all Members of Parliament should take very seriously. I can pass on that was precisely what occurred. The tone and comments were respectful, they were thought-provoking and sincere. There were no cat calls, no heckling, and no disrespect shown on either side of the house. Whether or not this tone will continue is not known to me at this point, but I will say that when we raise the level of the debate, we do a better job representing the people who send us to Ottawa. 

What most impressed me about the debate in the house today was that it was not so much about do we or do we not as Canadians help the citizens of Libya, but rather how can we best provide the much-needed assistance and help to prevent the tragic loss of life of innocent Libyan families. We may not always agree on the solutions, but I was proud that as a Canadians and Members of Parliament we did not dispute the need to.

Related articles

• Parliament agrees to extend Libya mission (canada.com)