This week's MP report: Discussion is important

Over the past few months during my annual summer listening tour I have met with a number of citizens, employers, groups and organizations to hear concerns, questions and suggestions from the many residents of Okanagan-Coquihalla. In turn I have taken these concerns forward to various departments and Ministers in Ottawa and will continue to actively work on many of the suggestions that are put forward on an ongoing basis. Some of the comments that were presented I have raised in my weekly reports; most recently raising the topic of judicial activism, an uncomfortable subject for some and a serious concern for others.  

Although I have heard a large amount of opinions representing a wide spectrum of views this summer, one underlying theme is that many people appreciate the opportunity to have an open discussion. It may be less civil online but generally in person or on the phone citizens value being heard and more often than not hearing the reasons why Government supports some policy and projects and not others. In short it comes down to accountability– people deserve to be heard and not to be dismissed. If I have one pet peeve as a Member of Parliament it is when I take citizens concerns forward to Ottawa often to have those within the Ottawa bubble attempt to dismiss those concerns because they disagree with them politically or they do not fit into a certain narrative– much as I have experienced recently. I will say that I have a much better understanding why some elected officials tend not to speak out for fear of media repercussion.

One of the major reasons why I submit a weekly report and conduct listening tours, is that many citizens I hear from appreciate having the opportunity to have a firsthand conversation to hear the reasons why we as elected representatives voted on an issue of particular interest to them. This creates a direct line of accountability between individual citizens and their representative. If they disagree with the decision they will have a chance to vote accordingly at the next election. This ultimately is the essence of our democratic process. Recently an outgoing city councillor made an observation questioning the political relationships that occur in smaller municipalities between elected officials and other prominent citizens that could possibly affect their local community grants process. It was again an uncomfortable discussion for some however that does not negate the validity of the subject. The larger question is how can we improve upon these things?

Ultimately if we are to run for public office we cannot be afraid to speak out and share the concerns of the citizens we represent, a principle that should apply to all levels of public office. Accountability also means transparency. As elected officials we are paid with your tax dollars– our expenses, our operating budgets, benefits, the fiscal and policy decisions including projects and programs are all costly. This is why initiatives like open data (www.data.gc.ca) and open government (www.data.gc.ca/eng/open-government) are there to provide more of this information to taxpayers with increased ease of access.To find out who has met with me or any other MP on a particular special interest you can go to the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada (www.ocl-cal.gc.ca). As elected officials we are also doing more voluntarily disclosure as well as audited disclosure. I know firsthand that my annual accountability report generated a record number of responses in support and that is why it is now an annual document. Citizens want more transparency from all levels of Government– it is an important principle and one that we can continue to improve upon. Citizens have also shared concerns that deserve to be heard even if they are unpopular in some quarters. These are some of the items I have heard these past few months and look forward to hearing more concerns and taking those concerns forward. I welcome your comments at dan.albas@parl.gc.ca or toll free at 1-800-665-8711.