Where Was Your Member of Parliament?

Since the election, demand for a debate in the House of Commons over Canada's role in Afghanistan has been consistently drummed up. Even as more troops prepared to join their colleagues, the opposition has stirred this pot. Phone in radio shows, editorials, and interviews with the "experts" kept it in the forefront of our conciousness (and hey it turns out the Taliban's too) forcing a split feeling over the issue despite the fact that Afghanistan is clearly is a source of global terrorists who potentially could affect our lives directly.

Meanwhile, kids, families and partners are saying goodbye to their loved ones who continue to leave for the mountains of Kandahar in tearful scenes captured on video for all to see, and this country continues to waffle over whether or not they should be going in the first place.

Finally, in an effort to stave off more doubt, which has got to affect the morale of our troops, the Harper government decides to hold a debate. And what happens? Hardly anyone shows up for the debating party. According to CTV news...........

Out of 308 MPs:

• 58 Conservative MPs (44 left after O'Connor finished speaking)
• 21 Liberals (dropped to 10 at one point)
• 2 Bloc Quebecois
• 8 NDP (may have been up to 20 at one point)

Where was everyone else, out shopping for Easter bonnets?

Even given the fact that a recent poll released Sunday suggests Canadians are split over the mission, our representatives don't even bother to show up?

"The poll, conducted by Decima Research, shows that 46 per cent of Canadians think the mission is a bad idea, compared to 45 per cent who feel the opposite is true.

The online poll drew responses from 2,131 people from March 31 to April 4, and is considered accurate plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, 19 times in 20. Results were given to The Canadian Press.

The same poll indicates that 43 per cent of Canadians want troops to return home within the year, compared with 10 per cent who want troops to stay for another one or two years, and 15 per cent who want troops to stay for up to five years."

Sure this debate was really an opportunity to declare solidarity for our troops...........there was no vote..............is that not a good thing??? What are the MP's paid for if they don't even show up in Ottawa when the house is in session. Good God...........didn't the house just open last week? It's disgraceful.

No matter which side of the fence one sits with respect to this issue, we are all supposed to have representation in Ottawa. I fully expect my Member of Parliament to respectfully, faithfully and actively take their seat in the House of Commons and take part. Don't you expect that?

Demand it! If an MP doesn't show and has no accountable excuse............they shouldn't get paid. It's time to pay more attention to the in-house attendance and voting records or our MP's. It's time that we are more aware of just what's going on in our Nation's capital.............not only for the morale of our troops..............but for the morale and reputation of this country.

Maybe it's a good thing that the rest of the world rarely pays attention to little old us, when apathy is even evident at the top echelon.