Conservative MP Absent From a Child Poverty Forum in Southwestern Manitoba.
Are hungry kids a priority for the Harper government? by Larry Powell The forum (for the riding of Dauphin - Swan River - Neepawa) was sponsored by the Mission and Services Committee of the Neepawa United Church. It drew about 80 people to the church on Wednesday. But only four of the five candidates (see below) took part in the debate - Ray Piché (Liberal), Kate Storey (Green Party), Inky Mark (Ind.) and Laverne Lewycky (NDP) . The 5th candidate, the sitting Conservative MP for the area, Robert Sopuck (represented by the empty chair on the right), did not attend. His office manager in Neepawa, Christine Waddell, said he was in Inglis, a small community in the western part of the riding for the evening. She did not elaborate. But she did explain that a campaign worker was mistaken when he told forum organizers earlier that Mr. Sopuck would, in fact be there. Piché , the Liberal candidate, said the MP's absence showed “disrespect” for the rest of the candidates
Comments
should not be nonchalantly put aside just to…. "even the playing field." which the deputy Minister of Agriculture said. This would be a classic betrayal of governments responsibilities of protection to the public, whom they have sworn to serve.
Also, there are peoples health issues at stake, which must recognized and taken into consideration.
To do less, would be negligence of their commitment.
The public expects, and deserves better; and as we have been warned
by Justice Horace Krever:
" The relationship between a regulator and the regulated must never
become one in which the regulator (the Province or Municipal government ) loses sight that it regulates only in the public interest
and not in the interests of the regulated.