Editor:
Enough of this controversy over MP Russ Hiebert and his selfish, childlike regard for taxpayers, on the hook year after year for his “family values” and silly newsletters.
Where are the Liberals who would run against this Conservative rock-in-the-road incumbent, who have a fair chance of winning the riding in the next election? In the last two federal elections, we were treated to a tired, old, retread local and to someone of eastern pedigree unknown to most local voters. Is this the best the Liberals can do?
I can’t blame Hiebert for winning, but does anyone care? The NDP, Greens and others sign up throw-away candidates in each election.
Do the Liberals really care enough to run a credible candidate against Hiebert? If not, then what you see is what you get, by default.
C. Dubois, White Rock
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Sigh, why is everybody so down on Russ Hiebert? What did he do that was so terrible?
As far as his sending his family to Ottawa lots of times on the taxpayer, so what? It wasn’t like he made up a family and then claimed first-class travel for them, or brought along a woman who wasn’t his wife.
He simply took advantage of what was offered; if you offer a kid a plate of cookies and say take what you want, don’t be mad if the kid takes them all.
At least he didn’t go on strike and refuse to go to Ottawa, like former MP Pat Carney when she was told her son couldn’t go for free. Who knows, maybe Russ should thank Pat for the families travel-free perk.
What he did was legal. It’s up to us voters to demand that free family travel be removed from the trough, and then don’t vote for anybody who won’t go along with that.
As far as Russ not doing anything, there’s, what, several hundred MPs? Russ probably does as much as most of them.
Edward Rubin, Surrey
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With a federal election happening eventually, I am upset that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has taken away my freedom of choice by not allowing anyone within the Conservative party to oppose the incumbent, Russ Hiebert. Although having voted Conservative in previous elections, I do not wish to have him represent me in Ottawa.
Therefore, I shall be forced to vote for the opposition unless Harper decides to follow the principles of democracy and allow us a choice of Conservative candidates.
Claus Ritter, White Rock
