Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

Summer is no time to be consulting with Canadians

by Aaron Wherry on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 1:04pm - 10 Comments

Presented with a petition demanding he return to Ottawa, Conservative MP Larry Miller offers to sit for an extra 12 days this July.

Reached by telephone, Miller said the past few weeks have been among his “busiest on record.” He said he has met with many constituents. He said the Conservative government plans to “make up” 10 of the 22 sitting days missed by prorogation. ”If the issue is the 22 (missed) Parliament sitting days, we already have plans to make up 10 of those days and, as far as I’m concerned, we can make up the other 12 in July,” Miller said. “We’ll take them out of the summer break. It doesn’t matter to me.”

Dean Del Mastro, even more committed to Parliamentary democracy, is willing to sit through all of July and August.

Tags: Dean del Mastro, house of commons, Larry Miller, Parliament, prorogation, Prorogue, proroguing

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Andrew (not Potter or Coyne)

Shameless backpedaling. Besides, this wasn’t even the issue, though some people tried to boil down the problem to them taking the winter off.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Tceh Tceh

Will Larry Miller be the first Conservative MP to support the turnover of Afghan detainee documents requested by Parliament?
http://intensedebate.com/people/SeanStok Sean

"If the issue is the 22 (missed) Parliament sitting days…"

Democracy and accountability, like marriage, takes ongoing effort and involvement. I can't ignore my wife for weeks on end, then cram in a bunch of extra attention and expect her to thank me for it.

Richard Osborne

If she doesn't thank you, why bother? (;-)
http://intensedebate.com/people/PhilCP PhilCP

How often have you tested the ignore my wife for weeks on end, then cram in a bunch of extra attentionapproach to marriage? Only once, I'll guess ;-)

http://intensedebate.com/people/SeanStok Sean

Twice, actually. But I've resolved not to try it in my third marriage.

http://intensedebate.com/people/doug_rogers doug_rogers

"If the issue is the 22 (missed) Parliament sitting days"

Ha ha ha.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Jack_Mitchell Jack Mitchell

"Dean Del Mastro, even more committed to Parliamentary democracy, is willing to sit through all of July and August."

In fairness, given the heat, he may not have much choice.

Wallace Cleaver

Can we make sure he does his sitting in one of the non-air-conditioned committee rooms?

http://intensedebate.com/people/Thwim Thwim

That's lovely to hear, Mr. Miller.

Now, what if the issue isn't the 22 days of Parliament that you missed, but rather the 22 days of Parliament that the special committee for the Afghan Detainee issue missed? You working extra days in the spring or summer won't give them any extra time at all, because their schedule doesn't stop for normal House holidays.. it only stops when there is a.. wait for it.. proroguement.