Harris: I’m working while Parliament is prorogued

January 28, 2010

Williams Lake Tribune
By Erin Hitchcock - Williams Lake Tribune

Cariboo Prince George MP Dick Harris says he’s working hard in the riding while Parliament is prorogued until March 3.

His comments come following an anti-proroguing rally held Saturday afternoon on Third Avenue and Oliver Street where Council of Canadians member John Dressler said he and others at the rally were protesting the shutting down of Parliament on Dec. 30 until after the Olympic Games.

“We think that there are too many huge issues to be dealt with for our parliamentarians to be sitting out,” Dressler said, adding he would like to see Harris hold town hall meetings in the constituency to connect with voters to find out what they want.

Harris told the Tribune Tuesday that anyone who questions what he is doing while Parliament is prorogued should ride with him to see what work he is doing.
“I would love to have those people come ride with me,” Harris says.

He says he has already made stops in Williams Lake and Quesnel earlier this week, meeting with Quesnel Mayor Mary Sjostrom as well as people in Williams Lake.
On Tuesday, Harris expected to be in meetings in Prince George up until 10 p.m. Yesterday he was in Williams Lake to give a cheque to the Williams Lake Boys and Girls Club before heading to Quesnel to meet with more people and attend the Chamber of Commerce annual meeting.

Today, he plans to come back to Williams Lake to have more meetings and attend the Williams Lake and District Chamber of Commerce luncheon. In the afternoon, he will have more meetings and will then go to the Olympic Torch event.

“I’m putting in about 120 hours this week working,” Harris says, adding that NDP Leader Jack Layton and NDP supporters think the world, Parliament, and democracy revolves around Question Period.

“If that isn’t running, their whole world is shattered, because it’s the only chance they get to have their face on television. From my point of view, I’d use any excuse to stay in my riding and work for my constituents.”

When asked about Dressler’s suggestion of Harris holding community meetings while Parliament is prorogued, Harris says he has a full schedule and is working on items that he believes will have meaningful results.

“So Mr. Dressler and Maude Barlow … and those folks who think MPs don’t work when they’re in the ridings can jump in the lake,” Harris says, adding that he has delivered more tax dollars to the riding in the history of Canadian governments and in the history of any MP in the Prince George, Williams Lake, and Quesnel areas.
“There is no one, no one who has delivered more tax dollars back to the riding than me,” he says, adding that last year alone he delivered $200 million to the riding.
Next week, Harris is going to Kamloops and Kelowna for more meetings. He will also head to Ottawa for meetings he arranged between business people, stakeholders, ministers and ministers’ assistants.

He then plans to come back to B.C. to attend a B.C. Caucus meeting, which he chairs, in Vancouver.

“Then I’m coming back to the riding until it’s time to go back to Ottawa,” he says, adding that he plans to have more meetings in the interim.