I was annoyed to receive the Summer 2010 constituency newsletter from our member of Parliament, Earl Dreeshen, which was presumably mailed to every residence in the constituency.
Dreeshen presented us with a list of tourist information, which is readily available on the Internet, through local libraries, tourist bureaus, local papers, or from the governing bodies of individual communities within the region.
Why duplicate that which already exists, and at what expense?
I would be interested to hear how much it cost in constituency manpower, printing and mailing costs to deliver this unnecessary information. Could Dreeshen address that in his next pamphlet?
I should also point out that two of the events, the Country Drive and Asparagus Festival, had already occurred before the booklet arrived in the mail today. Is this an example of government immediacy?
Taxpayers should expect a newsletter of this nature to document and discuss the direction our government is taking and why and how important decisions on issues are reached.
Instead may we assume that Dreeshen has already started his summer holiday?
Possibly he is on his way to the G20 and G8 meetings where he can have his picture taken in front of the $2-million backdrop created by the Conservatives in downtown Toronto that depicts a northern Ontario lake for the benefit of media, when they could walk two minutes and use Lake Ontario for their background.
Our tax dollars in action? I think not!
Pat O’Callaghan
Red Deer