While some Conservative MPs have come out this week to say they will not be sending out their party’s most recent attack on new Liberal leader Justin Trudeau to constituents, Red Deer MP Earl Dreeshen is not among them.
The new mailouts — called “ten-percenters” because they can be sent to 10 per cent of all households in an MPs riding — feature an informal photo of Trudeau, the Toryism that he is “in way over his head,” and the headline ‘Inexperience,’ under which are listed some of Trudeau’s past jobs, such as camp counsellor, bungee jumping coach and drama teacher.
On the other side is Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the word ‘Experience,’ and a list of government achievements.
“I’ve sat across from the member from Papineau (Trudeau) here for five years and in that time I can’t say that I’ve ever heard or seen anything that really gives me any great confidence in his leadership capabilities, so I don’t have a problem with our party’s categorization of him,” said Dreeshen from Ottawa.
Unlike similar Tory television ads, the mailouts are on the taxpayer’s dime, funded through the party’s Commons budget.
At least seven Conservative MPs have said recently that they would not be sending out the anti-Trudeau material in their ridings, Crowfoot MP Kevin Sorenson among them.
“I don’t use that type of householder. I haven’t heard from anyone who’s going to either,” he told the Canadian Press.
Dreeshen said he would not comment on what his party colleagues choose to do. For him, “it’s an awareness issue.”
“I’m confident in what I do and the message that we have to give to our constituents,” said Dreeshen.
He added that he is comfortable with the negative mailouts being taxpayer-funded, saying every party has the freedom to do with their mailout allotment as it chooses.
Wetaskiwin MP Blaine Calkins and Wild Rose MP Blake Richards were not available for comment Wednesday.
The flyers are to be distributed June 1.
mfish@www.reddeeradvocate.com