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Speak Up

In the past few weeks, Canadians have had the chance to see true blue, or should I say- true blur Conservatism in action. With my firsthand experience with the Harper government's inaction, incompetence and ineffectiveness in the House of Commons, I can tell you that things are worse than they may seem in the news.

Instead of moving forward on legislation to help Canadians, Conservatives are stalling committee proceedings. Instead of providing strong leadership on economic development for our cities, Conservatives are turning their back on our communities.

Instead of creating solid partnerships with provinces, Conservatives are burning bridges with provincial leaders. Instead of providing leadership on climate change, human rights and the mission in Afghanistan, Conservatives continue to tarnish Canada's long-standing reputation as a leader in international cooperation.

Meanwhile, under the leadership of Stéphane Dion, my Liberal colleagues and I have been steadfast in pushing forward important investigations into the Harper government's deficiencies in terms of public accountability. What I've found is that Harper Conservatives fall far short of even the most basic standards of electoral and political responsibility.

Whether it be the scheme to pay for national election ads with local campaign funds; whether it be the effort to deny statements by Chuck Cadman's widow regarding pre-vote financial inducements; the PMO's leak of private discussions with Democratic Party candidates; or even failing to be vigilant regarding the access to classified government documents and privileges given to a close acquaintance of a cabinet Minister with dubious relations.

All of these situations demonstrate that this government does not have the security of Canadian institutions in mind or the integrity of the offices they hold. These blunders also demonstrate that the Conservatives do not have a solid team with solid credentials to make the laws that will make Canada a better place to live.

It doesn't end there. I have been diligently working on the committee to study Bill C-20 on Senator elections and have found that even persons who support the conservative agenda and to reframe our countries democracy without provincial consultation have repeatedly cancelled on appearances before the committee.

Could there be cracks in yet another aspect in the Conservative's single-minded and electorally opportunistic law making? I think so. Even in the House, the conservatives are refusing to answer questions about their plans to work against Canadians in favour of toeing the party line.

One recent example is Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day's refusal to discuss a workable plan for airports in smaller cities across the country, like Greater Moncton, to receive international flights and actually workout the economic development they are ready to achieve.

Conservative Ministers have even got Canadians afraid to travel abroad, since they are reluctant to ensure that the human rights of Canadians will be protected as we protect the rights of others.

If Conservatives aren't working for Canadians at home and abroad, they aren't working for the economic development of cities and they aren't working to be responsible and accountable to Canadians, and they aren't working with provinces to improve intergovernmental relations, then who and what are they working for? Their own very, very narrow interests, of course.

They aren't ready to commit to the having more women hold federal political office, or women in general for that matter. They aren't ready to cooperate with provinces and cities to promote just economic development across the country.

They aren't ready to come up with environmental plans that are based on energy-saving success stories around the world. I am proud to be part of a team of that reflects the interest and concerns of Canadians a team that based on its experiences can offer effective policies with diverse point of views, by being connected to our communities.

This is what my fellow liberals and I have to offer in this Conservative leadership vacuum.

n Brian Murphy is the Member of Parliament for Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe. His column appears biweekly in This Week. He can be reached by e-mail at murphb@parl.gc.ca or by phoning his office at 851-3310.