IT'S NOT AN ENTITLEMENT

I have a question. How is it legal that the Federal Conservatives can use taxpayer’s money to send me election ads?
It’s not an election but every 3 weeks or so everyone in my building, presumably everyone in the riding of Mississauga South, gets a mailer from an Albertan MP promoting an aspect of the Conservative agenda. These aren’t from their campaigns despite how they look. Apparently they come courtesy of something called “CRG-Government Caucus Services” in Ottawa.

What bothers me is the postal budget for each MPs office isn’t an entitlement. It’s for the MP to use to communicate with their constituents, or to promote important legislation (mostly private member bills) in other marginal ridings. I’ve received more than 25 of these since the Conservatives formed Government.

Like any sane person I find the regular abuse of this budget both improper and unconscionable during these times of deficits and recession. I also find the use of Parliamentary budgets to fuel this constant state of electioneering that Mr Harper seems to be in rather annoying. Most of my building does so you have to wonder how this is helping them.

Oh, and what matter is so important that Alberta MP Rob Anders felt justified wasting his ridings postal budget on it? The Tax-Free Savings Accounts the Conservatives set up so unemployed Ontarians can save money.

If they spent as much energy creating the jobs we need that might actually help us. In the meantime someone needs to tell the Alberta MPs the optics of using taxpayer money to mail out election ads isn’t good and they should stop.