OTTAWA –  Leon Benoit, Member of Parliament for Vegreville-Wainwright, rose in the House today to point out the disservice being done by the Opposition Coalition who make false statements and certain members of the national media who choose to report them as fact, rather doing their homework and discovering the truth. An excerpt of his statement is below.

“Mr. Speaker, parliament has been damaged recently by certain members of the Opposition who ignore truth and make over-the-top statements on a regular basis. As well, many members of the national media routinely report inaccurately because they won’t take the time to seek out the truth.

“This irresponsible treatment of serious issues may score cheap political points but it also lowers, unfairly, the public’s view of our Parliament and all Parliamentarians – even those who diligently work on behalf of their constituents.

“Wouldn’t it be better if the Opposition instead criticized government based on reality and the truth? Wouldn’t it be better if more of our national media did their homework and improved the accuracy of their reporting?

“This inappropriate behaviour on the part of the Opposition and the media hurts Parliament and hurts democracy in Canada – all for the sake of cheap political points. Sad, and it’s just plain wrong.”

Benoit was referring to instances such as the Oppositions’ allegations that the Government is building a $2 million lake for the G8/G20 Summits being held in Toronto and Muskoka. “They know full well there is no $2 million lake,” explains Benoit. “They were told there will be a water feature built at a cost of $57,000.”

“They have all been provided detailed information on the costs for these events,” continues Benoit. “We have been extremely transparent in terms of the budget. The majority of the money allocated for these international meetings is being spent to ensure the safety and security of the over 13,000 delegates and media expected to attend. All of the security details are being implemented on the advice of security experts specifically hired for this purpose. 

“They also know that the cost of holding the G8 and G20 in Canada, while unavoidably high, are less than the costs of hosting the Conferences in other countries,” concludes Benoit. “What happened to accuracy and honesty by the coalition opposition?”