Renfrew Nipissing Pembroke NDP
Media Release for January 6.
M.P. Cheryl Gallant owes a duty to her constituents to respond to the evidence that her office has violated the personal privacy of people using its services, said NDP candidate Sue McSheffrey. “It’s a matter of the public accountability of a Member of Parliament. The evidence strongly indicates that she has abused the privileges of her position. Her continuing silence on the charges suggests to everyone that she has things that she wants to hide from the public,” McSheffrey said.
For an elected official, Gallant does far too much hiding, according to McSheffrey. “She is also ducking the majority of all-candidates debates,” McSheffrey said, observing that Gallant has agreed to be present at only three of the ten debates scheduled, and is refusing to appear in Petawawa, Renfrew, Deep River, Barry’s Bay, or at either the Pembroke Rotary Club or the Pembroke Library debates.
“A Member of Parliament has a responsibility to explain herself to the people she is supposed to be representing,” McSheffrey said. “But Ms. Gallant seems to be an invisible M.P. She has also refused to meet and discuss policy with the Citizen editorial board, although every other candidate in the Ottawa Valley - Conservative, Liberal, and NDP - has done so. So again the question arises: why is Ms. Gallant so afraid of the public, and of public discussion?”
The accusations of abuse of power make it more urgent that Gallant should appear and explain herself, McSheffrey said. “The Pembroke Observer has discovered that private and confidential information has apparently been used by Gallant’s office for political purposes. Moreover, there is a suggestion that constituents who are known to disagree with her views are cut off from riding communications. Ms. Gallant receives taxpayer money to inform everyone in the area, not just her supporters. Diverting public funds for personal political advantage is a serious charge, as is invasion of privacy. These charges deserve a serious reply, not this silence that seems to indicate Ms. Gallant’s contempt for public accountability.”
McSheffrey noted that the only communication from Ms. Gallant’s offices in response to the charges against her was a fax pleading to avoid negative campaigning. “Coming from someone who has shouted so loudly about Liberal deception, this seems hypocritical,” McSheffrey said. “Moreover, Ms. Gallant has consistently used scare tactics herself, stating that government agents were about to seize people’s hunting and fishing gear, and that churches were under government attack. Apparently, she likes to dish out accusations, but she can’t take any pressure herself, even legitimate questions about what her office was doing invading private documents and using them for her own political purposes.”
McSheffrey said that all politicians have a public duty to account for their actions. “Certainly the Liberals have to be held accountable for the Sponsorship scandal. But equally, Cheryl Gallant has to be accountable for any invasions of personal privacy, or favouritism in public, tax-payer funded communications. Ms. Gallant can’t use a double standard. What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander in a democratic system. Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke deserves a Member of Parliament who deals openly and honestly with all the people of the riding.”
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