When Sudbury MP Glenn Thibeault first heard rumbles of proroguing up on Parliament Hill, he said he thought it was a rumour.
“I didn't think it would happen again,” he said.
Proroguing involves the House of Commons being suspended for a fixed amount of time.
“The easiest way I can say it is, put padlocks on the House of Commons and any legislation that was in process is now dead,” Thibeault said. “Now it has to go back and be re-presented to the house. For example, if a bill was at second reading, it would be dead and it has to be re-introduced at first reading... It's completely lost time.”
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has prorogued Parliament for two straight years, in December 2008 and December 2009.
“It's disappointing because there are so many important things that are happening, there are so many important pieces of legislation that we, as New Democrats, were able to work on, were able to amend,” Thibeault said. “We were able to get some important things through. These were government bills but we were able to change a few of the things. (Now) it's all scrapped and we're starting from scratch.”
As an example, Thibeault said his party was working on making amendments to the Columbia-Canada free trade agreement, before this session of Parliament ended.
A bill that would make Internet service providers more accountable in child pornography cases was also progressing and will now have to start over again, the MP said.
When Harper prorogued Parliament in December 2008, Thibeault said Sudburians didn't know much about it.
This time around, Sudburians are aware of what the process involves, the MP said. When he was at the Olympic Torch Relay in downtown Sudbury on Jan. 2, residents were eager to bring up the political suspension, he said.
“People were coming up, saying 'What is (Harper) doing? Why is he snubbing his nose to democracy?' The people of Sudbury now understand... They have a clearer picture as to what prorogation is this time and they don't think they liked it and the reasoning for it this time.”
Thibeault is “very disappointed” with the proroguing. “At the end of the day it's 22 days lost, in terms of being in Ottawa. We were supposed to be back Jan. 25, and (now) we're going back March 3. It's 22 days of work in Ottawa that has been prorogued.”
For the MP, “It's an opportunity to go to more events in the community, help out more people in the community and get active for 22 more days in the community.
“As much as I can, I'll be doing things in the riding for as many people as I possibly can.”
Thibeault will be making trips to Ottawa still to continue to work on creating credit card reform, he said.
“I'm not just going to put that on hold, so I'm back and forth, but I'll be in Sudbury a little more.”
Thibeault said he and other MPs will make sure prominent issues continue to stay in the air “so (Harper and the federal government) can't duck and hide when March 3rd comes.”
