We have seen the national media endlessly condemning the Prime Minister for the recent proroguing of Parliament until March 3, 2010.   
It is interesting to note that when the Liberal government of the day under Jean Chretien prorogued Parliament (four times in 10 years) the last time for four months, that action didn’t seem to faze the national media. In fact, there was little media attention and most Canadians seemed unaware of the event or its political implications.

Media rationale for prorogation seems to rest on the fact that the Prime Minister was trying to avoid questions regarding the mistreatment of the terrorists/insurgents that are killing our Canadian soldiers and countless innocent Afghan civilians.  Over the past several months I have been asked numerous times if our Canadian soldiers are mistreating these terrorists.  My response is NO, they are not. 
Constituents’ response almost unanimously is to let the Afghan Government handle the terrorists within the legal system of their country.  These terrorists indiscriminately kill innocent Afghans as well as International Security Forces soldiers, including our Canadian soldiers, who provide safety and security for Afghan citizens.
In March, the Afghan Committee will be reconstituted and all Afghan Committee members will continue to have the opportunity to call witnesses and ask questions. However I am very disappointed that several MP’s continue to accuse our Canadian soldiers of criminal acts when the terrorists are turned over to the Afghan government.
One of the most important obligations of any government is to protect its citizens. This obligation includes protection from terrorists, criminals and those who could potentially harm Canadians by selling unsafe products in Canada.  You may remember these examples: the recent domestic terrorists who were intent on destroying public institutions and harming or killing Canadians; criminals whose sole intent is to profit from illegal activities such as the sale of illegal drugs; and the recall of consumer products which have the potential to harm Canadians. While proroguing has become a common political term, I see proroguing in a different light.  This is an action that has provided the government with the ability to reconstitute the Senate committees to manage the legislative agenda in the Senate.  In particular these two major Bills, C – 15 and C – 6 come to mind to emphasize this opportunity. Because of the prorogation, we now have an opportunity to re-introduce these Bills in their original form. 
Bill C – 15 is our government’s anti – crime legislation which was approved by the House of Commons (H of C) and sent to the Senate for review and approval.  What happened in the Senate is that the Liberal Senators in their wisdom changed the legislation after H of C approval for possession of 5 marijuana plants for personal use to now allow up to 200 marijuana plants for personal use. I believe that 200 marijuana plants no longer constitutes personal use, but is a plan for criminals and grow-ops to flourish. 
Another concern is Bill C – 6, our Consumer Protection Act which would give authority to the Federal government to recall faulty products which could harm Canadian consumers; an example is the recent importing from China of toys that contained lead paint and most recently the Toyota gas pedal issue.  Under this Bill the Liberal Senators removed the ability of the Federal government to order companies to recall faulty products which can and would be harmful to Canadians, including our children and grandchildren.  More significantly, the Senate has had the power to change legislation AFTER it has been passed by a majority of the elected Members of Parliament in government!
It is also worthy to note the Ignatieff Liberals, according to spokesman Rob Oliphant (M P for Don Valley West and member of the Public Safety Committee and associate Justice Committee member - from the Hill Times Jan. 25/10), have announced there intention to block “tough on crime” legislation which is being created for the purpose of protecting Canadians from criminals, terrorists, and harmful or unsafe products.
So, from my point of view, the proroguing of Parliament was an important step in reconstituting the Senate committees for the protection of all Canadians and I applaud Prime Minister Harper for his vision to take this action to create a fair political environment.
While the national media and the opposition parties are portraying that our Conservative MP’s are on vacation, this is far from the truth.  This time away from Ottawa has given me the opportunity to work closely with individuals, businesses and organizations, and to continue to announce economic stimulus funding.  My colleagues and I are working hard in our ridings, consulting with our constituents on all aspects of the upcoming budget, and continuing our regular duties in the communities we represent.
If you have further questions please feel free to call any of my offices, write a letter or send me an e-mail.
I would suggest these articles for further insights on proroguing of parliament:  John Martin of the Chilliwack Times published on January 26, 2010 and Michael L Macdonald of the Chronicle Herald on January 28, 2010.