I would like to remind our MPs of their duties as it seems they have forgotten their role in being a voice on behalf of the constituents they serve.

I would like an apology from Dick Harris for his arrogant comments posted in the Citizen June 13th, by insulting all the people who rallied in front of his and Bob Zimmer’s offices expressing their dismay about the ominous omnibus bill - C-38.

“The opposition parties are trying and will continue to organize public rallies using people that support their side and people that would join them in a “no vote in every part of the budget’, adding the governing party could do the same “but those folks are all busy working and earning a living raising their families and trying to make their lives as good as they can.”

This rally was a non-partisan event made up of hard-working people with families trying to make their lives as good as they can by having legitimate concerns of government matters. I only knew a few people there but many spoke and one thing we all had in common was a deep love for Canada , its land, its waters, peoples and its democracy.

We are profoundly patriotic to our country not to corporate interests as it’s painfully obvious our present government is. The working people at the rallies ranged from an engineer to a chef, a retired physician to a heavy duty mechanic, a researcher of contaminants in beluga whales to a local business owner, a pressman to a student, and yes there were those who voted Conservative as well.

For myself I work two jobs and am on call for a third and believe me I believe I can speak on behalf of the others in attendance - we would much rather have been spending our spare time doing something else if it wasn’t for the fact that we care so much for our democracy and for the generations to come.

My main reason for being there were the changes to the environmental act because I want our water protected. One of the many great economic benefits (since that’s all you seem concerned with) is our salmon fishery. A total of $250 million of salmon is harvested every year. Recreational fishers generate $550 million in direct expenditure and natural tourism activities contribute hundreds of millions to the BC economy each year. A recent UN study has shown that by 2025, 75 per cent of people on the planet will be water poor. What little fresh water we have is not worth any risk.

Besides asking for an apology from Dick I want one question answered from both our MPs (a mere yes or no will suffice). Are you willing to risk the contamination of our fresh water and the Pacific Ocean? Because this bill makes that risk very real.

Silvia Morrison

Prince George