Dear Editor,
My Chinese wife and Canadian citizen received a greeting card with “Lunar New Year” greetings from a Progressive Conservative MP. The card had a picture on its face page of the M.P. in an attractive Chinese dress. Inside, under a Dominion of Canada symbol, were greetings for a “Happy New Year” in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese (I’m guessing that one!) and English, in that order. No French.
The envelope had a Richmond return address on it and, where a stamp is normally placed, were the words, “FROM MP, POSTAGE FREE,” obviously made by a rubber stamp which anyone could have made.
We also receive her free newsletter from time to time, delivered by Canada Post, extolling things she and her government have done on behalf of Canadian citizens, particularly seniors.
One cannot help thinking that the purpose of both the card and newsletters is primarily to “campaign” for re-election, presumably at taxpayers’ expense.
It makes me wonder what other MPs are doing and whether Elections Canada and the Auditor General should be looking at all current MP practices, regardless of their party affiliation.
Merrill Muttart
Richmond
