XPost: can.politics, bc.politics, ont.politics   
   From: "@nyet.ca   
      
   Seems he's emulating Michael Ignatieff - and more recently, Stephen   
   Harper.  They just don't like House work.   
   ____________________________________________   
      
   Ottawa Citizen - May 9, 2014   
      
   Truant Trudeau says he's in touch with Canadians outside Ottawa   
      
      
   The Liberal Party of Canada is trumpeting Leader Justin Trudeau’s   
   questionable House of Commons attendance in a new fundraising email that   
   says “the real hard work doesn’t always happen in Ottawa.”   
      
   The party sent out an email this week noting that while NDP Leader Tom   
   Mulcair is asking questions in the House of Commons during daily   
   question period, Trudeau is out speaking to thousands of Canadians at   
   events across the country. The email also includes a link to make a   
   donation to the Liberals.   
      
   “The real hard work (doesn’t always happen in Ottawa),” says a graphic   
   in the Liberal fundraising email. “Let others focus on the political   
   circus. Because Justin Trudeau is focused on you.”   
      
   The subject line on the email says: “Parliament is important, and so is   
   hearing from real Canadians.”   
      
   An unapologetic Trudeau has come under fire in recent months for his   
   relatively poor attendance record in question period, including only   
   appearing in the House of Commons about two days per week during the   
   fall sitting of Parliament.   
      
   His record during the spring sitting hasn’t been much better: he has   
   missed more than half of the 47 question periods since late January –   
   though part of this was when he took some personal time for the birth of   
   his son.   
      
   Trudeau has been in the Commons for 20 of the 47 question periods   
   (43-per-cent attendance) during the spring sitting, well behind   
   Mulcair’s 31 appearances (66-per-cent attendance) but just ahead of   
   Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s 19 showings (40 per cent).   
      
   However, Trudeau and the Liberals aren’t running from his attendance   
   record. Rather, they seem to have no problem highlighting it.   
      
   The email notes that Trudeau has been to 520 events in 105 cities in 387   
   days as leader — and during that time spent 141 days on the road in 115   
   ridings — suggesting his time is better spent outside the House of   
   Commons engaging everyday Canadians than it would be inside the chamber.   
      
   “So when Thomas Mulcair asks 5 questions in the House & gets the usual   
   Conservative non-answers . . . But Justin Trudeau speaks to 600   
   university students about their future, which leader engages more   
   Canadians?” the email asks in multiple graphics.   
      
   Trudeau was travelling in Alberta for work and unavailable for comment   
   Friday. His office did not directly respond to the Citizen, but asked   
   Liberal deputy leader Ralph Goodale to speak on Trudeau’s behalf.   
      
   Goodale said that “like many young parents with a high-pressure job,”   
   Trudeau is juggling all of his requirements, and is doing it very well.   
      
   Being in the House of Commons is just one part of a federal party   
   leader’s job, Goodale said.   
      
   “It’s absolutely indispensable for a leader to be able to relate on Main   
   Street as well as Wellington (Street).”   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)