Dear Editor,
In response to letter from John Hof letter, Will Aldag Defy Prime Minister?, Langley Times, Feb. 13.
I would like to respond to John Hof’s letter to the editor firstly by saying that I have faith in due process and I am not someone who makes snap judgments based on incomplete facts.
I can personally only speak to my own experiences as an MP, who is not a member of Cabinet, but who is the chair of a government committee (of Environment and Sustainable Development.) I note that the Justice Committee has agreed to look into the matters surrounding SNC Lavalin in addition to the Ethics Commissioner’s inquiry, which the prime minister has welcomed, and I know they will do their jobs with due care.
There’s always far more to a story than what conjecture and false assumptions lead people to guess, particularly in light of this being an election year when political rhetoric is especially amplified (as Mr. Hopf has done with his letter to the editor.) A lot is being “read into” what is “not being said” in this matter, and I have no intention to pre-judge.
My own experience in personally speaking with the prime minister when asking for his advice with regards to putting forward my Private Members Bill (Bill-374 which amended the Historic Sites and Monuments Act to provide for First Nations, Inuit and Métis representation on the Board) was that of encouragement and of an attitude that “it’s the right thing to do.”
I applaud my colleague MP Jody Wilson-Raybould for all the work that she did as justice minister and that I’m sure she will continue to do as an MP and as an advocate for Indigenous peoples. I sincerely hope that her advocacy will result in more Indigenous peoples putting their names forward to run for political office in the future, and I know that the Liberal government remains steadfastly committed to reconciliation, as do I, and as should every person in Canada.
I stand by the prime minister and his conviction that positive politics are the best way to govern. I have spoken with him personally regarding what’s currently being played out in the media, and I remain committed to him and to his vision for Canada.
MP John Aldag, Cloverdale-Langley City