Prime Minister Stephen Harper doesn’t hide from the media and he does make himself available to the press, “from time to time,” says Conservative MP Randy Kamp.
Speaking in defence of his leader, Kamp said Wednesday that he’s seen Harper involved in media events where he takes off-the-cuff questions.
“I’m not sure what they’re referring to there,” he said in response to NDP candidate Elizabeth Rosenau’s criticism that Harper doesn’t face the media on Parliament Hill.
Kamp pointed out that Harper did several year-end interviews. However, he is “pretty focused on governing rather than a media, public relations exercise.”
As for his response to the fish kill that happened in North Alouette River, Kamp said: “I think she has no idea what I did.”
Kamp said he monitored the department’s response to the May 2009 incident.
“I have made sure that I understood exactly what the facts are and I have expressed to DFO throughout that, in my opinion, the procedures that were followed were inadequate.”
In fact, DFO’s habitat policy and its response to calls from the public, is now being reworked at the national and local level, Kamp said.
He said he wants the two reviews that are now under way of police conduct in Toronto’s G20 riots to be completed before considering a public inquiry that is being demanded by the NDP.
“I think they will come up with some examples of wrong doing that need to be addressed.”
While there’s been some talk of an election this spring, he doesn’t want one and he says, neither do most Canadians.
“I just don’t think it’s a good time for Canada to have an election when we’re in the midst of a somewhat fragile recovery from a recession.”
He doesn’t foresee anything that would trigger one.
“I think you’ll see a responsible budget that continues a responsible approach to addressing our deficit – strong economy – that creates jobs.”
Then it’s up to the opposition to decide if it wants an election, he said.