EDITOR:

I have noticed with curiosity that Joe Preston has not been attending regular local events in the last month and that his executive assistant, Karen Vecchio, who just happens to be the Elgin-Middlesex-London Conservative candidate, has been stepping in for him with the added benefit of local press coverage.

Over the past 10 years, Joe has been a regular attendee at community events, and when promoting federal government funds and support for local organizations and groups.

So it makes one wonder why he no longer is seen with the same regularity, even when the house is not sitting, but instead promotes a member of his constituency staff, Karen, in his place.

I am concerned with this convenient political maneuvering for a number of reasons. First, Karen is a political staffer whose salary is paid for by the taxpayers, you and I.

The role of the executive assistant is to be non-partisan and to work with various levels of government, local agencies, interest groups and the community on behalf of Joe Preston, the elected representative.

On Oct. 1, when Karen threw her hat in the ring to run for the Conservative nomination, which is clearly a partisan activity, as staff of an MP’s office, she should have taken a leave of absence from the public payroll for the duration of the nomination campaign.

This same policy is in effect when staff who work in an MP’s or MPP’s office work on election campaigns or party events.

Now that Karen has formally won the Conservative nomination, and is already working hard on organizing and implementing her campaign, as are the other party candidates, I am surprised she has not voluntarily resigned her position.

As published in the Dec. 13, 2014 City Scope by the St. Thomas Times Journal’s Ian McCallum, we know Joe Preston is Karen’s campaign manager. Thus, it would seem to suggest his convenient no-show at public events are choreographed to get his party’s candidate as much local press and exposure as possible at the taxpayer’s expense.

Now, one could argue it is common for political staff to attend events on behalf of their boss, and in any other circumstance this argument could hold water, however, in this particular instance, it is quite evident there is political posturing going on in the face of EML taxpayers.

Joe has three other constituency staff that he could send to events if he is truly unable to attend to represent him, but conveniently it has been Karen we see.

I applaud everyone, from all parties, who run for office. But once someone has been chosen as a party candidate, and they are a non-partisan public servant in an MP’s office, then they should do the right thing and resign or take a leave of absence.

It is not ethical for Karen to continue to work in his public office and to show up at formal government events, as his representative, while working on her political campaign in parallel. It is a conflict of interest, and she should step aside and resign.

As a taxpayer, I expect Joe to continue to do his job until the day a federal election is called. It is time Joe starts attending events again and represent the people of EML as our Member of Parliament and for Karen to resign her non-partisan constituency position and work on her political campaign on her own time.

David Goodwin

president

Elgin-Middlesex-London

Federal Liberal Riding Association

St. Thomas