David Emerson today met with riding constituent Manuel Pereda. The campaign will later today issue a statement on this meeting. According to media reports, Bob Klager, Emerson's Ottawa-based communications advisor, claims that Mr. Pereda's meeting request was the first formal request for a meeting with the peek-a-boo MP.

Reality Check: In fact dozens of requests for meetings have been made through both public and private channels.

A dozen people sitting in David Emerson's office one February afternoon each demanded a meeting with Mr. Emerson. Four of those were arrested. No meeting transpired.

For many weeks various community groups have been trying to get Emerson's attention on their issues, to no avail.

In early March Mike Watkins, one of the campaign's spokespersons, made a formal behind the scenes request for a respectful and private meeting between Emerson and representatives of the community. Despite a series of discussions with Colin Metcalfe, who was later named Chief of Staff to the regional Minister's office, Emerson never accepted the meeting request.

On March 14th the Campaign issued a formal request for Emerson's participation in a town hall meeting. This invitation was flatly rejected.

Residents of Vancouver-Kingsway have gone out of their way to seek an audience with the hide n' seek MP with no success. If David Emerson can't face his constituents, how can he presume to represent us?

Later this month the Campaign will host the first in a series of town-hall meetings on issues of importance to our community. If Mr. Emerson won't do his job, the people will just have to do it for him.