There comes a time in every administration where the public needs to question whether their government is acting in their best interest.

This election campaign represents a turning point with regards to Stephen Harper and the Conservative government.

In the past few months alone, we have been exposed to:

Ӣ A senior advisor to the prime minister who is being investigated by the RCMP for influence peddling and who in spite of a long history of previous criminal charges, was still hired by the prime minister;

Ӣ Four Conservative operatives, including two sitting senators, charged by Elections Canada for allegely breaching electoral law in the 2006 election;

Ӣ A minister who was caught altering documents and then lying about it to Parliament;

Ӣ A minister who was sending out partisan election and ethnic political fundraising requests from taxpayer funded offices;

Ӣ The Speaker of the House as well as a parliamentary committee ruling the government to be in contempt of Parliament for withholding information from the public.

This is the kind of conduct that befalls a government that has become arrogant and far too disconnected from Canadians, who are ultimately the bosses of all elected members of Parliament.

I and my colleagues in the Liberal party could no longer sit back in this just dissolved minority Parliament and prop up a government that had such blatant disregard for the public trust, this country’s laws, and their responsibilities to represent the best interests of Canadians above all other considerations.

On a personal level, I have become very reflective about my time as the member of Parliament for Newton-North Delta. As someone who flies from the riding to Ottawa and back every week, I have had plenty of time to contemplate the role.

What I have realized is that I really don’t consider it a job. It is a passion and my contribution to the community where I have lived for decades and in which I continue to raise my children.

And while it can be a difficult strain on family time, I have never felt more fulfilled about any professional endeavour that I have ever engaged in.

The danger of going to Ottawa and becoming immersed in the nation’s politics is that people can tend to forget why they decided to run for office in the first place.

I can say that because of the time that I spend meeting constituents, attending events, and being in the riding with my family each and every weekend, I have never lost sight of what my purpose in the nation’s capital is.

A deep desire to improve this community will always take precedence over partisan politics, political jockeying, or theatrics for the media. Quite frankly, I have little patience for the circus.

Taking a tough position on crime and working with other levels of government to keep our community safe, advocating for our share of infrastructure and transportation funding as one of the fastest growing regions in the country, working to ensure that people of all backgrounds have the ability to thrive and succeed, fighting for families, seniors, and youth to be considered for tax relief just as much as large corporations are—these are my motivations as the representative for Newton-North Delta’s interests.

We also need a government that will put the interests of seniors, students, families, and people ahead of prisons, fighter jets, and corporations.

Compassion, accountability, and a willingness to take direction and listen to the people is the kind of government that I and the Liberal party are offering.

I encourage everyone to cast their vote on May 2 and let their voice be heard.

Sukh Dhaliwal is seeking re-election as the Liberal MP for Newton-North Delta.