2008.12.02 – London Free Press

Despite an acrimonious and highly partisan work environment at the House of Commons, a Liberal and a Conservative have made a pact to put their community first.

That would be London.

London-North-Centre Grit MP Glen Pearson and London West Tory member Ed Holder believe interests of their ridings come first and have refused to become political pugilists in the maelstrom swirling about them in Ottawa.

Both men say they've overcome their political differences to work for their community -- perhaps setting an example of how Parliament ought to work.

Brought together years ago when Holder helped organize the Business Cares Food Drive, of which he's still co-chair, and contacted Pearson, still director of the London Food Bank, the two have mutual respect that transcends their party stripes.

"He and I working together for the sake of people who need food in the London area is very much to me a microcosm of what we should be doing up here," Pearson said from Ottawa yesterday after a particularly vindictive question period. "I just wish the rest of the House could follow that example."

Holder, on the day the Business Cares Food Drive launched its eighth campaign, said he and Pearson have agreed to put local interests first. He's been instrumental in raising tonnes of food for distribution by the food bank.

"If you put your community first, the rest falls into place," Holder said. "I don't believe voters look to us to have an acrimonious relationship to antagonize and act silly in the House. They want us to do our business and do it in a professional way on behalf of the folks who put us here."

Both backbenchers have watched each other from their backrow seats in the Commons and both noted, approvingly, neither has joined the "gotcha" partisanship that has marked this Parliament.

On a Sunday night flight back to Ottawa, they agreed to continue working together for London's good. They sealed that pact with a handshake.

Pearson and Holder plan to push together to promote the bid by the University of Western Ontario to build Canada's only AIDS vaccine manufacturing facility. The $88-million facility would be paid for by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the federal government.

They also agreed to team up on unspecified other projects.

"Our view," Pearson said, "is we are community guys . . . Whatever is going to happen in Ottawa is going to happen, but we've got to work together for the sake of . . . London."