Flush Rob Anders. Keep the plunger handy

Old snoozy?

Veterans advocates say a Conservative MP on the Commons veterans affairs committee slept through their presentation about efforts to help homeless former soldiers.

Jim Lowther, president of Veterans Emergency Transition Services, said he couldn't believe it when Calgary MP Rob Anders slept through the group's presentation at the Commons veterans affairs committee on Tuesday in Halifax.

Lowther said Anders came into the meeting 10 minutes late. "He was putting his arms up and rubbing his face," explained Lowther. "Then he started texting and then just slept for the rest.

"He almost smashed his head on the table, he was that out of it."

Too bad he didn't. Most veterans would have looked at the waste of skin and started laughing.

Liberal MP Sean Casey, who is on the committee, said Anders has fallen asleep before at its meetings. "This happens fairly regularly at veterans committee so it wasn't out of the ordinary," he said. "This isn't the first time."

Casey said it is up to Anders to offer an explanation. But he added: "I wouldn't for one minute accuse him of falling asleep because he doesn't care, although I can see why someone would come to that conclusion."

Let's just accept that a majority of veterans and serving personnel have already figured it out for themselves. The Harperites have good words followed by ... their actions.