Missing votes isn't a big deal

MP absences are in the spot light in Ottawa after Michael Ignatieff took heat for missing 135 votes during this Parliament. Our local MP's are near the middle of the pack with Bruce Hyer and John Rafferty missing 33 and 26 votes respectively. Rafferty says he believes Mr Ignatieff is taking unfair criticism because being a leader he could have had other important duties to attend to.  In comparison NDP leader Jack Layton missed 17 votes, Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe missed 20 and Stephen Harper missed 74 votes.