Brown Skips Parliament Duties To Play In World Pond Hockey Championship

According to the minutes of the February 7 meeting of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health, Barrie MP Patrick Brown, a member of that committee, did not attend the meeting.

The meeting minutes also tell us that the meeting began at 3:30pm and ended at 5:21pm.

Tweets from New Brunswick MP Mike Allen reveal the reason for Brown's absence from the committee meeting:

Minutes of the February 7 meeting of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources show that Mike Allen, a member of that committee, did not attend the meeting. The meeting took place between 3:33pm and 5:31pm.

MPs Moore, Weston, Allen and Brown at 2013 World Pond Hockey Championship

I can understand the local MP, Mike Allen, and fellow New Brunswick MPs Moore and Weston, who did not miss committee meetings, wanting to attend this local event, but what excuse does an MP from Ontario like Patrick Brown have for neglecting his parliamentary duties to play in a hockey tournament a thousand kilometers away from his constituency?