Now that the barbecue circuit has shut down for another summer, The Undecided Party's "All-Party, Member of Parliament, Respect and Maturity Pledge Form" is just the kind of reminder that returning MP's need as they prepare for a fresh season as shining examples of Canada's best citizenry.

If you feel it's time to take the playground out of Parliament, ask your MP to sign this four-point pledge - to agree to display basic respect for his or her constituents and other Members of the House of Commons, and to behave on at least a grade-school level of maturity. And if they just can't bring themselves to agree to all four points, ask them if they'll sign to three, two or even ONE of the commitments listed.

Then, after your local representative has agreed to any or all of these basic, simple, so easy and obvious they should be a part of normal behaviour anyway, codes of conduct, you can monitor their adherence on CPAC or other news sources – and be sure to let them know when they need to take the corrective actions set out in the pledge.

And if the end of the summer gladhanding season means that your MP has resumed his or her normal level of inaccessibility, don't despair – you can fax or mail the form to your representative at the numbers and addresses provided here, then ask them to return the forms after signing. (And remember, there's no postage required on mail sent to the House of Commons, so if the first attempt gets 'lost in the mail,' you can just keep sending more copies until you get a response – at no postal cost to you!)

Here's hoping for some improvement, voters, and best of luck getting these pledges signed.

Seriously, good luck.

Download Pledge Form (PDF file, c.475k)