▁be ▁a ▁divis ive ▁contest . ▁He ▁won ▁a ▁convin cing ▁victory ▁over ▁inc umb ent ▁Progress ive ▁Conserv ative ▁inc umb ent ▁Dor othy ▁Dob bie ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁federal ▁election ▁and ▁entered ▁parliament ▁as ▁a ▁government ▁back ben cher . ▁ ▁Government ▁back ben cher ▁Al cock ▁soon ▁developed ▁a ▁reputation ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁techn olog ically ▁sav vy ▁members ▁of ▁parliament . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁he ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁MP ▁to ▁electron ically ▁coordinate ▁his ▁parliament ary ▁office ▁from ▁his ▁r iding ▁instead ▁of ▁re lying ▁on ▁permanent ▁staff ▁in ▁Ott awa . ▁At ▁around ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁he ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁Canadian ▁MP ▁to ▁host ▁an ▁official ▁website . ▁He ▁was ▁appointed ▁to ▁the ▁standing ▁committee ▁on ▁foreign ▁affairs ▁and ▁international ▁trade ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁and ▁was ▁named ▁chair ▁of ▁the ▁standing ▁committee ▁on ▁transport ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁ ▁The ▁Chr ét ien ▁government ▁called ▁a ▁new ▁federal ▁election ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁only ▁three - and - a - half ▁years ▁into ▁its ▁five - year ▁mand ate . ▁The ▁election ▁timing ▁was ▁controvers ial ▁in ▁Man it oba , ▁as ▁it ▁coinc ided ▁with ▁significant ▁flo oding ▁from ▁the ▁Red ▁River ▁into ▁W inn ip eg . ▁Al cock , ▁along ▁with ▁other ▁Man it oba ▁Liberal ▁MP s , ▁requested ▁a ▁delay ▁until ▁the ▁flo oding ▁was ▁under ▁control . ▁When