Nice Comfy Welcome Mat
I must say, I'm very curious what the following Conservatives have to say about David Emerson's defection today:
James Moore:
"I think it shows there are two kinds of people in public life -- people with principle and people like Belinda Stronach,"
Pierre Poilievre:
"It has everything to do with the fact she was offered a plum job and Paul Martin is offering every bribe he can to cling on to power,"
Tony Abbott:
"To me, what it is, it's a little rich girl basically whoring herself out to the Liberals,"
Bob Runciman:
"I think she sort of defined herself as something of a dipstick -- an attractive one, but still a dipstick -- with what she's done here today,"
Dave Hancock:
"It's appalling,"
Bernard Lord:
"This is just another action, another moment, that breeds cynicism of electors,"
UPDATE: Ahab's Whale has this gem from Emerson, on election night:
Well, he's certainly stirring the pot and making noise. And, considering the optics around this, his prophecy about being "Harper's worst enemy" may not be too far off the mark.
UPDATE Deux: Curious to see what our new Immigration Ministers has to say now.
UPDATE Trois: More from Poilievre:
And, of course, there's Harper himself:
"There's no grand principle involved in this decision, just ambition."
James Moore:
"I think it shows there are two kinds of people in public life -- people with principle and people like Belinda Stronach,"
Pierre Poilievre:
"It has everything to do with the fact she was offered a plum job and Paul Martin is offering every bribe he can to cling on to power,"
Tony Abbott:
"To me, what it is, it's a little rich girl basically whoring herself out to the Liberals,"
Bob Runciman:
"I think she sort of defined herself as something of a dipstick -- an attractive one, but still a dipstick -- with what she's done here today,"
Dave Hancock:
"It's appalling,"
Bernard Lord:
"This is just another action, another moment, that breeds cynicism of electors,"
UPDATE: Ahab's Whale has this gem from Emerson, on election night:
"I'm going to be Stephen Harper's worst enemy," he warned. "We're going to stir the pot and you better believe we are going to make a heck of a lot of noise."
Well, he's certainly stirring the pot and making noise. And, considering the optics around this, his prophecy about being "Harper's worst enemy" may not be too far off the mark.
UPDATE Deux: Curious to see what our new Immigration Ministers has to say now.
UPDATE Trois: More from Poilievre:
Private Members Business - November 21, 2005: Bill C-251, Members of Parliament who Cross the FloorMr. Pierre Poilievre (Nepean⿿Carleton, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today in support of a bill that I believe would restore some accountability around this place. I thank the hon. member across the way for having raised it. When members of the House crosses the floor, I believe they break a contract, not with their political party but with their constituents.
When a member of Parliament is elected to this place, he or she is elected with a party label, having made a commitment to serve with party's label attached to his or her name. Members of the public make their voting decision based on that commitment. Therefore, a contract is formed between the constituent and the member of Parliament.
And, of course, there's Harper himself:
"There's no grand principle involved in this decision, just ambition."
posted by calgarygrit at
2:16 p.m.
23 Comments:
I think you'll find many of those Conservatives are as pissed now as they were then. I've talked to quite a few people today and haven't found anyone on board with this.
You run on a platform of cleaning up government and this is your first act? Give me a break.
By
Anonymous, at 2:28 p.m.
As a Conservative i very pissed why do we need Emerson, we left some pretty talented people out of the Cabinet. If he decides to run in a by-election than I will be fime with it but this is imo unetical.
By
Anonymous, at 2:29 p.m.
I don't know what they have to say for themselves, but this conservative is utterly disgusted.
By
Anonymous, at 2:36 p.m.
Within the first ten minutes of taking the job, Stephen Harper showed what kind of man he really is - a liar.
For years, he told Canadians that he would never appoint a senator. Now he has, and he is using all the tired old excuses that Liberals used to try, and Harper used to attack. What a hypocrite.
Then, nobody was more angry than Harper when Stronach crossed the floor. He said it was dishonest conduct and that it broke faith with the people who elected her. (Actually, he and his friends said a lot worse, but this is a family blog). Now, he goes out and does the same thing. Double hypocrite.
Finally, we have Manitoba Tory MP Brian Pallister acting with a sense of entitlement that Dave Dingwall would envy - and Harper does nothing other than to say he respects Pallister's decision. So much for eithics and accountability. Triple hypocrite.
Stephen Harper was elected because he promised to restore ethics to the government of Canada. He said that his government would be more honest than Liberals. Now we see the truth - he is worse than the Liberals were on their worst day.
With the Grits, we knew they would act like Grits. But Harper said that he was better. He said would act differently. He lied to us and that makes him even worse than Liberals. At least Liberals never promised to not be Liberals.
Canadians were lied to. Harper's election was obtained by fraud and lies. I Canadians had known that Stephen Harper would break his most-fundamental promises the minute he became Prime Minister, he wouldn't be the Prime Minister.
By
Anonymous, at 2:41 p.m.
This is a very bad government for brown-looking people. Stockwell Day, a Creationist, Israel-first evangelical Christian is setting the policy about how to harass Muslims, and Vic Toews, Mr. anti-Human Rights, is the one signing security certificates.
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Anonymous, at 2:45 p.m.
Stronach was the one vote the Liberals needed, Emerson is crossing with no crisis of the Conservatives falling.
By
Anonymous, at 2:51 p.m.
A mere distinction without a difference. Everything they said about Stronach applies here. Does the fact that it is Harper who is doing it make it okay? Not in my books, especially since he promised to never do it.
Show some honour and integrity and just admit this is wrong, wrong, wrong.
Even long-time Tories are screaming about this.
Ten minutes on the job and Harper loses his moral authority to govern.
By
Anonymous, at 3:03 p.m.
Anonymous said: "Stronach was the one vote the Liberals needed, Emerson is crossing with no crisis of the Conservatives falling"
Gee, and that somehow makes it better in your eyes? What Conservative Machiavellian logic ;)
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Anonymous, at 3:04 p.m.
It's always amazing the the dumbest, most moronic comments always come from people that call themselves anonymous.
Watch the freakin "Your Turn" with CBC and prove to me that Stephen Harper lied.
You're just a bunch of sore losers, perhaps if you educated yourselfs just alittle bit about the subject before responding, we might have better commments.
By
Fighting for Democracy, at 3:04 p.m.
A quick poll of the Conservative basement (located in the "comments" section of Andrew Coyne's blog) seems to indicate that the most rabid neo-tories are perfectly willing to accept this kind of hypocracy, even on Day 1 of their shiny new Conservative government.
By
Robert, at 3:06 p.m.
Fighting, Harper did not suddenly start making public pronouncements during the election. Look at what he said at the time that Belinda defected.
By
Jason Cherniak, at 3:28 p.m.
I guess we know who the Liberal mole was...
By
Anonymous, at 3:29 p.m.
The Infozone said:
"Harper was attacked for not having representation from the big cities. He moves to do that and is attacked."
You're wrong. The point is that Harper didn't EARN representation from big cities. He still hasn't.
By
Anonymous, at 3:46 p.m.
In fairness to Harper, he never supported a floor crossing law, even if he supports "the intent" of it.
However, I suspect a lot of people will have a tough time being consistent on the Emerson and Belinda crossings - that goes for both the Liberals and Tories. There are some nuanced differences in the two instances, but it's hard to support one of the two and not the other.
By
calgarygrit, at 4:05 p.m.
Just posted a few more comments from Emerson, said a few days ago back when he was running as a Liberal. Not surprising really, considering he was trying to defeat the Conservatives...
Kudos to the many CPC supporters who have begun calling Harper on this, as opposed to the unanimous chorus of cheers from Liberals during the Belinda saga. The fault for this lies solely with Harper. I do not understand how he could do something so boneheaded on his first day.
But there you have it.
By
J. A. MacDuff, at 4:47 p.m.
calgarygrit,
"However, I suspect a lot of people will have a tough time being consistent on the Emerson and Belinda crossings - that goes for both the Liberals and Tories. There are some nuanced differences in the two instances, but it's hard to support one of the two and not the other."
I have no issue supporting one but not the other... when Belinda was running... it was fairly obvious to a lot of people that she was a leftie... and as she said in one interview... the confidence motion that happened after she crossed was not exactly in the bag... she easily could've lost her job on her first day... Emerson isn't even going to spend one day representing what people voted for.
By
Anonymous, at 4:55 p.m.
Guess Who Just Said This
"fundamentally......Let me make this quite clear............I'm serving the people that elected me..........quite clear"
Nope, not Paul Martin Jr.
Yep. David Emerson.
Also this.........I only ran cause Paul Martin asked me to....if Paul Martin was PM I's still be Liberal....
WHAT!!!
THe What Do I Know Grit
By
James Curran, at 5:02 p.m.
Uh...excuse me...Hello? Adscam?...HELLO?
*tap tap*...Is this thing on?
By
Anonymous, at 6:55 p.m.
Conservative Hysteric,
"Uh...excuse me...Hello? Adscam?...HELLO?
*tap tap*...Is this thing on?"
Integrity... integrity... integrity... just like yelling in a tunnel... funny.
By
Anonymous, at 7:14 p.m.
you asked, what would soberg had to say? on CPAC this afternoon; "ask my boss!". not much, I wonder why?
By
Anonymous, at 7:34 p.m.
Democracy Watch has filed a complaint with the ethics commissioner.
By
Anonymous, at 1:08 a.m.
Whooee! BartFeller, yer on the money a hunnert percent's worth. These here numbnuts moves by the HarpoonTosser is jest exactly the sort o' things he sed the lily-white Conservatives wouldn't do.
I gotta hard time believin' that Emerson made his decision t' jump ship so fast. I'm wonderin' if mebbe Emerson an' the backroom boys was doin' their greasy negotiatin' before the votin'. Anywhichway I look at it, I see slime.
An' how 'bout this Fortier crappola? The guy was never elected t' nuthin' an' now he's settin' his sorryass in the Senate o' Canadee an' he's a bigass minister in the Harpoon gummint.
What was it them Triple-E's stood fer again?
I reckon Harper's like every other polytickle opportunist pryminister makin' best use o' the Triple-U senate - unelected, undeservin' an' underhanded.
Yores trooly,
JimBobby
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JimBobby, at 12:30 p.m.
“We do not go out of our way to romance MPs to cross the floor [I suppose a phonecall or 6 isn't really going out of ones way]. Liberals will do anything to win. We try to create a principled party and going about it in a principled way. We are cautious about party-jumping because it creates cynicism it and if they jump once, you are not sure they will not jump again. I will always handle that with extreme caution. [like giving them cabinet positions]”
http://www.pulse24.com/News/Top_Story/20050517-011/page.asp
By
Anonymous, at 2:37 p.m.
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