Outrage grows over Liberal defection to Neocons

[Grimmlok]

Feb. 9, 2006. 01:00 AM
LES WHITTINGTON AND SEAN GORDON
OTTAWA BUREAU


OTTAWA—Outrage over David Emerson's defection from the Liberals continues to build despite Prime Minister Stephen Harper's statement that such "superficial" criticism was to be expected when Emerson was named to the Conservative cabinet.

The president of the Liberal party is joining the chorus of demands for Emerson, the former Liberal industry minister, to resign his parliamentary seat in the wake of his decision to switch parties shortly after being re-elected as a Liberal.

"Absolutely, Mr. Emerson should quit," said Mike Eizenga, adding that the honourable thing to do would be for him to go back to his riding and run as a Tory in a by-election.

During the election campaign, the Liberals poured extra resources into Emerson's riding to ensure that he won over well-known NDP candidate Ian Waddell, Eizenga said. The Conservatives, who have captured the riding only once in decades, were a distant third.

"David Emerson knows that, if he was running in that riding as a Conservative, he wouldn't have a chance," Eizenga added.

Also, the Vancouver-Kingsway Liberal riding association has demanded that Emerson pay back nearly $97,000 the association gave him to finance his recent campaign.

Last night, in a conference call with reporters from Ottawa, Emerson, now the Tory international trade minister, said support from Harper and cabinet colleagues banished fleeting thoughts of chucking the whole thing.

"I talked to the Prime Minister today and he was very, very supportive," Emerson said. "He certainly wasn't a scary Mr. Harper. He's been very kind and Conservative cabinet members have been very, very kind. I'm committed to staying the course.

"I've thought about (resigning) many times. This is just another day when I've thought about that."

Rejecting the notion that he owes his riding association money, he told a Vancouver reporter earlier: "I challenge them publicly with me and my wife present to demonstrate they are not better off as a result of the fundraising activities we have undertaken."

Emerson also complained that his children — a son, 14, and daughter, 12 — were suffering because of the backlash.

"My kids are being treated with hostility in school because of what's being said. My kids are crying because of what's being said at school."

In an interview with the Vancouver Sun, Harper brushed aside the uproar over Emerson's decision.

"I expected some of the superficial criticism I've seen," the Prime Minister said. "But I think once people sit back and reflect, they'll understand that this is in the best interests of not just British Columbia but frankly of good government."

The Emerson defection is still causing ripples within conservative circles. There are now a pair of online petitions — started by Conservatives — demanding Emerson's resignation.

And Edmonton-based conservative commentator Link Byfield, who was elected in 2004 as one of four senators-in-waiting, raised questions about Harper's decision to appoint Montrealer Michael Fortier, an unelected campaign organizer, to the Senate with a cabinet position.

"I have misgivings about anyone who starts compromising principles on Day 1, especially to accommodate Quebec," Byfield said.

Ethics watchdog Democracy Watch has said it will lodge a formal complaint with the federal Ethics Commissioner because Emerson was technically still a Liberal cabinet minister when he accepted Harper's offer to cross the floor. The Ottawa-based group believes the deal violates the federal ethics code and post-employment regulations for public office holders.

A spokesperson for the commissioner's office said no complaint had yet been received.

Oh, and here's the turncoat's reaction:

VANCOUVER (CP) - A shell-shocked but unrepentant David Emerson admits he miscalculated the backlash he'd face for turning his back on the Liberals and joining Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper's cabinet.

He said he briefly considered resigning and might not stand for re-election in his Vancouver riding if his disillusionment with politics deepens. Emerson said he was unprepared for the reaction in his home town to what seemed to him a logical move aimed at helping his province.

The former Liberal industry minister said his young children have been hassled at school and he's been unjustly accused of rank opportunism for switching sides just days after an election campaign where he led the Liberal charge against the Tories in British Columbia.

But support from his new boss and cabinet colleagues banished fleeting thoughts of chucking the whole thing.

"I talked to the prime minister today and he was very, very supportive," Emerson said Wednesday from Ottawa in a conference call with reporters.

"He certainly wasn't a scary Mr. Harper. He's been very kind, and Conservative cabinet members have been very, very kind. I'm committed to staying the course.

"I've thought about (resigning) many times. This is just another day when I've thought about that."

Emerson stunned his erstwhile Liberal supporters Monday by accepting a post as Harper's international trade minister.

Many B.C. business and political leaders greeted the move with approval because the most powerful B.C. minister in Paul Martin's Liberal cabinet would continue pushing the province's issues without breaking stride.

Emerson said he hasn't spoken to Martin but had a cordial conversation with interim Liberal leader Bill Graham.

"He basically said he thinks I perhaps did a political miscalculation as to how this would be reacted to, and I suppose he was right on that," said Emerson. "I didn't expect the reaction that I got."

Emerson said he was not so naive to expect no criticism over his defection but thought the logic of his reasoning would win out.

"I'm a little disheartened by the reaction but I'm a grownup person and I can take care of myself," he said.

While B.C. movers and shakers were happy, many residents of his Vancouver-Kingsway riding were livid.

The Liberal riding association wrote Emerson, demanding he return almost $97,000 in campaign donations. He dismissed it, saying he left the party with a healthy war chest, little of which came from individual donations.

"I think these people ought to give their head a shake and ask themselves how much of that money would have even come to the Liberal party if I hadn't been there," said Emerson.

Emerson was personally recruited by Martin to run for the Liberals in 2004 after leaving the chief executive's job at forestry giant Canfor Corp.

Before that he was a top B.C. government public servant and successfully headed the Vancouver Airport Authority and B.C. Ferries.

He agreed to run in 2004 only because Martin offered him a job where he could push B.C.'s agenda.

"Then I, under duress, decided to run again because I didn't want to let Paul down," he said.

Emerson said he didn't consider jumping to the Tories until after Martin announced he would step down as Liberal leader.

The following day, Tory campaign co-chairman John Reynolds sounded him out, beginning a process that ended last Sunday when he agreed to join Harper's cabinet.

Emerson conceded perhaps he misjudged the level of loyalty required in political life compared to the corporate world.

"I think that is quite possible," he said. "I've been flabbergasted to say the least about the way people treat each other in politics.

"I thought it was just on the floor of the House that people abused other people of other parties, but I now realize that it runs deep into the fibre and the veins of the parties themselves."

Still, Emerson said his current plan is to run again in Vancouver-Kingsway, despite the fact no Conservative has won the seat since 1958 and his Tory rival this time finished a distant third.

"I may be so disillusioned by then that I won't stand anywhere," he said.

"I have to be honest. If I knew that politics would be as it has been recently, I wouldn't have run to begin with. But I'm into it and I'll finish the job."

Emerson will be responsible for the thorny softwood lumber trade dispute with the United States, Ottawa's Pacific Gateway trade initiative and federal participation in the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, among other things.

"I'm actually carrying on the very traditions and initiatives that in fact the Liberal party was attempting to deal with," he said.

Emerson got a congratulatory call Tuesday from his U.S. cabinet counterpart, Trade Representative Rob Portman (news, bio, voting record).

"We touched on a number of the issues, softwood being one of them, that we need to begin to reactivate," he said. "It's a top priority for us and I think it's a top priority down in the U.S. and that's something I'll be pushing ahead with."

Emerson said he'll be speaking this week with Canadian lumber executives and ministers in the producing provinces to see how close they are to a common negotiating position before sounding out the Americans on their willingness for serious talks.

[ohmygoodness]

I think there's no doubt about it he should resign and run in a by-election. The Tories were not even CLOSE in that race. It was Liberals 43%, NDP 33% and Tories 19%. He never would have gotten elected had he run as a Tory, and he damn well knows it too. And Harper is being SO hypocritical because he wanted to introduce that bill to eliminate the ability to cross the floor! Gah.

And more pissed off about this Michael Fortier thing though. You cannot make an unelected person a cabinet minister for fuck's sake! HE NEVER EVEN CONSIDERED RUNNING! That is cronyism at it's ABSOLUTE FINEST.

[pacific breeze]

He learned it from Brian Mulroney and George Bush.