Posted on 02/06/2006 8:19:35 AM PST by Heartofsong83
Former Liberal David Emerson defects to Tories Updated Mon. Feb. 6 2006 11:04 AM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
CTV News has confirmed that former Liberal industry minister David Emerson has defected to the Conservatives for a cabinet post.
The Vancouver MP and former head of lumber giant Canfor arrived at Rideau Hall shortly before the Tory cabinet was to be announced.
He will be named the Minister of International Trade and the Minister responsible for the Olympic Games in Vancouver in 2010.
Snatching Emerson could be seen as Conservative retribution for the defection of Belinda Stronach to the Liberals in exchange for a cabinet post.
At the time, Stephen Harper harshly criticized Stronach and several Conservatives demanded laws forcing floor-crossers to go back to the electorate for another mandate.
Emerson was considered a leadership candidate for the Liberals, and took a prominent role on the issue of softwood lumber in Martin's government. His acquisition by the Conservatives gives the party its only MP in one of the country's major cities.
"It is a big score for us, no doubt about it," said Conservative commentator Tim Powers. "It takes a potential Liberal leadership candidate away from the Liberals."
However, Powers played down the ethical implications raised by Emerson's party switch.
"I think a lot of people in the Conservative party came from other parties. There wouldn't be a Conservative party today if people hadn't come from other parties," Powers said.
Political analyst Joan Crockatt said Emerson's flip-flop does raise some ethical questions, as his riding elected him as a Liberal.
"But it's something that shows that Stephen Harper is taking to heart some of the criticism when he didn't win any seat in three of the major cities in Canada," she added.
Emerson was first elected by the people of Vancouver-Kingsway in June 2004, and won his seat again in January, 2006.
He was appointed the Minister of Industry and Co-Senior Minister for British Columbia by former Prime Minister Paul Martin.
The son of working class parents, David was born in Montreal in 1945 and raised in Grand Prairie, Alberta.
Ping! Does this mean the Tories now have 125 seats and the Liberals 102?
Perhaps they can get enough to jump for a majority government. Heh heh.
No thanks.....
That's correct. He was quite a surprise too - I was expecting it to be a so-con Liberal like Tom Wappel, Paul Szabo, Dan McTeague or Paul Steckle...
"I was expecting it to be a so-con Liberal like Tom Wappel, Paul Szabo, Dan McTeague or Paul Steckle..."
All in good time... :)
I'm not surprised. Socons got screwed in Harper's cabinet. How does the notorious homosexual and anti-socon John Baird get a key cabinet post while Stock is shuffled off to Public Safety and Jason Kenney is completely locked out of cabinet?
Puleeze... unless Harper shows a little more appreciation for socons, I'm staying home next election. Given Baird's past behavior as a provincial cabinet minister, we might as well have left Reg Alcock as head of the Treasury Board.
Key cabinet post? That's a pretty junior position...the best thing is Vic Toews is still at Justice...
In a trade for Belinda, Tories definitely got the better deal. She's Hillary in the making. (Even Bill likes her...)
Actually, I take back the comment about Stock. Just discovered that despite the wimpy name, Public Safety is not its former junior portfolio. Rather it's an amalgamation into a Canadian equivalent of what Europeans call Ministry of the Interior.
Agreed, it would be the equivalent of Homeland Security. Jason Kenney was only expected to be House Leader if he was to be appointed to cabinet.
The Clinton curse could still claim Ms. Stronich.
Maybe she will get left on the back bench in Ottawa for many many years in the same way that Hillary sits for the losing party in the USA.
Interesting...down here in the USA, we occassionally see a politician
go from Democrat to Republican.
About the only switch in the opposite direction I can remember is Sen. Jeffords
going from Republican to Independent (but he votes with the Democrats
most of the time.)
Rep. Mike Forbes (NY) switched from R to D in the House a few years back. He was then defeated in the next Dem primary.
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