Prime Minister Stephen Harper
and his cabinet. What a great way to start the week.
I shoulda known Emerson would cross the floor.
Update: Dave at Galloping Beaver and Declan at Crawl Across the Ocean have a lot more to say. Declan's post made me recall this completementary CTV article from a few days ago about Harper's wise and ethical decision to keep his transition team separate from his campaign team and his cabinet. I've never quite understood why the independence of the (temporary) transition team is such a big deal (it seems to be a big deal in American politics as well) or why it's wrong for a politician transitioning into the leadership not to be surrounded and advised by close political aides. But if the goal is to keep "political interests" and the "public interest" separate, then surely appointing an unelected Party organizer from Quebec to the cabinet is a worse fudging, particularly when Harper has 10 elected Quebec Tory MPs to choose from (though, granted, none from Montreal).
The Fortier Senate/cabinet appointment is somewhat defensible on regional grounds, assuming Fortier keeps his promise and runs for the House in the next election. The Emerson floor-crossing is not at all defensible, however unsurprising for a blue Lib like Emerson. It's a complete afront to the parliamentary Party system (not to mention a giant "fuck you" to Emerson's Liberal supporters and volunteers). Conceivably, we could just have cabinet ministers from one government switch parties willy-nilly after every election so we never have to actually change the government, just its colours. Presumably, one chooses to be a Liberal or Conservative because being a Liberal or a Conservative means something. When being a Liberal ceases to coincide with your personal beliefs (see Pat O'Brien) or when you come to clash irreparably with the Liberal or Conservative party leadership (see Carolyn Parrish or Belinda Stronach), then leaving the party or even crossing the floor becomes a viable option. When there's no ideological or ethical complaint at stake, just the chance to stay in the Cabinet, a floor-crosser is just, as Dave puts it, "disenfranchising his constituents."
So fuck you, David Emerson. At least the Liberals got a little more ethical today, if by default.
I shoulda known Emerson would cross the floor.
Update: Dave at Galloping Beaver and Declan at Crawl Across the Ocean have a lot more to say. Declan's post made me recall this completementary CTV article from a few days ago about Harper's wise and ethical decision to keep his transition team separate from his campaign team and his cabinet. I've never quite understood why the independence of the (temporary) transition team is such a big deal (it seems to be a big deal in American politics as well) or why it's wrong for a politician transitioning into the leadership not to be surrounded and advised by close political aides. But if the goal is to keep "political interests" and the "public interest" separate, then surely appointing an unelected Party organizer from Quebec to the cabinet is a worse fudging, particularly when Harper has 10 elected Quebec Tory MPs to choose from (though, granted, none from Montreal).
The Fortier Senate/cabinet appointment is somewhat defensible on regional grounds, assuming Fortier keeps his promise and runs for the House in the next election. The Emerson floor-crossing is not at all defensible, however unsurprising for a blue Lib like Emerson. It's a complete afront to the parliamentary Party system (not to mention a giant "fuck you" to Emerson's Liberal supporters and volunteers). Conceivably, we could just have cabinet ministers from one government switch parties willy-nilly after every election so we never have to actually change the government, just its colours. Presumably, one chooses to be a Liberal or Conservative because being a Liberal or a Conservative means something. When being a Liberal ceases to coincide with your personal beliefs (see Pat O'Brien) or when you come to clash irreparably with the Liberal or Conservative party leadership (see Carolyn Parrish or Belinda Stronach), then leaving the party or even crossing the floor becomes a viable option. When there's no ideological or ethical complaint at stake, just the chance to stay in the Cabinet, a floor-crosser is just, as Dave puts it, "disenfranchising his constituents."
So fuck you, David Emerson. At least the Liberals got a little more ethical today, if by default.
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