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Garth asks the PM to call three bye-elections

by DavidAkin on Wed 07 Feb 2007 03:06 PM EST | Permanent Link | Cosmos

You may have read about his intentions on his blog yesterday, but Garth Turner, the newest Liberal MP, called the PM’s bluff minutes ago in Question Period. Turner, on his feet for his first day in the House of Commons as a Liberal, got the last Liberal question of the day. I’ll put up the Hansard later, but here’s what he did:

He stood up to ask his question and his new caucus mates gave him a loud and prolonged ovation. Then Turner (left) dared the Prime Minister to call a bye-election in his riding of Halton if the PM also called one for Emerson’s riding of Vancouver Kingsway and Wajid Khan’s riding of Mississauga Streetsville.
The PM did not respond but the Government House Leader, Peter Van Loan, did. He told Turner that it was completely within Turner’s power to resign and a bye-election would be held.
So Turner rose for a supplementary and said, fine. If the PM promised to call a bye-election in Halton today, he’d quit today and run as a Liberal.
Van Loan had a confusing answer that seemed to repeat what he said earlier.

Here are the Blues (the unofficial “rush” Hansard) that has the exchange:

Hon. Garth Turner :
….
My question is for the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister support my request of yesterday to work immediately to have a by-election in my riding of Halton, at the same time as by-elections in Vancouver--Kingsway and Mississauga--Streetsville, so we three members can be accountable?
Some hon. members: Hear, hear!
*   *   *
Hon. Peter Van Loan (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform, CPC) :
Mr. Speaker, the member for Halton has not been in the caucus for 24 hours and he has already gotten a standing ovation for the concept of him resigning.
I will assure the member for Halton that if he wishes to see a by-election at Halton, it is fully within his control. He can resign today. I am sure we will comply.
*   *   *
Hon. Garth Turner (Halton, Lib.) :
Mr. Speaker, I would like to try again. If the Prime Minister will call a by-election today so the people of Halton will not be without their member of Parliament for a few weeks, then I will lay my seat on the line today.
Will he do that, yes or no, and will he tell the member for Mississauga--Streetsville to get with the program?
*   *   *
Hon. Peter Van Loan (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform, CPC) :
Mr. Speaker, I continue to be impressed but not surprised by the enthusiasm for the Liberal Party for the resignation of the member for Halton, but I think his 15 minutes of fame are over if he wishes to have a by-election that is 100% in his control.
The question is not why he changed his mind or how he explains his change in position, we need to know the answer to that. I do not know why he is asking us why we changed our mind. He is the one who has changed his position on these issues

Here, by the way, is what Turner wrote on his blog very early this morning:

…somehow, people think I won’t run in a by-election, that I’m afraid. Not the case. In announcing my move I challenged PMSH to call by-elections in Halton at the same time as in Vancouver-Kingsway (Emerson), in Mississauga-Streetsville (Wajid Khan) and in Quebec (Michael Fortier), because that’s the principled thing to do. We all need to be accountable to the people.
But I guess those three aren’t up to the challenge, again.
So I’m going it alone.
If I resign immediately, the prime minister can leave my voters held hostage for up to six months without a by-election and without an MP, which could well mean they’re not represented at all until after the next election. Excuse me if I do not trust Stephen Harper, but I don’t.
There is another way, which I have left for Wednesday.
I believe nobody should represent the people without their approval and support. It is the basis of our system, and the one thing that should give us all hope. I support it. I’m going to do it. As promised.

Tags: elections

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Re: Garth asks the PM to call three bye-elections

by BBS on Wed 07 Feb 2007 09:51 PM EST | Profile | Permanent Link

All of Garth's ducking and weaving simply exposes the flaw in logic of all those who advocate for an immediate by-election for floor crossers. Forcing a by-election puts far too much power into the hands of the PM or Party leader and further weakens the power of individual MPs. Crossing is part of our Parliamentary tradition. If they wish to change the rules, it should simply require the member to sit as an independent until the next election.

Re: Garth asks the PM to call three bye-elections

by matt on Thu 08 Feb 2007 11:20 AM EST | Profile | Permanent Link

According to Garth, he's an illegitimate representative of his constituents because he was elected on the basis of the platform with which he no longer agrees.

Garth has proposed that MPs in such situations ought to seek legitimacy by resigning and running in a by-election.

His position is now that the *risk* of the harm to his consituents by being unrepresented for *up to* six months outweighs the harm to his constituents by having a representative who subscribes to a different political platform than the one they voted for. In the absence of major policy swings by either party, I don't see how that's case.

My question for Garth is why are his constituents worse-served by no MP than, according to the results of an election only 12 months ago, an MP they disagree with?

Also, why should the legitimization of his representation of his constitutents have anything at all to do with other ridings?

Furthermore, if his constituents are entitled to effective and fair political representation, why are those who might be inclined to vote Conservative - the plurality in the relatively recent election - (or NDP or Green for that matter) not entitled to the necessary time to organize a candidate, team and funding (key elements which Garth himself has now denied Conservative-inclined voters)?

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