How Much Have Things Changed?
A manure wall cannot be plastered – Confucius
I have been told that before agreeing to run for the Liberals in the election before last, David Emerson was approached by the Conservatives to be their candidate. While there were no ideological objections raised by Emerson, the clincher for him was that he had no interest in being an MP unless he could be a cabinet minister. He didn’t like his chances with the Conservatives at the time, ran for the Liberals and was rewarded with his cabinet post.
Fast forward to the January 2006 election. Emerson won his seat in a close race against NDP veteran Ian Waddell, and woke up facing the prospect of sitting in opposition, perhaps for a long while as the Liberals work through the process of rebuilding and choosing a new leader. That he would jump at the chance to join the Harper cabinet is no surprise. That Harper would agree to make the offer is.
Harper was careful during the campaign not take a hard stand against an MP crossing the floor. In his town hall session with Peter Mansbridge he was asked the question and said he had thought long and hard on the question but had not been able to come up with a solution that would work. As such he can honestly say he isn't being unprincipled. Nor is there any real comparison to be made with the wooing of Belinda Stronach with a cabinet post in exchange for a vote on a non-confidence motion.
Are the Conservatives so desperate for a cabinet minister in Vancouver that they would risk giving the 38% of Canadians who are so cynical about politics they don’t even vote the chance to say – I told you so, all politicians are the same, all they want to do is get into power. If so Confucius had it right and the walls of the corridors of political power won't easily be papered over.
The risk Mr. Harper has taken in assembling this cabinet that includes the opportunistic and principle-challenged Mr. Emerson is that "it seems to have something for everybody, but ends up appealing to nobody."
Only time will tell.
I have been told that before agreeing to run for the Liberals in the election before last, David Emerson was approached by the Conservatives to be their candidate. While there were no ideological objections raised by Emerson, the clincher for him was that he had no interest in being an MP unless he could be a cabinet minister. He didn’t like his chances with the Conservatives at the time, ran for the Liberals and was rewarded with his cabinet post.
Fast forward to the January 2006 election. Emerson won his seat in a close race against NDP veteran Ian Waddell, and woke up facing the prospect of sitting in opposition, perhaps for a long while as the Liberals work through the process of rebuilding and choosing a new leader. That he would jump at the chance to join the Harper cabinet is no surprise. That Harper would agree to make the offer is.
Harper was careful during the campaign not take a hard stand against an MP crossing the floor. In his town hall session with Peter Mansbridge he was asked the question and said he had thought long and hard on the question but had not been able to come up with a solution that would work. As such he can honestly say he isn't being unprincipled. Nor is there any real comparison to be made with the wooing of Belinda Stronach with a cabinet post in exchange for a vote on a non-confidence motion.
Are the Conservatives so desperate for a cabinet minister in Vancouver that they would risk giving the 38% of Canadians who are so cynical about politics they don’t even vote the chance to say – I told you so, all politicians are the same, all they want to do is get into power. If so Confucius had it right and the walls of the corridors of political power won't easily be papered over.
The risk Mr. Harper has taken in assembling this cabinet that includes the opportunistic and principle-challenged Mr. Emerson is that "it seems to have something for everybody, but ends up appealing to nobody."
Only time will tell.
posted by Ben Buan | 8:54 p.m.
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