The Independent party doesn't really exist, of course. But before Parliament was dissolved, four seats in the House of Commons were occupied by members who belong to no particular party. They are a diverse group, with not much in common. They come from all the major parties and arrived in those chairs under different circumstances.
Carolyn Parrish was expelled from the Liberal caucus in November 2004, days after stomping on a doll of U.S. President George W. Bush during an episode of This Hour Has 22 Minutes and renouncing her loyalty to the Liberals. It was not the first time she landed in hot water for comments about the Americans or the leadership of her party.
David Kilgour quit the Liberal Party in April 2005 to sit as an Independent. Kilgour said he was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the direction of the Liberal Party under Prime Minister Paul Martin. He also cited the sponsorship scandal as another reason for leaving. Kilgour is not running in this election. He was the member of Parliament for Edmonton-Mill Woods-Beaumont.
Pat O'Brien, MP for London-Fanshawe in Ontario, also left the Liberal Party to sit as an Independent. In June 2005, O'Brien said he was unhappy with the progress of hearings on same-sex marriage legislation.
Bev Desjarlais had been an NDP member for Churchill, Manitoba since 1997. But in October 2005, she lost the party's nomination for the upcoming election. She said it was because she opposed the government's same-sex marriage legislation. Desjarlais is running as an Independent in this election.
Chuck Cadman was that rarest of political creatures - one who was elected after running as an Independent. It is extremely difficult to be elected when running outside an official party banner. But, in the 2004 campaign, Cadman was the only one who succeeded. Cadman will be remembered for being the tying vote in the May 2005 no-confidence motion that went down to defeat, prolonging the existence of Paul Martin's Liberal government. Cadman died of cancer in July, 2005.
