INDEPTH: HARPER AT THE HELM
Reaction to Harper's cabinet appointments
CBC News Online | Updated March 20, 2006
The ethics commissioner
"I am satisfied that no special inducement was offered by Mr. Harper to convince Mr. Emerson to join his cabinet and his party."
-- Canada's ethics commissioner, Bernardo Shapiro, in a written ruling March 20, 2006.
The politicians
"I'm going to be Stephen Harper's worst enemy. We're going to stir the pot and you better believe we are going to make a heck of a lot of noise."
-- David Emerson, on election night, when he was elected as a Liberal.
"People want a member of Parliament who can help them, who gets things done. I feel I can have the most impact in cabinet, particularly when they are asking me to join them."
-- David Emerson, Feb. 6, 2006, when he joined Stephen Harper's Conservative cabinet.
"We all voted for him as a Liberal. So we weren't given the opportunity to decide whether we wanted him as a non-partisan or as a Conservative candidate."
-- John McNamee, Liberal riding secretary for Vancouver Kingsway, Emerson's riding.
"If someone wanted to change parties, they would have to go back to their voters, because otherwise there is certainly an element of deception … and that's very discouraging on a day when we were to be embarking on change."
-- NDP Leader Jack Layton on the appointment of David Emerson to the Harper cabinet.
"What we needed to see was an infusion of the democratic spirit into the institution known as the House of Commons and certainly the idea of having a senator in a ministerial position of such importance, inaccessible to members of Parliament for the purpose of asking questions formally in the House certainly leaves us with some considerable concerns."
-- Layton on the appointment of Michael Fortier to the cabinet and the Senate.
"I find it worrisome that Mr. Harper has chosen someone for his cabinet who was elected under the Liberal banner just a couple of weeks ago."
-- Interim Liberal leader Bill Graham.
The editorials
"Mr. Emerson has shown very poor judgment. Mr. Harper has shown worse. He ran for prime minister as a man of principle, a man who would rise above grubby political tricks, a man who would return accountability and honesty to government. He has a perverse way of showing it."
The Globe and Mail
"We believe these appointments are Harper's first serious errors in judgment, after running a nearly flawless election campaign."
Toronto Sun
"The appointments of Messrs. Emerson and Fortier should not overshadow what was, on the whole, a good start for the new government. But Mr. Harper must remember that Canadians elected him because of their desire for fresh thinking, not just fresh faces."
The National Post
"Emerson … ran just last month—and won—as a Liberal for the second time in a row. At no point did he express qualms about his party's policies. Yet that didn't stop him from jumping ship. And voters won't get to pass judgment on him any time soon."
Toronto Star
"It's all rather irregular, though neither unprecedented nor improper. And it serves to give Vancouver and Montreal each a respected voice at the cabinet table."
Montreal Gazette
The blog report
"OK, let's purge the phrase 'crossed the floor' from our lexicon when it comes to David Emerson… Emerson didn't even wait for the Conservatives and Liberals to take their respective places in Parliament before flipping off every single person who voted for him by switching sides."
Babbling Brooks
"Whatever one might think of Belinda Stronach, at least she did not switch sides within two-weeks of being elected. I wonder what Emerson's constituents who literally just voted for him as a Liberal will think of this."
Cherniak on Politics
"At least Belinda sat with the Tories for a year… In the case of David Emerson, he was elected two weeks ago as a Liberal. There is absolutely no way to spin this, except as a case of blatant opportunism."
-- Calgary Grit
"I'm glad a Liberal MP crossed and I hope more of them do. David Emerson's a big boy, he can face the deserved criticism from the electors. But should he become the first floor-crosser in modern Canadian history forced to run in a bi-election just to prove a point about 'Conservative principle'? Are we nuts??"
Small Dead Animals
"Don't blame Harper for playing by the rules, he didn't make the rules but he'd be a damned fool not to use the rules to his advantage especially when he is a seat away from a CPC-NDP majority. He'd be Joe Clark."
Anonalogue
"Yes, I feel used. And I feel lied to. And I feel bitter. But far be it from me to stand between what seems like a perfect pairing. After all, to be fair, you and Stephen have a lot in common. Both of you lied during the campaign - you about your partisan affiliation and him about his commitment to accountability."
Denise Brunsdon of Fuddle Duddle, in an open 'break-up' letter to Emerson.
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No rules broken in Emerson affair: watchdog (March 20, 2006)
Ethics probe should include Stronach, NDP says (March 10, 2006)
Opposition questions Harper's ethics (March 9, 2006)
Harper defends cabinet pick in wake of ethics probe (March 7, 2006)
Voters in mock byelection want Emerson to resign (March 5, 2006)
Harper 'loath' to co-operate with ethics commissioner (March 3, 2006)
Emerson issues apology, but stands by defection decision (March 1, 2006)
Harper names new communications director (Feb. 21, 2006)
Vancouver residents protest against Emerson's party change (Feb. 12, 2006)
'I won't quit' embattled Emerson tells CBC (Feb. 11, 2006)
New parliamentary secretary to Francophonie can't speak French (Feb. 10, 2006)
'I don't really care' about reaction to party switch: Emerson (Feb. 9, 2006)
Vancouver Liberals want Emerson to repay $97,000 (Feb. 8, 2006)
New minister Fortier 'didn't want to run in the election' (Feb. 7, 2006)
Harper sworn in as 22nd prime minister (Feb. 6, 2006)
Cabinet includes defector and senator-to-be (Feb. 6, 2006)
Fewer women tapped for Harper cabinet (Feb. 6, 2006)
More Quebec MPs named to cabinet than expected (Feb. 6, 2006)
Opposition targets Emerson, Fortier appointments (Feb. 6, 2006)
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