Former Liberal industry minister David Emerson has jumped ship to become a Conservative cabinet minister.

The Vancouver-Kingsway MP is the new Conservative minister of international trade, with responsibilities for the Vancouver Olympics and Pacific Gateway.

David Emerson
David Emerson

The 60-year-old former banker, businessman and economist was elected as a "star" Liberal candidate in the riding of Vancouver-Kingsway in 2004, was appointed to Paul Martin's cabinet and was re-elected as a Liberal last month.

The fact that he had switched parties first became apparent when he showed up at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Monday morning to be sworn into the Stephen Harper cabinet.

Emerson said he was "a small-c Liberal" even before changing parties and cast himself as a moderating force in the new cabinet.

The Conservative Party "has been moving to the centre because of the checks and balances in Parliament," he said, "and I think the fact that Mr. Harper has reached out to someone like me is an indication that they are becoming a middle-of-the-road party, and I think I can be helpful in moving in that direction."

During the recent election campaign, Emerson directed this strong attack on the Conservative leader's agenda for Canada:

"It's now not just, 'Can Stephen Harper mount a credible campaign?' It's people now having to decide, 'Can we really live with what Stephen Harper will deliver?'

"And I have to tell you, I have never seen a right-wing government in all of my life, and I've been in government or near government for 32 years, I have never seen a Conservative government that didn't come in, in the first year or two and slash social programs, raise taxes and create an awful lot of havoc that they did not disclose before the election."

Emerson was formerly B.C.'s deputy minister of finance. He also served as president of the Western and Pacific Bank of Canada (now Canadian Western Bank), the B.C. Trade Development Corporation and Canfor Corporation – B.C.'s largest forestry company.

He also oversaw the expansion of Vancouver International Airport during the 1990s.

B.C. will have three other representatives in the new Conservative cabinet – Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl and Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn.