Independent MP Garth Turner, who was kicked out of the Tory caucus last fall, joined the Liberals Tuesday, saying he could represent his riding better that way than as a "lone wolf."

"The Liberal party is as close to my PC roots as I'm going to get," Turner said Tuesday afternoon at a press conference in Ottawa with Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion.

Garth Turner, left, and Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion shake hands Tuesday at a news conference in Ottawa.
(CBC)

"The progressive part of the Conservative party is gone."

Turner also challenged Prime Minister Stephen Harper to call byelections in the ridings of floor-crossers David Emerson and Wajid Khan, as well as in Quebec to force Public Works Minister Michael Fortier to run for elected office.

Fortier, a senator, was appointed to the cabinet by Harper. He did not run in the last federal election.

"If Mr. Harper does that, I would gladly run in a fourth byelection," Turner pledged.

Turner also slammed Harper's "mindless disciplinarianism" over the Conservative caucus and praised Dion for "welcoming me, even knowing that I'm a pain."

Dion, in turn, praised the business and environmental experience of Turner, a former director of the Sierra Legal Defence Fund.

But the Liberal leader also spoke of the necessity for the party to "point in one direction" — a pointed reference to Turner's frank, often outspoken demeanour in the Tory caucus.

Turner, 58, was elected as a Conservative in 2006 in the Ontario riding of Halton. He became an Independent last fall, after he was expelled by the Tory caucus for allegedly breaching caucus confidentiality on his blog.

Turner denied the allegation, saying he was booted out because some of his beliefs were at odds with the party.

"I did not walk away from my party," he wrote in his blog. "It quit me. Mr. Harper tossed me out for refusing to support him without reservation, and for refusing to stop talking to Canadians.

"After being a Progressive Conservative my entire life, an MP, cabinet minister and leadership contender, Stephen Harper took my party away."

Turner said floor-crossers should run in byelections

But Turner was also critical of the government while he was a member of the party. Notably, he denounced Harper's decision to swear Emerson into cabinet. Emerson crossed the floor after being elected as a Liberal in January 2006.

Turner said then that anyone who crossed the floor should step down and run in a byelection.

Turner served briefly as minister of national revenue in the Progressive Conservative government of Kim Campbell.

Then a one-term MP, he was defeated in the Liberal sweep of 1993.

There had been speculation that Turner might join the Green party, which has no seats in the House. As recently as Monday, Turner had said it was an option that was still on the table.