Emerson Forum and Protest Rally

The David Emerson story just won’t die. In the Vancouver Kingsway riding yesterday a protest rally and public forum was held; over 700 people attended. I was one of them.

The meeting was largely organized by NDP MLA‘s for the area, but I found out about it from an email my wife received from non-partisan sources. This issue is not a partisan issue, which I took pains to state as one of the 50 public speakers at the event.

Mike Watkins, a Conservative who voted Green this time, said Tories in the riding are concerned with Emerson’s defection because of the ethical issues it raises.

“They’re quite upset, but they’re in a position where they can’t vocalize their displeasure,” Watkins said.

Watkins said he was struck that voters supporting all parties came up to speak to him afterward. “I don’t think it was a rent-a-crowd,” he said. “It was an honest expression of what’s going on in the riding.” (The Vancouver Province, Sunday Feb 12)

That quote is not quite right although I don’t think its reporter Ian Bailey’s fault but mine for talking about my vote in 2004 and 2006.

I voted Green in 2004 because I could not support the Conservative candidate Jesse Johl. In the recent election I actually voted for David Emerson – a strategic vote – because I wanted a highly effective opposition member representing me. While I know the CPC candidate Kanman Wong and truly admire the effort he put into this election, it was my opinion that he had no chance of winning. My strategic vote went to Emerson who I believed would be a better opposition member than Ian Waddell of the NDP.

Why vote for strong opposition? Because our system of parliamentary democracy depends upon this. I will never seek to elect a weak candidate of my party or any other party.