Emerson stinking out House of Commons

Direct and to the point, today’s editorial in The Province:

David Emerson is stinking out the House of Commons, whatever the federal ethics commissioner says. But the real issue was, and is, Emerson’ betrayal of the democratic process and his subsequent refusal to acknowledge it.

In our view, any politician switching party allegiance must in future go back to the voters first to solicit their approval.

Without that mandate they are democratic pariahs—symbols of a cynical system that demeans and diminishes the citizens’ role.

No Canadian MP should ever again be allowed to masquerade in Ottawa as the representative of a party rejected by a majority of those who voted for him.

Harper dismisses the controversy as a “partisan effort” to demean Emerson’s “fine record of public service.” The PM could not be more wrong.

Democracy requires that the electorate gets what it voted for. Anything less is unacceptable.

We Conservatives ought to earn, not steal, votes. Anything less is unacceptable.