David Emerson: Media Watch
Media Highlights for Saturday March 26 through Tuesday March 28 2006
Media Watch is updated through the day until the end of the day.
March 27 (Bea Vongdouangchanh, The Hill Times) A chill in floor-crossing sets in to 39th Parliament
Thanks to David Emerson, Stephen Harper and Bernard Shapiro, some political players say a floor-crossing chill is in vogue in the next House.
Some might call it a floor-crossing chill, but some politicos say it would be “political suicide” for any MP to cross the floor any time soon.
People: +1, Politicians: 0
March 28 (Bill Rogers, CNEWS) MP’s got bite: Tory refuses to be muzzled by party
“And so, unlike many of my colleagues who want to be in cabinet, or want to be parliamentary secretaries or want to have additional pay, more titles, a bigger office in a better building or a seat in the House of Commons closer to the boss, I don’t care,” Turner said.
“And I don’t think they should care, either. Because this MP thing is not about them.”
Turner told his audience that while he may be judged “dangerous” in establishment Ottawa, he will follow four rules as an MP: Give people a voice, don’t confuse person with position, know who you represent and communicate.
Turner had been speaking as a guest to the Hull-Aylmer Conservative riding association. According to the article, that association had received criticism for inviting Turner. I can see that. There is a culture of concealment which has developed within my party. Its got to stop.
March 28 (John Ibbitson, The Globe and Mail) Why Garth Turner is the future of politics
Here’s some really bad news: Garth Turner matters.
Despite the lead-in, this is a good story. Turner is a fanatic about representation. He gets it. I’ve said before – if Turner turns out to be only half the person he expresses in his writing, he’ll stand head and shoulders above most MP’s in Ottawa. Strike that. Above most politicians in Canada.
One upon a time I could make a similar statement about a quite a few Conservatives that have ended up as MP’s, but they’ve all fallen strangely silent behind the iron curtain that has been pulled around the Conservative caucus by Prime Minister Harper.