Peas in a pod

Lets play connect the dots between a few of the political figures supporting David Emerson, both behind the scenes and out in front of the cameras.

Mayor Sam Sullivan has spoken out in favour of Emerson a few times. Quoted in Friday’s Courier, Sullivan whines that his prior comments were taken out of context, but don’t feel sorry for Sam – he steps in it again:

The fact that he could change parties really speaks to the fact that he really isn’t a partisan type of person. Mayor Sam Sullivan

Sullivan goes on to use the standard spin lines which you’ll hear cast out of conservative circles from time to time, saying “its obviously legal” and “its been done by other people without the protests”.

What the Harper-Emerson affair is most obviously is undemocratic and immoral, but Sam’s not allowed to think such thoughts, or is incapable of grasping the truth. Chances are its the former, not the latter. While Sullivan used to be approachable and down to earth, it lately seems as if he’s lost the common touch, almost as if someone is pulling his strings. Who might that be?

Mayor Sam is connected to Emerson by only one degree of separation. Campaign manager for Sullivan’s succesful bid for mayor is NPA board member (not for much longer) Colin Metcalfe, who also happens to have been the BC region communications manager for the Conservative Party of Canada during the recent election (and the prior two as well).

Of course “communications” is a euphemism for “spin”, for political and government types often want you to hear what you think you want to hear, rather than the plain unadulterated truth.

Metcalfe is significantly tied to the federal Conservative Party via his roots as a communications lead in the Canadian Alliance party. The Sun had this to say about him last year:

He ran Sullivan’s nomination campaign against Christy Clark, and his successful ‘Knowards’ campaign to defeat the wards plebiscite; Politically strongly conservative; by his own admission he worked on a number of Republican campaigns while studying in California, including Ronald Reagan’s presidential election, and was once the president of the UCLA chapter of Young Americans For Freedom. Vancouver Sun, October 24, 2005

Metcalfe, after returning recently from holiday, has assumed duties as Chief of Staff in the Regional Ministerial Office – Emerson’s office.

So we have Mayor Sam… connected to Metcalfe (who is deeply connected to the NPA and Harper, and whose help Sullivan relied upon to become become mayor)... who works for Emerson… and Sam is defending David Emerson but insisting that he’s not really dabbling in federal politics. Right. We believe that one Mr. Mayor.

Emerson – Floor Crossing Vortex

Life is so full of ironical relationships. Parliamentary Secretary to Minister Emerson is Ontario MP Helena Guergis (Simcoe-Grey) who, in the last parliament – remember Emerson was a Liberal cabinet minister then – voted for a prohibition on floor crossing, bill C-251. Guergis was an active proponent of legislation to restore a little democracy to our system by requiring that floor crossers seek a mandate from their constituents via a by-election. The major thrust of bill C-251 reads:

If a vacancy occurs in the House of Commons by reason of the fact that a member has crossed the floor of that House, the Speaker of the House shall, without delay, on receipt of a notice under subsection (3), address a warrant of the Speaker to the Chief Electoral Officer for the issue of a writ for the election of a member to fill the vacancy.

Guergis also had strong views on many subjects – my favourite quote of hers is on the topic of hypocrisy:

A hypocrite is someone who says one thing and does another. Helena Guergis, MP Simco-Grey

So Guergis, who was working on floor-crossing legislation on her own, supported the NDP‘s bill C-251 which would have forced Emerson to resign, is now working for him. And that makes Helena what? You got it, a text-book definition – her text-book – of hypocrite.

But wait, this story is intertwined with yet more floor-crossing history. One of the new hires in Emerson’s office (as they punt out the Liberal-connected folks for ‘pure-bloods’ or new connections) is fellow NPA board member Marko Dekovic, who once sat on the Richmond federal Liberal association’s board and supported infamous floor-crosser and former Richmond MP Joe Peschisolido. Dekovic continued to support jumpin’ Joe even after Peschisolido crossed.

Dekovic’s new job? His voicemail haughtily announces himself as Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of International Trade, the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics (say that three times fast). Emerson’s constituency staff – down to earth folks – labelled Dekovic as “Minister Emerson’s scheduling assistant”.

Time for Indonesia, no time for Vancouver-Kingsway

Emerson could sure use some scheduling and reputation rebuilding. Despite his claims that he moves freely about the riding, Emerson hasn’t been at all responsive to community groups who are trying to reach him, and Emerson’s staff are well aware of this.

Not working out of the Ministerial Regional Office (300 West Georgia, Suite 808 | 604 666–4500) is Ottawa-based Bob Klager, Emerson’s new Communication’s director (613 992–7332). Klager, a former reporter for the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal, called me Friday morning after reading my comments in Friday’s David Emerson Media Watch. I added to those comments after my chat with the new Emerson spin-meister, as its very clear that Emerson is suffering from the prolonged and very public outrage – which he is most responsible for. They’ll try to blunt the legitimate criticism we have by giving at least the appearance that Emerson is being responsive, to help save the beleagured Emerson’s reputation. Its called damage control.

Note to the many gc.ca readers of this blog… Emerson isn’t the only one being damaged. The stench of the Harper-Emerson affair is going to rub off on many politicians. Just imagine how people will look at their ballots in the next federal by-election or general election, as they are reminded of the undemocratic stunt Harper and Emerson pulled, and are reminded of those that approved of it, or did nothing about it. Voters will be reminded, you can count on that.

You can’t fix a fundamental problem of ethics simply by making Emerson appear to be available, particularly when for almost two months now, Emerson has in fact been in hiding as community groups and reporters from across the country will attest to. The stench surrounding Emerson erupts from a rotton core which you have no authority to excise. We all can imagine the marching orders you have: ‘Tough it out’ says the Prime Minister’s Office. ‘Screw the people and the press, make this problem go away.’

Not going to happen. What Harper and Emerson did was wrong on day one and remains wrong today.

PS: and who said patronage is dead in this government?