Ex-aide says Emerson wants out
Before reading this morning’s Toronto Star article, consider the source: Jay Epworth is the former legislative assistant to David Emerson back when he sat in Paul Martin’s cabinet. Epworth is now Liberal leader Bill Graham’s assistant. His comments on the Emerson affair will be seen as nothing more than a partisan attack. That is irrelevant, what matters more is whether his comments are truthful.
Jay Epworth, Emerson’s legislative assistant when he was industry minister in the Paul Martin government, said Emerson recently told him he has been shocked by the Harper government’s fierce adversarial approach.
“Behind closed doors, the Conservatives are worse partisans than the Liberals ever were,” Emerson said, according to notes Epworth wrote after his conversation with the minister.
“They hate the f——ing Liberals and they’re doing everything they can to screw them,” he quoted Emerson as saying.
Emerson had been explaining that the partisan nature of politics is “just something he was not able to really wrap his head around,” recalled Epworth, who is now the legislative assistant to Opposition Leader Bill Graham.
Emerson’s communication’s director, Bob Klager – a former journalist – has unsurprisingly denied the conversations ever took place.
From my vantage point the article has more than a ring of truth to it. Epworth worked closely with Emerson for some time, and legislative assistants must have a relationship of trust with their MP, particularly when working with a high profile cabinet minister. Its entirely credible that Emerson would confide in Epworth based on their prior relationship, regardless of which side of the house each currently represent. Epworth is quoted to add:
Epworth, asked to evaluate Emerson’s remarks to him, said, “I don’t think he was feeding me a line or anything. He was saying what he felt.”
Emerson also said he is not content being in the Conservative cabinet and would like to get out of politics if he could, according to Epworth.
“He said he would have quit by now but his wife wouldn’t let him.”
Epworth added: “You know what else he said to me? He felt that his influence in this cabinet would obviously be much less than in the last cabinet.
“And I said, `Well, duh, minister, they don’t really trust you. They’re glad to have you on side, but they’re not going to trust you.’”
Both Harper and Emerson are in uncomfortable territory here. Both need to save face. Best for both would be an honourable exit for Mr. Emerson so he can return to private life and rebuild his reputation, and give Stephen Harper a stage upon which he can try to demonstrate to Canadians that he is serious about standing up for Canada by:
- Calling a by-election for Vancouver—Kingsway
- Have his government introduce and work to pass floor-crossing prohibition legislation in this parliament
- Have his government pay more than lip-service to erasing the so-called democratic deficit.
The people, as is obvious to all but the spin-doctors, will stand for nothing less.