Democracy takes one on the chin. Again.

Busy day. Lots of plans to make, schemes to devise, people to rally.

Mississauga—Streetsville Member of Parliament Wajid Khan, twice elected as a Liberal, in a riding and region which hasn’t sent a “conservative” to Ottawa since 1988, decided today that he wanted to sit on the Conservative government side of the house. Pure, vile, rank, opportunism.

His constituents had absolutely no say in the matter.

That isn’t Real Democracy.

If you believe that a member of parliament ought to have a legitimate mandate from electors and if you further believe that switching parties (and therefore changing policies and priorities) ought to be reason enough for an MP to resign and run in a by-election, then head off and sign this petition: M.P. Wajid Khan Resign Petition right now, and stay tuned for much more.

Khan pulled an Emerson. Harper no doubt believes that the public isn’t as interested in Khan, a relatively minor figure, as they were with Emerson. The Conservative spin will paint this as somehow different, which will only be useful to those of us on the side of democracy who can use such lame tactics to prove that Harper just doesn’t get it.

And if Bob Klager, senior communications strategist responsible for hapless Conservative cabinet ministers, is still reading this… just wait Bob, we have some fun stuff planned for Emerson, Fortier, and now Khan… real soon now.