Expelled in 2007 from the Conservative caucus for daring to vote his conscience on the Atlantic Accord, the MP for Cumberland Colchester Musquodoboit Valley, former Progressive Conservative Bill Casey yesterday stood in the House of Commons asking the Speaker to investigate the Conservative Party's role in attempts to discredit him during the last election. The Chronicle Herald contains a detailed account of the story.

Voters in Casey's riding easily re-elected Casey as an independent, apparently holding him in high regard.

Back in the days of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, I recall Bill once led a fund-raiser for prairie cattle farmers who had been suffering greatly due to drought conditions that year. He arranged for feed to be bought and sent by train to the region. To me this concern for our fellow citizens seemed iconic of the best of the Canadian spirit - here was an Atlantic Canadian spearheading a fund-raiser for Albertan farmers.