Harper's ethics stonewalling breaks law, worthy of censure: opposition MPs

OTTAWA (CP) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper's refusal to co-operate with an ethics investigation into the David Emerson floor-crossing violates an act of Parliament and may prompt a motion of censure when the Commons resumes next month, opposition MPs said Thursday.

Liberal MP Wayne Easter, a former cabinet minister, said Harper's fight with ethics commissioner Bernard Shapiro cuts at the heart of government accountability and has become a more serious matter than Emerson's stunning defection.

"It's become a much bigger issue," Easter told a news conference.

"If he was ever to get away with dumping Mr. Shapiro and appointing another ethics commissioner, it sets an extremely dangerous precedent for future parliaments and future prime ministers in terms of all officers of the House of Commons."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/cpress/harper_ethics

Wow, Canadian politics has been a lot more interesting lately. To me, anyway. When was the last time a PM was censured?

It is a very interesting time in canadian politics, if sometimes a bit frightening.

I mean, if they raise the possibility and then don't follow through, that's going to be pretty weak-kneed. Besides, they're going to have to slap Harper around a LOT anyway, so they might just as well get on with it. No retreat, no surrender.

Here's hoping they'll show their teeth.

Ethics probe should include Stronach, NDP says
Last Updated Fri, 10 Mar 2006 18:42:05 EST
CBC News

The ethics commissioner's investigation into David Emerson's defection to the Conservative party should be widened to include the floor-crossing of Belinda Stronach to the Liberals last year, the NDP says.

"We believe that the similarities between the Stronach affair and the Emerson affair are part and parcel the same," said NDP MP Pat Martin.

But the NDP wants Shapiro to expand his probe into Stronach's actions.

Pat Martin said the NDP is complaining now about Stronach because he's been getting e-mails asking why his party is being so hard on the Tories while letting the Liberals off the hook.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/03/10/stronach060310.html

Glad to see that we own up to the cherrey tree falling. Now lets see some follow up. Or is it just lets jump on the weakest? Some things come through.

We shall see in the coming days very shortly I expect!

I suspect there are differences besides the time lag between being elected and crossing the floor. I suspect the Stronach thing was done much more carefully, from a legal point of view, than the Emerson thing.

An analogy might be:
Gas Station A and Gas Station B, which are across the street from each other, raise their prices by 5 cents a liter one morning. Whether this was collusion or not depends on whether some kind of formal deal can be shown to have existed i.e. an email saying "I'll raise my price if you raise yours". Otherwise it can be put down to coincidence, or just responding to a competitor's first move.

I have a hunch Martin/Stronach/Peterson would have played this whole thing a lot smarter than Harper/Emerson. I think Harper knows this too, and that's why he is stonewalling.

I look forward to an investigation of both events. I suppose the NDP can't lose, not having had a floor crossing event for years.

On edit: This wiki article shows that the NDP has tended to lose members rather than gain them through floor crossings.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Canadian_politicians_who_have_crossed_the_floor

My crystal ball is not that great, but my reading on this is that it will be seen that they are taking their eyes off the ball.

If it represents a new policy such as a Canadian policy to be yet rolled out, then it could be accepted.

Otherwise it will be seen as dumping on the underdog. Maybe they don't want an election yet. But if it as seen as diffusing the issue at hand, then they should not expect to be a voice that will be listened to in the next election.

My view on the issue for what its worth.

But the Conservatives will push the Stronach floor crossing hard, as a way to stonewall, so I don't see any other way around it.

I agree that the NDP has a delicate line to walk here. My hunch is that Harper's arrogance on this matter (and others) is wearing thin with people. The "throw the bums out" response may not take long, so the NDP has to be careful of seeming like they are on Harper's side.

he's trying to be BUSH damn it.

and his little 'surprise visit' to afghanistan? good lord.