Joe Clark once said a most unique part of being in politics is that you get to see yourself as others do. Right now I am looking at the comments of thousands of Canadians, who see me as a folk hero or a destructive egomaniac. Tomorrow marks the ninth month since I was elected, and I cannot say it has been easy.
As I reflect this troubled Sunday morning, I can see that my agenda – populism, middle-class tax reform, progressive conservativism and environmentalism – sparked against that of the Harper Administration – top-down control, fiscal gradualism, reform social conservative convictions and a made-in-Alberta green plan. I guess this was inevitable.
I was expected to be outraged as a candidate over Belinda’s floor-crossing, and then as an MP support David Emerson’s. As a candidate I promised voters less income tax and income-splitting (as the leader suggested) and as an MP had to explain why they did not happen. As a candidate I said I’d not vote to re-open the divisive issue of same-sex marriage, and as an MP seven months later had to fight for my nomination against a party-backed televangelist homophobe. And as a candidate and citizen I fought for meaningful environmental protection, only to be ejected form caucus, in large part, for waging the same campaign as an MP.
For these crimes, I have paid the biggest political price any MP can. I’m party toast. Fired by press conference. On TV. In front of Canada.
But there is something deeper to this. A chasm even wider – one that I now see cannot be bridged without leveling a mountain or two.
My political existence has been built around what I have called digital democracy – the use of this unruly, wide-open and unpredictable new medium of the Internet to inform, engage and involve voters and taxpayers who, until now, have been asked to vote every few years, then expected to shut up and let the suits run the country. I make no apologies for having used a blog, online polling, interactivity, podcasting and webcasting to try and open up the political system. Seven thousand people, for example, gave me digital input for the pre-budget report I provided Flaherty six months ago.
This medium is overwhelming in its ability to deliver the views of citizens. Take that evac of Lebanese-Canadians last summer, for example, amid the news huge numbers of them were Lebanese citizens with no intention of ever living here again. This web site became a flashpoint of debate and opinion, and led to the conclusion this country seriously needs to review dual-citizenship.
And so it has been that I have tried to practice the populist, grassroots democracy of this digital initiative that I espouse. And so it is that this has inevitably and spectacularly collided with the control mentality of the we-know-best PMO which now has an icy grip over establishment politics.
In many ways, this is an example of a technological revolution no less stunning and far-reaching than the advent of the railroad or air travel. When MPs went to Ottawa on horse twice a year, for example, the voters had scarce opportunity for input. Today, wired together, we have the awesome potential to be masters of our own destiny. MPs have the ability to instantly know the desires of their constituents, and to factor them into every decision.
When my grandfather was MP for Oxford in 1867 he could only really guess what folks wanted him to do in Ottawa. As I am MP for Halton in 2006, I know. And I know this digital genie cannot be put back into the bottle. No matter how hard the PMO pushes. No matter what happens to rogue blogger Garth Turner.
But enough. I mentioned I was troubled this morning. Not by this. My Siberian, Cheka, has seizured three times during the night. This has happened four days after major surgery to repair his shattered leg. Dorothy and I have been holding him down for hours trying to prevent the incision and the mends underneath from being completely ripped apart as his body convulses and heaves. It has been devastating.
He is asleep now, but we are expecting more seizures within the coming hours, as the necessary post-op drugs trigger his epilepsy that we work so hard to control.
I may be troubled. He is tormented. And he is undeserving.
______________________________________________________
To read today’s Sun Media column by Sheila Copps, click here.
49 comments ↓
Hi Garth,
My spouse and I voted for you (and therefore the CPC) in the last election. We were hoping for a more accountable government that actually communicated with the public, and was open to hear the views of the Members of Parliament.
So far, we are pleased that you are speaking your mind, listening to the voters of Halton, and representing our views on important issues. On the other hand, we are becoming disillusioned with the Harper Government, and the new CPC. They are behaving much like the past Liberal governments of Martin and Chretien, by trying to muzzle the MPs and allow no room for debate or input from constituents, via their MPs. We believe the CPC had a great opportunity to prove to Canadians that they are different and better than the Liberals, and deserved the opportunity to have a majority government. So far, it looks like opportunity lost! Although the government has delivered on some key election promises (cut GST, Childcare allowance, etc.), their style of governing appears just like the recent Liberal governments. It looks like the next election may take us back to a Liberal majority, unless the Liberals shoot themselves in both feet, while the CPC only shoots one foot!
What should you do? Perhaps go back to the CPC, armed with a plan for them (ie Harper) to be more open and receptive to input from MPs and their constituents, and to allow more open public communication between Harper / CPC MPs and the media / constituents. Surely Harper is smart enough to see that his support is dropping like a lead balloon.
The Harper government should:
- make tough decisions consistent with their platform
- be willing to revise their stance on issues such as the environment, where their policies are out of step with actually doing some good
- actually implement policies, so that Canada can make some progress on improving the environment, for example. The Liberal record on Kyoto implementation is no better than the useless plan from Harper’s government
- communicate with Canadians – have Harper speak to Canadians (therefore the media as well), and allow MPs to do the same
- explain complex decisions and issues in a non-partisan way – for example: let us know why our troops are in Afghanistan, why the mission has changed, and thus has become much more dangerous to our troops. I think many Canadians would like to hear a clear explanation of this from our Prime Minister.
I’m not optimistic that this will work, but it is worth a try. If it doesn’t work, many it is worth taking the Green Party offer seriously. At least they will gain more credibility!
Garth, hopefully your ouster from the caucus will result in more e-mails like this. Please feel free to forward this to the CPC or send me the best e-mail address to reach the CPC, hopefully someone there is listening.
Dear MP Turner!
We want to express our support for your brave stand, representing your Riding with our free speech.
Sorry to say, we have very few MP like you, our MP GODFREY never ever ask our opinion, we havn’t see him one year….representing only himself !
DEMOCRACY IS DEAD in CANADA!
We should have a revolution for replacing our rotten, corrupt election system!
We voted for damned Harper…he betrayed us…he forced Canadian another war without our vote!
When we will have MP like you in our Don Valley West?
WE ARE WITH YOU MP TURNER!
L&M
Toronto
Garth,
I just finished reading your blog posted Saturday October 21. I am pleased, but not remotely suprized, to hear that the people who elected you on election day voted for you again yesterday. They, we all, have confidence in you, your beliefs, and your leadership. You need to rekindle that same confidence in yourself and do what you do best and only you can … be yourself. I live in Ajax and I can’t vote for you, at least not at this level, but if you ever find someone who shares your conviction, enthusiasm, and integrity, send them east to represent Ajax-Pickering, because we need more of you.
I continue to vote Green (formerly supported PC in the 90’s), but will support nearly any Party you run to lead. Make us all proud!
Jim,
Ajax, Ont
Hello, Mr. Turner.
I don’t presume to know your mind or to be able to
suggest a course of action for you.
I just want say that I hope you will seriously consider
Elizabeth May’s offer to join the Green Party of
Canada. The world needs another green party, very
much. And the greens need someone with your realism
and your financial sensibilities, very much.
I wish you well.
Stefan
Kingston, Ont
although I do not live in your riding I too have had a chance to read your blogs….
I can only say judging by the statements that there are many people disillusioned by the 3 traditional parties….
You seem like very modern type of guy that values the digital medium as an interactive way to chat with regular people….who do not get the opportunity to speak their minds…..
One can also say that the press often now serves as a soapbox for politicians to say what ever they want……..rather than get the real facts to ensure that people are informed and democracy is working…….
Under the last 2 political regimes….we can’t say be have a democracy but a dictatorship serving..the political interests of the PC and Liberal party……with very little thought to accountability to the public………
Like most people we feel we pay too much taxes have too much bureaucracy and in the end…..finally we have someone that keeps these rascals on their two……………its a small world every thing is now public………
Big brother may be watch…..but the citizens are better informed about the question monkey business going on in Ottawa, Queen’s Park and city…Hall.
The pandora’s box has been opened….which will make or break people’s careers instantaneously
Politics and news bytes come and go…It’s your poor dog and your family that have my thoughts and prayers right now.
I don’t understand how it would be helpful to have all MPs saying their minds on every issue. There would be 100 ideas, and would make for fractured policy. As it stands now, a party takes a position based on their basic philosophy, and members of that party adhere to that position for the sake of cohesiveness. If there were no party system, I don’t see how anything would or could be accomplished. Who would decide which way to go? Therefore, there has to be a certain amount of party discipline and give and take. People are saying that Stephen Harper is a control freak… I don’t see it that way. Potential MPs agreed with one party or another according to what was outlined during the election compaign. I would think that those who won seats in parliament under those conditions should stick with their party in order to accomplish something. I don’t think Stephen Harper is doing anything out of the ordinary in apparently saying, “Let’s work together on what was presented to the Canadian public during the campaign”. For an individual MP to step out on his own, and buck the party, would seem to be not helpful to the constituants he represents, nor is it helpful to the party he once worked for. Since there are over 300 constituencies, I’m sure no MP is happy 100% of the time, but co-operates in order to advance policies deemed correct by the rest of the party.
Well, Garth. Today’s blog had some good points in it. You missed a couple of good ones, however.
The David Emerson issue – I do not support floor crossing and was shocked when it happened and I wondered, for a brief moment, why Harper would do such a thing (I am a diehard Harper supporter, you should know). I could see, at the end of the day, the logic behind Harper’s move. No matter what the CPC put forth in Parliament, the Opposition would oppose – on general principle and out of spite – without questioning the merit of what was put on the table. With such a slim gain over the other parties, the CPC needs as many seats as it can garner so that it can govern rather than spends the bulk of its time garnering support among Opposition members. You never mentioned this, Garth. I think you should acknowledge that it was a strategic move for numbers.
As far as outrage is concerned, David Emerson’s floor-crossing did not affect your constituents one iota. The only people who should have been outraged are Emerson’s constituents. Yes, it showed hypocracy on the part of the PM but, in the final analysis, it did not affect anybody’s life outside of Emerson’s constituency. You could have mentioned that it did not please you and left it at that – this is free speech. Harping on the issue and slagging the PM for days is not free speech – it is sour grapes, rude and destructive.
Top-down control: no matter what Harper says or does, the media will jump on him – the media seems to be composed of Judy types who cannot see past their own pre-conceived notions that Harper is “scary” and has a “hidden agenda”. Of course he can be scary – so can anybody. You are scary, Jack Layton is scary. Judy is really scary. Hidden agenda? What political party does not have a hidden agenda? Chretien was going to abolish the GST but, according the the Red Book, that was not about to happen. And it didn’t happen.
The former Liberal government made some big gaffes, not the least of which was the former PM’s promise to Newfoundland which got him in all sorts of trouble. Many of the SPC Cabinet are relatively new. Harper is a thinking man and he was doing his utmost to prevent gaffes from happening. I find his press conferences to be a refreshing change from the usual political bafflespeak. He actually answers questions or, if he does not have the answer, he says so. End of story. What a change from the former government.
The biggest point you do not mention is your own behaviour, Garth. For somebody in his 50s and who has been in the political arena before (read: has experience), you behaved badly. What would possess you to work against the party which put you in power? What possible gain is there in slagging the PM and his policies?
I will give you an example – I work with four other people who, like me, are strong-willed and have definite ideas about how things should be done. Needless to say, we butt heads every now and then. However, nobody is aware of it when it happens because, to the rest of our organization, we are a well-oiled, smoothly-running machine. Nothing gets in the way of our work or our output. Nothing.
Whenever my supervisor and I have a difference in opinion, we either work it out or compromise. Either way, nobody is aware that a difference of opinion occured.
I am not telling you to muzzle yourself but I would suggest that you use some discretion. You behaved like the Opposition, not like a member of the party.
I believe that you are intelligent and I would like you to believe that those of us out here are also intelligent. Most of your blogging is NOT about working for your constituents. It is about sounding off. Judging from your nine months of blogging, I have the feeling that you are bitter about not being part of the Cabinet. You served under Kim Campbell as a Minister but now you were a backbencher. Probably difficult to take but as a public figure it is incumbent upon you to behave in a dignified and adult manner.
Speaking of Kim Campbell – a brilliant lady who would have been a great PM except for the fact that members of her own party sabotaged her efforts to remain PM. Sound familiar, Garth? You are doing to Harper exactly what Campbell’s people did to her. And what was the result? Thirteen years of really bad government.
Think about your behaviour, Garth. Look at it from outside yourself and you will see how it looks to those of us who aren’t inclined to suck up to you.
If you are really honest with your commitment to serve your people, you will adapt, return to the CPC and behave as an adult should.
Otherwise, remain as an independent. If your constituents really, truly support you, you will be elected. Otherwise, you will know that your constituency voted for the party (Harper) and not necessarily you.
Do consider it to be telling that Jack Layton has publicly stated that he is not considering you for party membership. Considering how desperate he is for seats, that should tell you something. It appears to me that the Green party is courting you not for your environmental views but for a seat in Parliament. Think about that, as well, Garth.
In closing, I do hope your dog gets better. I love dogs – in fact, I’ll take a dog over a human any day – they are completely honest, which is more than I can say about humans.
My question – if you did not – as you are now saying – agree with the CPC’s policies – why o why did you run as a conservative – perhaps you knew that was the only way you could be elected.
That thing called ego certainly drives our choices.
Learn to read, Alta Gal, I have been a Conservatuve my entire life, and the platform suits me just fine. Anti-SSM was never part of the platform. A tepid environment policy was never part. Bringing in floor-crossing Liberals was never part. Meanwhile income-splitting was definitely part of it. So, who – exactly – has gone astray from what they told the electorate? — Garth
Garth — I perhaps am naively amazed that Harper and the party again blew an excellent outreach opportunity by turfing you out of the party. It is obvious you are more media savvy and have more media experience than the communications people around him, and instead of using your experience to the party’s benefit … they label you a threat and give you the boot. Cripes, I’m a Liberal, and you would figure they would have learned from the Liberals’ past crisis communications gaffes! Good luck to you, and give them hell …
Hi Garth,
I work with animals all day, and your Cheka is really beautiful. It’s really difficult to deal with a friend in pain who can’t talk to you, and whom you cannot communicate with. I’ve lived with an epileptic dog before (my uncle’s) and it’s frightening. Best wishes.
I think you’re a fascinating person and I prefer an MP who thinks for themself and does not tow the party line simply because it’s the party line. It would be nice if you moved to Parkdale-High Park and ran for the Greens.
I think Halton is very lucky to have you – Peggy Nash and Sarmite Bulte have both been dismal failures in this riding, and with or without a party behind you, you are a strong voice who believes in himself and his judgement on right and wrong.
My very best wishes to you and to Cheka, for a happy future, wherever that future may find you.
Well, you’ve had quite a week. Sorry to hear about your dog. Hope he’ll be on the mend soon.
Debbie:
There are 308 individuals in the House, representing many diverse ridings. Do you honestly think an MP from BC and an MP from Newfoundland have the same thoughts on all issues? I would hope not, as they are in very different situations.
We have to get it through our heads that we are putting a person in Ottawa, not an ambiguous contruct.
I hope Cheka is doing better.
My thoughts are with your family and your beloved dog more than anything else.
Thank-you for sharing the reality of your life.
Many folks might not understand this, but I do, when the health of your livestock, a pet or an animal is in question (“He is tormented. And he is undeserving.”) maybe they can take priority, the noise of politics can be put aside for a while.
I offer my blessings and best wishes to Cheka and your family.
Garth….sorry to hear about Cheka…..i had a feeling he was due and stress in the house will also bring it on…
Now about your last post…..total horsesh*T…..come on Garth…you sound like a child here….Your perfect everyone else is wrong……I told you 9 months ago that digital democracy wouldn’t work but could be a tool for idea’s……it’s not the info that’s the problem, it’s your M.O that’s the problem…..No successful organization, corporation, or association can run with 1000’s of opinions….someone makes the decisions…..your pissed because it’s not you….tuff that’s life!
All the best to Cheka
Garth……I think you need to read a quote from Albert Einstein…its quite profound and fitting….based on your circumstances.
FAMOUS ALBERT EINSTEIN QUOTE.
Great spirits have always encountered opposition from mediocre minds. The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly.
Albert Einstein, quoted in New York Times, March 13, 1940
US (German-born) physicist (1879 – 1955)
When a person has a difference of opinion who are always in the minority of your peers.
Sorry to hear about your dog Garth, apparently the universe felt it hadn’t dealt you with enough stress. If you can get through this week, you can get through anything. It’s what my grandfather would call “character building”, and what I would call “emotionally crushing”. Hang in there.
I’m not sure why you think it’s necessary to insult Alberta every chance you get Garth. While our per capita GHG emissions are highest in the country we also contribute the highest per capita income tax, GST revenue per capita, economic growth, job creation and a plethora of other positves for Canadians as a whole.
You’ll also find it’s Alberta that develops the technology and provides the means to decrease the amount of CO2 in the air thanks to carbon sequestration technology. I think your comments are beneath someone holding such high office and demean a large segment of the Canadian population.
p.s. I hope Cheka has a sucessful recovery.
Terribly sorry to hear about Cheka’s condition. Gawd, we love our dogs as much as our kids. Hope he recovers soon….
Garth,
This is my first visit to your webpage.
I would vote for you no matter what party you choose to run for.
Hope your Cheka does well, I have 9 Sib’s and love them all.
As I butchered my last comment with deplorable usage of HTML, please allow me a ‘double post’ (and please delete my previous if possible).
As it stands now, a party takes a position based on their basic philosophy, and members of that party adhere to that position for the sake of cohesiveness. If there were no party system, I don’t see how anything would or could be accomplished. Who would decide which way to go?
I’d say the constituents who elected their representative. Bills that come before Parliament have do not have “fracture [policies]” with “100 ideas” that can be voted upon. The only options are yea or nea – and that would be decided by proxy of the elected representative for the constituents.
I know, Debbie, that it’s hard to imagine a no-party system where all the MP’s would be Independent and free to vote what their constituents actually wanted and not just tow the company line. What a crazy concept to allow free votes (wait… wasn’t more free votes another one of the platforms of the current government).
Then again, I might be biased towards a multi-party or independent system as my beliefs are all over the political compass.
And since I feel the need to comment on the actual action of Mr. Turners expulsion from the Conservative caucus for speaking his mind…
Centralization of authority under a single person, disdain of objection, suppression of the opposition through censorship in the form of intimidation of dissent, and abuse of sentiment.
*cough* facism *cough*
Garth-If you “Go Green” then all Canadians can vote for you and that would be something all us voters would appreciate given what we have with the “neo-cons”,the”bloc-heads”,the “laytonites” and the “headless-libs” in the House now.
I can’t say I ever knew or cared much about you at all, since I am appalled by Harper and his
neo-Con tribe, but I congratulate you for being principled. You have my support, whether you remain
independent, join-or-lead the Green’s or cross to the Liberals if they ever become so again (read
Pearson/ early Trudeau).The Pat Robertson Repugnican clones who are determined to destroy that
which makes us Canadian are wearing the Emperor’s clothes. I don’t believe Peter’s ‘dog’ was
dyslexia. Nor can I believe an ‘Environment’ Minister doesn’t recognize the existence or fragility of
such. Too bad I cannot give you more than this vote. Alas I live where we have a queer hating former
mayor running for Fontana’s empty seat.
Mr. Turner,
My responeses to your answers and questions regarding your town hall meeting yesterday. Thank you for responding. Your responses are in quotations.
GARTH: “These are comments by someone who was not there, and are completely false. The meeting yesterday was populated by hard-core Conservatives, soft Liberals, Greens and people who are fairly apolitical. The debate was intense and challenging. I think you would have benefitted by being present. The vote was a true tally of opinion, and every whit as valid as a ballot at election time.â€
GETREAL: Mr. Turner I read the blog of your meeting, and it certainly didn’t capture what you are saying here. So either you choose (surprise surprise) to document whatever you thought was in your favor or your memory had a small lapse. The vote is NOT VALID because these people didn’t give you your MANDATE from the last election to begin with, you are switching your allegiance to represent views you weren’t given the vote to represent. It is also not clear and you can’t even present any evidence that these people actually reside in our ridding, so equating this to election time ballots is truly a stretch if not dishonest. If you want their mandate resign and run a by-election. Stop running away from the core issue. I will try to make one of your meetings, but I don’t have your luxuries and I have to work some long hours to meet by obligations. Besides isn’t your DD platform about access? I don’t have to be there at all to make my views known, or even to listen to you. Seems to me you selectively discount what DD is all about when it serves your interest sir.
GARTH: “I have joined no other party, and at this point have no intention of doing so. I did not ask the Green Party leader to call me – that was her initiative. So, relax. Right now I am consulting with the constituents of Halton, and will continue to do so. Your own opinion has been notedâ€
GETREAL: That is irrelevant sir. If you stand by your stated words and principals you should not even be giving this consideration. I don’t care if you consider my opinion or anyone else’s. When the ballot box opens you will know my opinion, and it is clear you fear that because you would run a by-election if you didn’t to silence your critics. Until then, be true to your own words and standards, because it is clear the only thing you listen to is the sound of your voice, and others only when they are an echo of you.
GARTH: “More evidence you should have been there. Many people discussed the scenarios under which they would prefer me to resign.â€
GETREAL: Discussing scenarios and telling you to resign are two different things. But it would be great if you could put up an unedited video of your little meeting to put all criticisms to rest.
GARTH: “While elements of this idea have merit, it is tantamount to running an entire election campaign, for which a budget of hundreds of thousands of dollars will be required – for enumeration of new areas (huge), voter list vertification and tabulation, and independent audit. As well, it disenfranchises offline voters. I think it might make more sense to wait for a general election that could be just a few months away.â€
GETREAL: Your arguments about costs have some validity, but everything else you are saying is totally invalid and you are being selective about the capabilities of your DD platform again to meet your interests. Don’t run an audit, don’t announce in the paper, but still open up the vote to your website and display everyone’s name and address for each vote, and combine that with what you are doing in your meetings. If your meetings are the exclusive means of collecting votes on this issue, you are disenfranchising many more people! As for the general election being a few months away that has no bearing for the issue at hand.
GARTH: “QUESTIONS:
Do you have any regrets for any of your actions and words?
None.
What have you learned in all of this?
To always, always do the right thing and ignore those who will tear down, no matter what.
What were your mistakes and what could you have done better?
I’ll think about that. Say, how about you?â€
GETREAL: Mr. Turner the response to your first question truly saddens me, and the same with the second question. You are being a very arrogant person. You have called people that disagree with you, some very hateful things, if you can’t regret that then your service to the public has no value. If you can’t accept that people that will disagree with you on some issues can still be people of conscious and deserve respect then you don’t understand what real democracy is all about. Ignoring people no matter what because they are tearing you down also demonstrates you don’t know what your job is all about. You are in public office, you have to consider very critical views and your actions and words will be torn down. You have to very seriously examine the basis of all criticism, you can’t just ignore it. This answer proves your hypocrisy! You are stating what you accuse your adversaries of. As for your last question, maybe what I am saying will be some input to it. As for my answer, it is not for me to answer. I am not the MP of your riding; YOU ARE grow-up and stop being a facetious sir.
Man, if you have this much time to write essays, then you sure have enough time to come out at a Town Hall meeting and talk to actual voters. Will I be seeing you today at 4 pm in Kilbride? — Garth
Hey Mr Garth!
I’m so sorry about Cheka.
geez.. your having a rough week..
This may make you feel better!
I nailed Stephen Taylor on his blog, attacking him for being a CPC pawn and deliberately setting you up to look bad re: caucus breach. Read the comments in the “I took the Garth challenge” post!
I totally nailed him.. the first time I demanded and answer he have a BS internet google cache digging answer, I called him on it, and the second time he admitted that’s not where he got it.
(he said he couldn’t name his sources) but if you read it all its clear I busted him taking your blog cache from the CPC. Anywho.
I hope you go Green. we could really use you! We believe in the same things you believe!
GO GREEN GARTH!
Cheers
James
Good Afternoon Mr. Turner,
As someone who lived in Bronte, Oakville, voted conservative and helped fund their campaign in the past election.. I was happy to learn that the house I purchased and have now moved into was in your riding.
I have always enjoyed your common sense columns and thought you would make a great addition to parliament.
Too many lawyers and career civil servants occupy Ottawa. Someone with an entrepreneurial spirit and the back of the middle class is needed.
I admire your roguish attitude and enjoy your blog. More transparency is always welcome and your deference to both sides of a story is helpful.
Before you completely burn your bridges with the conservative party I would ask that you re-read your blog and consider their side of the story.
Or to be clear, as a small business owner I would not have an employee who divulged company secrets or marketing plans or what is wrong with our latest product all in the name of serving their customers.
They are not your customers… they are company customers and you do not do them service by weakening their perception in the company or its ability and desire to address their problems.
Imagine how you feel when you walk in a business and see employees complaining about the company…..
What do you think of the company? What do you think of those employees?
I want to have faith in my government and I want to know that you have a voice in it.
I want to know that dissenting opinions are valued.
I don’t need to know about private marketing meetings or product development meetings or what happens in the conservative party’s HR department.
Hearing about Mr. Harper’s dictatorial rule from you only leads me to believe that neither of you “get it”.
You are acting like a spoiled teenager and Mr. Harper seems to think he is a father who can’t trust his kids with the keys to the car.
Ask Canadians what their biggest resistance to voting Conservative in the past election was… the fear that it would be amateur hour in the Federal government…
So far, you and Mr. Harper are confirming the fears of those who chose to stick with the Liberals… “the devils they knew”.
Please wake up!
Dear Mr. Turner,
You are the most responsive Member of Parliament I have ever had representing me. During the Oka Crisis, I wrote to you about how I expected you and the government to do everything necessary to prevent my sons from standing, armed, nose to nose with Mohawk Warriors when they would be adults (they were very young at the time!) You replied with obvious integrity and told me that you shared my letter with caucus.
Ever since that day I have seen you as a politician with a conscience who listens to your constituents.
So today I thank you for taking a stand on global warming – a courageous stand which has cost you your party status. Countless Canadians are grateful to you.
The sons I worried about so many years ago are now active Green Party members, as am I and my husband. One of these sons, Chris Tindal, ran as the candidate for the Greens in Toronto Centre riding in the last election. As he said on his blog this week:
“I can’t tell you how good it feels to belong to a party where I can today blog in support of Garth without fear of reprisal. The planet and good policy come before party politics, always.”
He went on to say:
“Please consider offering Garth your verbal and, heck, financial support.”
Today I’d like to offer you my support, again, and ask you to please become our first Green MP. I no longer live in Halton riding, so won’t be at today’s meeting in Kilbride. However, you still represent me and my concerns, and I will support you in your efforts as a Green Party member and candidate (hopefully) in the next election.
The more time I spend reading your blog, the more confident I feel that you’re someone who I could easily support.
I will pray for a speedy recovery for Cheka.
Garth:
So they turfed you out. (Not “they”, I strongly suspect.)
Good.
With a open, one-man rule, I don’t know how you stood it even to this point.
Here’s some passing thoughts…
Canadians are duped into believing that they elect MPs to represent their interests. Because they take such little interest in their politics, they do not understand that this impossible.
It’s obvious that they do not understand that, once in Ottawa, their MPs fall under the vise-like, party-line-control of their respective party leader’s offices. Not for one moment is this gang of spineless, gutless, full-indexed-pensioned egotists allowed to speak out for their constituents. Functioning on greed, privilege and perquisites, their allegiances become, instantly and grossly, realigned.
MPs become mere puppets of their leaders and those ‘unelecteds’ have their leader’s ears.
MPs are fed positions on issues, given the word/scripts to back them and, shamelessly, brazenly, bounce up and down like marionettes in unison, when voting on legislation. They are on the ends of long strings that are pulled by their leader’s offices.
MPs also face the ultimate, threat of any federal politician that lies in the Canada Election Act. This insidious party-leader-written legislation requires their leader’s signatures on their papers following their next riding nomination meeting if they wish to run under their respective, party flags. It does not matter if a duly-called, nomination meeting of a duly-constituted, riding association elects a candidate, without the leaders’ signature affixed to his/her nomination papers, the candidate is dead meat. They are forced to stay in the ‘good books’ of the leader and his backroom boys and girls by doing the leader’s bidding.
In majority government, a party leader, the Prime Minister of Canada, lacking checks and balances, functionally operates with more ‘power’ than the President of the United States. Because the PM governs over a buoyant economy, he/she has more power than most of his dictatorial counterparts in the 3rd world.
So far, Canadians have been fortunate. Their PM’s have been benevolent to their citizenry. The trouble is that a ‘system’ has been locked in place, waiting for the day of a one-man-ruling, ‘non-benevolent’, tyrannical dictator. Only then will sleepy Canadians wrapped in their socialistic flag, wake up and take more than a passing interest in their politics. Even then, would they?
Garth
I am disturbed that a party that I can say I supported through all of it’s variations would treat an elected member as they have treated you.
I agree with you on the issue of crossing the floor, if your constituents voted for you under a party banner then you must go back to them if you cross the floor. I also agree that you can’t have a cabinet minister who has not been ellected, is not personally on the floor of the house of commons or takes the news scrums.
I am disheartened. The new Conservative party was to be inclusive, allow a different opinion and show Canadians that they had the will to change how we are governed. I had hopes that a perspective based west of Quebec would be populist and honest. Sad to say I see some of the same old boy party crap.
The Green Party has many possitive issues on their platform but proportional representation worries me. It would permit single issue politics to become a very strong force in our government and I feel add a greater instability to the way we govern. Any goverment would be seeking support for an issue and would have to negotiate with parties to gain enough support for a bill to pass. I just don’t see that working in Canada. The last 2 minority governments is proof enough for me of that. The Meech Lake and Charlottetown accords both indicated that a majority consensus isn’t possible in Canada . These single issue parties know they could count on the support of their narrow minded constituents and would force elections knowing that the support for the major parties fluctuates depending on certain issues. We would find ourselves on a never ending cycle of elections and get nothing concrete done.
I can see the examples of Italy and Israel. How often are these people going to the polls? I remember the 90’s when Chretien sent us to the polls twice for no other reason then to take advantage of his oppositions weakness and I think this affected voter turn out. Canadians would get fed up with the seemingly ineffectiveness of government and many would stop voting leaving only the sinlge issue parties who would maintain their level of support while the centrist parties see their support drift.
I don’t mean to imply that the Green Party is a single issue party. I have read their platform as it is on the internet but there would be the sprouting up of some very extremist parties either based on religion or moral issues. Our society would become splintered, an us versus them. Quebecers might find that a western based party would be willing to butt heads and force a separation question. The same sex or marriage rights issues would spring up single issue parties on either side because the centrist parties have to look at the whole picture and not the single issue.
I ramble on and realize you have so much more to do then read my verbal spouting.
I am a dog lover. I hope your dog recovers and I understand the level of committment you and your family are devoting to your 4 legged member of your family
Rod,
London Ont
Hi Garth:
I tried to send you a message a couple of days ago about how much I respected and supported you and what I thought you should do now, but the message bounced back because your box was “over quota”.
Now it is more important to wish Cheka and the rest of the family well and a hope for a speedy recovery. I know how tough this time must be for you.
JL, Stratford
Hi Garth !
I have been a fan of yours since you were the business columnist at Toronto Sun
Indeed I made a tidy bit of change following your advice in those days.
I had to write to tell you that in times which lead to cynicism, you have always been a breath of fresh air.
I have great respect for you and even though I do not live in your riding I appreciate your efforts very much.
I think you should regard being thrown out of the Conservative caucus as a compliment, since it demonstrates so clearly that you are not one to just blindly follow the party line, instead choosing to use your brain.
I wish I could vote for you but since I don’t live in your riding that just isn’t possible
If I could be of help in some other way please write or call
Keep up with all that you are doing, it is refreshing to say the least and I believe that you are well supported by Canadians. . Best wishes to your dog. It is always difficult for them after major surgery.’
Errol,
Nova Scotia
On his blog at http://www.stephentaylor.ca/, Mr. Taylor suggests that there are some conditions that would permit your reinstatement to the Conservative caucus. Is this true?
If these conditions involve your ‘muzzling’, other than standard caucus secrecy (and I gather you slipped up there, a while ago…), I’d encourage you to resist. The Canadian political system need change. MP’s are traditionally pawns of the PM, not permitted to vote according to the wishes of their constituats, if those wishes differ from the PM’s. That needs to change.
I’m sure you and many of your readers have read the following before, but I believe it bears repeating in the context of this discussion.
EDMUND BURKE (1774) Letter to his constiuents in Bristol.
A constituents wishes ought to have great weight with their MP. It is his duty to prefer their interests to his own. But his unbiased opinion,his mature judgement, his enlightened conscience,he ought not to sacrifice to you. Your representative owes you not his industry only,but his judgement; and he betrays,instead of serves you,if he sacrifices it to your opinion…government and legislation are matters of reason and judgement,and not of inclination.
In this era,personal feelings so often have primacy over moral or legal principles. These are swept aside by the cry for “blood”, revenge etc..
Most people would rather not know the relevant details of complex topics. Because our basic emotions are simple we want solutions that way too. We think that outrage or pity is a sufficient guide to sound policy. We want our urges vindicated. To a significant extent because of the nature of modern media,this is a generation that substitutes emotions for tools of cognition.
Richard: Thanks you for affirming that Mr. Harper is a hypocrite. He says one thing and does another. Not a very honourable trait for our P.M. If he is hypocritical on one issue, how do we trust him on another?
Emerson, Fortier, transparency, accountability: He has been a hypocrite on all of the above.
So, is he scary? Yes.
Debbie – thank you for your well-written and logical contribution. Garth – read Debbie’s words again and again. She is obviously a wise lady and really put some serious thought into her contribution.
Debbie – once again, thank you for the rational voice among the rest of us.
Hi Garth:
As for your Siberian, I’m very sorry to hear that. I’m currently studying to be a homeopath. If post operative drugs are causing your dog to have seizures, then perhaps you should take him to see a homepath asap. It’s possible that a homeopath may prescribe a certain type of homeopathic remedy, that will help with the post-op pain, and at the same time, not have the seizure-type side affects. I know of a remedy that would be good for that, but I do not want to state here which one that would be. I hope you really consider this, to make you dog feel better
Pat
Garth,
I echo your sentiments that “This country seriously needs to review dual-citizenship.”
I suspect you’d be dumfounded at the number of people in this country that aren’t aware
that it was changed, and really don’t understand that the ‘citizenships of convenience’
approach undermines and weakens our unique and special identity as Canadians.
While your remarks were tied to the events involving Lebanon, I’m quite sure that you are
astute enough to realize that this subject is liable to enrage some members of the Jewish
community who may view it as something affecting their interests as well.
As such you may find that initially there will be an attempt (behind the scenes) to foment
vocal discontent among the Lebanese community to your remarks, but ultimately there
will be claims that you are anti-Semitic if you aren’t Jewish, or an enemy of Israel if you
are.
I’m angry and upset at the amount of divisive activities that are going on this country
under the guise of advancing so called minority rights, without attaching any level of
social responsibility to those rights. FWIW I happen to believe that it’s as a result of
certain small element of Jewish political extremists exploiting the passive nature of
Canadians for their own purposes and agenda.
I’m well aware my words may sound like bigoted paranoid ramblings, but please weigh your
words carefully on this subject of dual citizenship. It’s a very important issue, if for no
other reason than it can be an essential rallying point in rebuilding and recovering what
we have left as Canadians.
“Right now I am looking at the comments of thousands of Canadians, who see me as a folk hero or a destructive egomaniac”
Garth it’s not what they say….but, WHO says it…….I’m interested in the opinions of the top10% of society not the bottom 30%……
What the hell does that mean? This happens to be a democracy, where all voices are equal. — Garth
Hopefully,Debbie, as she peruses this blog site,and notes the various points of view regarding whether we vote for the party or the individual,she may come to understand the complexity of the issue and the need for an alternative. Otherwise you might as well vote for the “bale of Hay” as was referred to by a previous poster. Something needs to be done to get away from Canada’s polictal system of ” Democratic dictatorship.” Maybe there is something to be said for independent MP’s
What the hell does that mean? This happens to be a democracy, where all voices are equal. — Garth
Voices- yes…intelligence and value- no……
My heart goes out to Cheka and his family….Please update us through the blog on his recovery.
John G, you’ve now shown us all a little more of what kind of person you are.
Quote: “Garth it’s not what they say….but, WHO says it…….I’m interested in the opinions of the top10% of society not the bottom 30%……
Then Garth saiys this is a democracy where all voices are equal, and your reply is, “Voices- yes…intelligence and value- no……
John G, what are your thoughts on social justice and equality among not only Canadians but all nations of the world?
Garth, you have a way of bringing all kinds of people together.
I came here looking for the great Einstein quote from the comments above. People in another political forum have been attacking both Garth & the Green Party and that quote is most appropriate.
It is the PM who should be apologizing.
And do not jion the greens or the Liberals or the ndp, instead:
Garth Turner for Leader of the ONTARIO BLOC! There is even an upcoming by-election where another Candidate for the ONTARIO BLOC could run. London North Centre .
all it takes is 250 signatures for elections Canada, an auditor, a few other forms filled out and a bank account!
Then there would be a real political party in Ontario, with a real Leader.
Cameron…the term “social justice” tells me a little about you as well…..
[...] explode. Well, I think he has — at least his brain. In his latest blog entry ‘The chasm‘, St. Garth of Petulance expounds upon his ejection from the Tory caucus. One wo [...]
If you can’t accept that people that will disagree with you on some issues can still be people of conscious and deserve respect then you don’t understand what real democracy is all about.
Well, maybe we need to pass this message on to Harper and the Conservative Party who seem to have given the boot to someone who disagrees with them. Seems Harper et al need a lesson in respect regarding their treatment of MP Turner who has yet to be told directly by his former party that he has been fired. What was that you said about democracy? The logic, amongst other things, is breaking down …Good luck with your dog, Mr. Turner. And good luck navigating through this political muck. If going back to the PCs requires biting your tongue, then I vote for free speech, for all Canadians … including annoying politicians