Here is the text of my statement made today in Ottawa:
Thank you very much for your interest.
There’s been speculation that I will announce my intent to join a political party that starts with ‘G’. This is not the case today. I am here to talk about something I consider more substantive since it affects many more people than just one homeless MP.
Sadly I would say the voice of the people is being quelled right now, and I am not going to let that happen without speaking up. I realize full well this probably won’t help my situation.
That last time I was here was on the day of my ouster from the Conservative caucus. That event raised a number of questions. These are not just about my situation, but about every MP, every riding association, all parties, the political masters and all Canadians who get involved in the grassroots process.
The people who selected me as the Conservative candidate in Halton, sent 10 questions to the leadership of the Party. Among those questions:
1. What was the reason the MP was booted out and where’s the evidence? After all, they selected him and sent him to Ottawa.
2. What is the MP’s status as a candidate for next election? The local party people nominated him twice in 18 months, the last time just 8 weeks ago.
3. What happens if the people in the riding nominate him again? Who decides who represents the people – the people, or the party?
Well, now we have some answers.
Three letters were sent to me and my Halton Conservative association simultaneously on Friday afternoon. You will be given copies in a moment. Here is what the leader of the Conservative Party, its top officials and the National Caucus chair, have determined:
1. I have been disqualified as a party candidate for in the next election. I am a card-carrying member of the party, and yet denied the right to be a candidate.
2. That decision came in a closed meeting by the Party’s national executive. No reason given.
3. The national president of the party says I will not be permitted to seek a Conservative nomination again.
4. My suspension from caucus is indefinite, no reason will be given for it. No evidence will be provided to my electors. And I don’t know what indefinite means…
5. National caucus chair Rahim Jaffer tells the local riding all of these matters are all internal.
Let me summarize.
* The party has removed an MP nominated by the local party members and elected by the voters.
* The party will not explain this to those folks.
* The candidate they selected for the next election is being set aside. No explanation.
* All of these actions were taken in secret, without any input or appeal, and yet materially affect the voters of a large electoral district.
* This raises more questions – about the role average Canadians actually have in the political system, and their ability to choose their own representatives – and about this government’s commitment to transparency, openness and accountability in the political system.
Canada’s New Government is suddenly looking a lot like the old ones – controlling power in Ottawa while it makes both MPs and the people who sent them here irrelevant.
But it’s not just the Conservative Party. Sadly, they all work about the same way.
I am therefore serving notice today of the following actions:
1. I resign my membership in the Conservative name.
This is not easy to do after being a Conservative MP twice, a cabinet minister, a national leadership candidate and a Tory my whole life.
But my Conservative party believes in free speech, diversity of opinion, co-operation, equality of all people, progressive social values, true environmental protection and stands firm against intolerance, bigotry exclusion.
More importantly, though, I have realized that party politics – not just this party – is the problem.
2. Second, in the House of Commons I will support the government only when its actions are consistent with what I have just stated. I may only have one vote, and I may not change a whole lot, but it matters to me. I will try to make that vote count, and you will know it.
3. Third, I will seek out expert legal opinion on how our big national political parties, can be forced to be more democratic – to actually listen to, and obey, members. Right now these parties operate as old boys’ clubs accountable only to themselves. Is it any wonder voter turnout is dropping and cynicism is rising?
4. Fourth, I will introduce a private member’s bill seeking equal treatment in the House of Commons and under the Canada Elections Act for Independents. They should be able to sit on committees and raise money by issuing tax receipts right along with every other MP.
5. And, fifth, I’m not going away. Over the coming months I will travel anywhere people want to talk about democratic renewal, parliamentary reform, the role of our MPs and how citizens can get involved to reclaim this system from the unrepentant, arrogant party bosses and the unelected backroom boys.
I invite Canadians everywhere to get involved so we can break this tedious cycle of electing politicians who sell us on change and deliver us, same old, same old.
The events of the past few weeks have shown me it is time to remove this filter of parties which comes between people and their Parliament.
What can one person do – an Independent like me? While in the past 3 weeks, as an Indie, I was able to pose 5 questions in the House of Commons and play a role in bringing income-splitting for 2 million retired Canadians into reality.
That means I have had more influence as an Independent in moving issues ahead than I had in 9 months as a party backbencher.
In addition, every day I talk to tens of thousands of Canadians online and have built a data base of tens of thousands more who feel disaffected from all parties – people who feel they can never have their voice heard through that filter.
This is the future, and I’m committed to making to happens for all Canadians, and not going back to supporting party politics the way it’s been – controlling ideas and controlling our Parliament.
So this is not about bashing Stephen Harper or the Conservatives. It’s about finding a better way ahead. Maybe we need 5 or 10 or 20 more Independents in the next Parliament – enough to break the Party stronghold and bring about what the people want – free votes, more free thought and a better political system.
Let’s think twice about electing people who promise what they cannot or will not deliver. Let’s do better. Let’s at least talk about it.
Shortly a new discussion forum will go live, where we can talk about promises we can keep to each other. Please visit it – PromisesKept.ca.
The issue here is democracy. It’s about the relevance of the voters. It’s about how we are represented, and the way the big and powerful political parties operate. How can voters think they matter when the people they send here don’t?
My own experience has proven that not only is dissention unwelcome, but that the party poohbahs of all colours have made themselves more important than millions of voters and tens of thousands volunteers.
If this can happen to one MP, it can happen to any MP.
Seven hundred members of the Conservative Party in Halton nominated a guy as their candidate – twice. And yet a few party officials, accountable to nobody and meeting in secret, deny their actions. How is this democratic?
At the same time, this is the party that took an MP elected by a majority of people as a Liberal in Vancouver, and made him a member of the Conservative government. It makes you wonder. Sure makes me wonder.
The fight here is not to get me back into the caucus. Forget that. It’s done. The true fight is for democratic principle. Either we have a bottom-up system in which people select those we send to Ottawa, or not. The people who citizens decide to send may end up being party cheerleaders and supporters, or they might end up, like me, being a pain in the ass of the leader.
But regardless, the people sent them, and unless that MP ends up voting against a budget or publicly opposing a major policy or calling for the leader to resign, they should serve their term as the people wanted.
These party brass – need to be reminded they are not a quick and dirty substitute for the people. They are not above the people.
Finally, my situation and the party responses I have received, will never change this reality:
* Blogging and what it represents in terms of openness in politics is not going away.
* The genie is out of the bottle and digital democracy is here to stay. Get used to it.
* Political elites who maintain a fortress mentality and deny the people more involvement, especially using the new technologies, will fail.
This is why I am here this afternoon. I hope it’s the sunrise of a new political accountability for all Canadians; not just the sunset on my time in politics.
215 comments ↓
Really? Thats it? I waited all day for that? C’mon!!!! I was promised dirt! Garth you said that you were going to reveal something about the inner workings of the PMO and this is all we get? You just rehashed what you have been saying all along…
Were you afriad your 15 minutes was almost up and you needed something to put you back in the spotlight?
Interesting speech, too bad it was cut off before you ended it by CTV and immediately followed by “TODAY’S TOP STORY! TORIES ARE GIVING MILLIONS FOR TRANSIT SECURITY.” No bias there at all.
Hopefully you’ll be able to accomplish something with this. Maybe even convince other people to become indies.
Excellent work… for all the clowns that harangue you for garnering nationwide attention, they seem unable to avoid jumping into the fray. If nothing else, you have given Canadians just cause to question the fundamental nature of democracy in our country.
Don’t stop just because some people are so unused to free speech that they visit virulent attacks upon you… keep up the good work, and continue to pour fuel on the national dialogue. 100% support.
As the caption on the top of this home page says, “Learn all about Garth.”
I thought that it was supposed to be “all about the voters,” not “all about Garth.”
Can’t say I’m overly surprised at Harper’s drones. I hope that what you have brought to light today will get people thinking. I know it’s got me thinking that, maybe one day, I too will run for office to help people, and as an Independent.
Best of luck!
Bravo, sir!
That’s the sort of language I remember hearing back West during the rise of the Reform Party. Good to hear the ideas from the Golden Horseshoe.
Press on!
Bill
Toronto, ON
Congratulations for taking an honest stand for Canadians! This is great news for democracy in our country. I look forward to hearing more about your efforts to bring popular control and access back to parliament. While I think it would have been interesting to see you join the Greens, I think trying to raise the status of Independents is even more interesting and worthy of your time. Keep up the good work!
Well…. it all sounds good, and I hope it turns out that way…. but this sure reminds me of a Michael Moore thing.
Very gutsy move Garth! I applaude you!
I hope that this is the bringing in of a new era of politics in Canada.
thanks!
[...] Garth Turner speaks out against party politics It was not quite as earth shattering as people had made it out to be, but Garth Turner just held a press conference in Ottawa where he announced, amongst other things, that he is resigning from the Conservative Party of Canada. A few weeks ago he was suspended from Caucus, which means he is no longer allowed to sit as a conservative MP, but he was not actually removed from the party. Party membership is open to anyone, including you and me, should they want to align themselves with the values and policies of the party. So what exactly prompted this move, and what are the other topics that Garth spoke on today? Well let me step back even a bit more than he did in his statement today and give a quick rundown of how someone gets elected in Canada. [...]
I watched your comments on CBC. Regardless of what people think of you personally, I think that your message is a very important one, and very relevent to politics these days. I look forward to seeing what this promiseskept.ca will be like.
I’m a big supporter of powerful independents! I am very pleased to hear about your plans for a private member’s bill. But I’m not optimistic about its chances.
Perhaps you can work within the system by creating the Independent Party. It would have nearly no party platform, a nearly impotent leadership, and be completely non-exclusive. Members would of course be permitted to run against one another in the same riding. It would serve only to level the playing field.
Thanks, Garth: Now I know why my M.P. who has been in the House for eons never says a peep. He is so conditioned to the status quo that he barely even nods in agreement when his fellow M.P.s who are allowed to read from a script are standing in the House.
Now I know why, when I e-mail him a question, I get back a form letter with a response that can be found on the party website.
What the heck happens to them??? They are all piss and fire when they come banging on your door looking for votes. They promise reform, change, accountability, a voice for the voiceless–AND THEN THEY BECOME MUTES.
Congrats Garth! As you may know, I’m running as an Independent on many of the same ‘responsible government’ issues that you’ve raised in your speech today.
It’s not about S Harper – it’s about the integrity of the assembly!!
Rce
What a petulant rant!
Is it not obvious to everyone that you were dismissed from being a party candidate for the same reason that you were dismissed from the party caucus? It should be obvious to anybody who has followed this story ad nauseum. Sadly, the news conference today did not live up to the billing.
Congratulations. While I have not always agreed with your perspective on issues, I can respect your choice not to be a Harper lemming. I am shocked at the level of control he has instituted over the elected representatives of his party to discuss issues and alternate points of view, and apparently, you are too.
I applaud what you are doing. I don’t think it will have much effect, unfortunately. But I do support it and hope it does begin a change in the political system. I will be writing my MoP to support the bill you propose on funding and recognition for independent members. Good luck on all you hope to accomplish. And to the citizens in your riding: Re-elect this man, you’ve got a keeper!
I took from watching on TV that MP Garth has seen what Daily Kos is doing. For those who don’t know, Daily Kos a Web site in the U.S. is changing the Democratic party from the inside, it can raise money, raise issues, and create new tides(and a new Congress?). How about ‘Daily Garth’?
This is a good thing, Garth!
I thought this was important enough to make the trek to Ottawa. How come it was so lack-luster and insignificant?
Wow Garth,
Some of us joked around earlier this week that you would just hold this conference *just* to get yourself in the news again. I never actually thought that you’d prove us correct to the letter. Tell us something that we don’t already know!
Thanks goodness the bosses at the TSX decided against halting trading at the time of this announcement!
Let’s just say the climax of this latest saga was slightly underwhelming given the hype accompanying the lead up to this announcement…
Well said, Garth. Indeed, here in the provincial wing of the NDP there is a very strong old boyz network strangling the voice of women and progressives in Saskatchewan. It’s appalling and it must stop. I know that I alone cannot do it, so perhaps it is time for all who believe in equality and justice to come together to work at ending that abusive hold on power.
Good work good man!
Wow.
What a can of worms you have opened today! This may be the seed that will eventually overhaul our parliamentary system. You are right that options should be explored, and I am eager to see what kind of options there are. The current system could be made much better, and we should strive for the best.
Thanks for opening this box Garth! Keep up the good work.
I now fully expect that you will “walk-the-talk”, resign as Halton MP and run in a new by-election as an Indepandent. My family lives in North Oakville and we have voted Conservative, not for particular person.
Since you are not a Conservative Party member any more, it would be a honorable thing to see if people of Halton support you personally and your ideas and that you have not got into MP chair simply as Conservative.
It is easy to condemn Emmerson, let us see how you can follow the principle.
A delightful treatise on the state of democracy in the nation. You are absolutely right, sir. There is a fundamental disconnect that exists between the ethic that founded the Westminster parliamentary system and the notion of political parties. On one hand you are looking to represent someone from your locality to represent you front and centre, and in doing so are welcome to enter into the dialogue that representative will bring to the Hill. On the other hand policy is formed at the Party level, leaving a card-carrier theoretically more power than a constituent, regardless where that card carrier lives. It’s confusing.
The Conservative Party seems to be acting as if this was a party list system when it is anything but. It’s not really their fault; political parties in Canada are mostly governed by tradition, meaning they are not really accountable to anything but that tradition. These are tradition-breaking times.
So I agree with your strategy to boost the power of independents because as long as we have this Westminster system we might as well actually practice it.
Well said Garth.
Thank you for your commitment to transparency, accountability and real democracy.
I’m glad to hear of your success with the subject of income-splitting.
Clearly changes are needed in the way Canada governs itself.
Okay, I wasn’t wrong, it wasn’t anti-climactic. An independent trying to give the power back to the people. What an amazing idea.
Start an independent’s party so that it could get access to government funding and be recognised by the process. The party would simply run on the platform of getting to know your local Independent candidate.
Parliamentary process issues could be addressed by some basic procedures on choosing a leader and (shadow) cabinet.
The party would be at great risk of falling prey to local one-issue groups, but that is the risk of the concept. It would also have difficulty putting forward much of anything in a national debate.
I’m not as critical of the current party approach as you. There is, to me, great value and associated sacrifice in using a brand name and many voters implicitly vote for a party, not an individual, but I can see the potential appeal to other voters of more serious and well funded independent candidates. It may, at least, hold the current selection’s collective feet to the fire.
I am PISSED about this!
I can say PISSED because I am not am MP!
That’s not democracy its DICTATORIAL rule!
“Seven hundred members of the Conservative Party in Halton nominated a guy as their candidate – twice. And yet a few party officials, accountable to nobody and meeting in secret, deny their actions. How is this democratic?”
This is CRAP!!!
I’m PISSED:
“5. National caucus chair Rahim Jaffer tells the local riding all of these matters are all internal.
Let me summarize.
* The party has removed an MP nominated by the local party members and elected by the voters.
* The party will not explain this to those folks.
* The candidate they selected for the next election is being set aside. No explanation.
* All of these actions were taken in secret, without any input or appeal, and yet materially affect the voters of a large electoral district.
* This raises more questions – about the role average Canadians actually have in the political system, and their ability to choose their own representatives – and about this government’s commitment to transparency, openness and accountability in the political system.”
Garth: I am fully in agreement with you and hope you will run as an independent in the next election when it comes about. Independents can be a formidable and important force in Parliament. I think of my former MP, the great Chuck Cadman. Like you, he was the people’s choice in his riding, yet lost the party’s (Conservative) nomination through bad party internal politics.
I would also ask you to consider joining the Progressive-Canadian Party of Canada. This little known party is, I think, a better home for anyone who would prefer to be true to the principles of the original Progressive-Conservative Party.
A truly unfortunate flub during the press conference… you said “promisekeepers.ca” not “promiseskept.ca”.
I think I can assume you don’t align yourself with the promise keepers?
I know of someone from every party who is dissatisfied with the current party system. The Conservatives and the NDP are overrun with ideologues (I myself am a former active NDP member who was scared off by the radical left factions) and the Liberals have failed to stand for something substantial. There is no doubt in my mind that Mr. Turner is fighting a good battle here. Maybe he has a hidden agenda and maybe he is just looking out for himself. I don’t know. But I feel that this is a battle that needs to be fought. I congratulate Mr. Turner for refusing to back down.
It’s time that we stop pigeonholing ourselves into parties that aren’t representative of our values, simply because we see ourselves as being left, centre or right. More good people running as independents can only strengthen our democracy.
Hi: This is the first time that I have visited your site. A friend has been telling me about you and when I read about the “dismissal” I was furious. I totally agree that the time has come for us to make the people that we put into office accounatble. For years I have felt that once we put someone in, we no longer have any say in what is done in our country. I have always continued to vote and did vote conservative. With our own daily struggles one hopes to have people running the country that we can trust. That is no longer my feeling. Reading your blog is refreshing. You are right. It is past the time for transparency. Thanks for doing this and please watch your back!!
Mr. Turner,
Every Canadian who has been screwed over by a committee or a boss and left to wonder why will relate to what you’re feeling. That’s bad news for Mr. Harper. As Louis L’Amour once wrote, “When the commom citizen gets riled up, it’s time to get out of Dodge”!
Good-Bye Mr. Harper!
G you rock, I’m in.
applause, applause, applause!
Well done and said. Finally people will know that who they elect isn’t exactly whom they’ve elected. Electected officials usually work for the ‘boss’. When the ‘boss’ operates a double agenda, and no one says anything, the elected official is no more than a puppet in a Pantomime. Keep doing what you have to do. All Canadians’ should be proud.
Garth,
The Conservatives will not win the next election – I predicted this a few months ago. Their views on Afghanistan and the environment would bring them down. I am hearing from Albertans that they are tearing up their memberships because of “income trusts”.
Why don’t you join the Green Party. Membership has doubled in one month since Elizabeth May was elected. Today, Canada was awarded the Fossil Award at the Climate Change Conference in Nairobi. How embarrassing! I joined the Green Party a couple of months ago because I was angry at the NDP, the Bloc, the Conservatives and the Liberals for not mentioning the environment during the election. Turns out now it is very IMPORTANT to Canadians. It is embarrassing to set targets for 2050. We will all be dead.
Mr. Turner,
Although I find your blog somewhat informative and you seemingly have the “politically correct” things to say, I am deeply concerned over the truthfulness of your ideals. Your expulsion from the Conservative party was due to your inability to keep “internal” party policy confidential. I find all party members who have a quam with leadership then take it public, ie. Ms. Stronach, are just playing politics and trying to stay in the spotlight as it is slowly turning dim on their lackluster political career. Good luck with your independence and hope you can continue to catch some of the spotlight as you must remember the sum is always greater then the individual.
Bravo for your speech….
It is quite clear to many voters that Political reform is needed in Canada to ensure that the public to instill confidence in the system.
I am still very upset as to what happened in my father’s riding regarding the undemocratic appointment of Michael Ignatieff who is a Harvard professor with no business experience…..has not lived in Canada for 30 years….yet suddenly feels entitled to go the prime minister’s job……forcing the Liberal membership in his riding…….to accept his appointment and not nomination…….which resulted in upsetting many people in the riding…..that resulted in the Liberal neighbourhood riding president to openly endorse the pc and ndp candidates.
That being said….Garth…..reform similar to whats happening in Brazil a participatory democracy….bottom up and not top down – top down…..is a dictatorship with the pretense of democracy…..
I do not want to deal with an MP who will ignore my letters……my phones……..and even issues such as Carolyn Bennett doesn not get involved with matters other than healthcare…………does not even take the time to discuss taxes which is important to this taxpayer.…… and infact important to many of these people on this blog. which on every taxpayers mind………..and a common topic on your blog……….
People are not having children garth because of our high taxes…….that is why the government is addressing the issue of immigration…….to ensure a qualified workforce……..with children…unfortunately many of these immigrants are going to major cities of Toronto and Federal government is ignoring the people of toronto and other areas…….who are fed up with high taxes…….that should be spent on our city……..
We want to be treated fairly…….and not as second class citizens with the privelege of voting these idiots once every 4 years………
This is not democracy……it is dictatorship.
I also want to add that my father left a communist country in 1956 and immigrated to Canada. He told me a story about my uncle who use to argue with………often and yes he was a red community party member……he told my father that we would report him to the party if he did not refrain from critizing…..about the political situation in the Former Yugoslavia that was building itself after world war 2…
Seems to be…nothing is different here……..it does not matter which party you vote…..these decisions are made by the party…….under the pretense of democracy…….Most of the politicians I know…….except for my local councillor take the time to talk to the people to find out the issues that are important to make the City of Toronto The Province of Ontario and yes Canada a better place to live……….
But these politicians and their parties have no interest in doing that…….excepting taxing us to death….and providing political….favours to their legal firms and the corporate sponsors……
You go Garth!!! Seriously. Reading what you wrote about our political system, and the changes needed, and your determination makes tears well up in my eyes. This is what its all about, because its our country, its our government. Digital democracy is gonna change this country and you’re leading the way! Keep it up!
Mr. Turner
You’ve given me a reason to be interested in politics. I’ve recently been trying to get caught up with your previous blogs and I find myself agreeing with every issue raised, especially this one. I think you’re a brilliant writer and an excellent person. I believe your voice is true to your intentions. You have my personal support which you’ve taught me DOES make a difference. Thank you for being you, sir.
I don’t care if you are grandstanding for your own political visibility or not (your words sound sincere enough). Any MP who preaches the return of power to the people on a day-to-day basis rather than once every 4 years has my backing! Please have your people add me to your database of those who feel disaffected from all parties. For years now I have voted for the local candidate I though could best do the job and hoped that her party affiliation would not prevent that. While I can still respect my local MP, I can’t say the same for any political party. I agree that more independent MPs would create a better political process.
Well, Garth. It was not as earth-shaking as I thought it would be; hardly worth holding a press conference, but that’s just my opinion.
I am happy that you acknowledged that all parties operate in this manner and not just the CPC. Too many of the contributors to this blog slammed the PM for this style. I have always maintained that all parties operate in the same fashion and you have borne out that fact.
I believe that you do know why you were removed from caucus – you are not naive nor are you blind. You are an experienced politician and you know very well why you were removed. I also believe that Canadians across the country know the reason, as well. The difference is that the PMO has exercised discretion. You have not done so, as is your right.
The “voice of the people” is not being quelled. The voice of Garth has not even been quelled, obviously. You are not the voice of the people any more than I am. You represent one riding and that is all. My MP gets things done without being a mouthpiece; he is most likely, on an individual level, more effective than you have been.
Being denied the privelege of being a candidate. You were ostensibly a Conservative MP but you behaved like the opposition. You ran under the CPC logo but you did not play for the team. That is your right and you have now seen the consequences. Action-reaction. That’s life.
If you are that popular in your riding, you will have no trouble running as an independent. If the people of Halton voted for Garth Turner and not necessarily the CPC, you will be a shoo-in. If a CPC candidate wins, you will know the score.
I do not believe that the CPC is bigoted, intolerant, nor do I believe that it does not believe in free speech. The party does, justifiably, expect its members (who were elected under the banner) to be team players. You were not a team player, Garth. That is your right just as it is the right of the party to say “sayonara” to somebody who publicly slams the party and its leader. That is life.
You are an adult and you made your bed knowing full well what would be the consequences. You say that you are happy as an independent and now you are officially independent of the party. So, move on. You’ll be happy that you did.
yawn.
Harper and his Reform gang fear you and fear openness. This is starting look like the old days when Reform kicked out John Gamble and other Conservatives without due process. Keep independent and others will follow. The tide is with you and all Canadians should be grateful for your presence in Parliament.
We have a serious political crisis in this country when a party runs on an Accountability platform and promises not to tax income trusts. After winning the election, they then proceed to do the opposite less than one year after ensnaring unsuspecting Canadian investors. This fiasco left investors, many of which are seniors, with an astonish loss of $25 billion.
CEO’s would be fined or jailed if they made such false market disclosures.
Does the Conversative agenda provide means to reign in those that are not accountable and have outright lied to the Canadian people?
Garth,
You mentioned that 10 questions were asked of the Conservative Party. You provided us with at least 3 and provided their answers to some. What were the remaining questions and their answers?
You needed a national press conference to announce you were resigning?
No wonder people think you are a media (belinda).
Garth,
I support you completely in your decision to try the bottom up approach to politics.
It is time to put to sleep the “old boys club” and own up to our responsibilities as a nation.
If you wish to break up the “old boys club” consult Sheila Fraser. She was successful in doing so in her shop. Ask her to have a look at this issue.
When I was young I thought Canada was a model country for the rest of the world. Our foreign policy of peace, helping others, and respecting our citizens. The Stephen Harper conservatives have changed us. We are more American in our approach. We are no longer peacekeepers, we are freedom fighters. We no longer directly help other countries, we pledge cash. We no longer respect our citizens, we invade their privacy and alienate immigrants.
Let’s form a new party. One that respects citizens and democracy, one that keeps the peace rather than fights for American interests, and one that provides relief and safehaven to the less privileged people of the world.
Oh, Garth … you used your big moment in the sun to do what? Cry Wolf? Tell people what we already knew: that you’ve been tossed out and the party won’t say why? Good luck getting the media to cover your next event. You should know better. you didn’t feed the beast … there was no real news here.
I never thought there would be a day when I am saying, “I support a lifetime conservative die hard’s point of view.” Changes need to happen in government and although I did not vote for the Conservatives (mostly because they are the Alliance Party in disguise), I hoped the Conservatives were going to address the issue of Government Accountability; as promised.
Mr. Turner, I wish you all the best. This is not going to be easy. Perhaps other members of parliament should also shed the label of party status and stand in the House of Commons in representation the people who elected them rather than Party ideology.
Your heart is in the right place. Keep it there and take on Goliath!
Well said Garth. I agree that we should have more control over the political parties in having our representatives respected. And they should have less power in dictating to us how they want our representatives to represent us.
It’s parliamentary democracy, not dictator between elections.
This was the big announcement?!?!?
I was expecting something “disturbing” not the same complaints you’ve been making the past couple weeks.
I’m not so impressed…
Ah poor Garth, just doesn’t understand that no-one wants him. Can’t understand that grandstanding as a primadonna, only harms one’s credibility. Can’t understand that the constant public dissing of his colleagues doesn’t build trust and influence within and outside circles. Can’t understand that there are other MPs who may qualify for cabinet posts, other than him. Can’t understand that there are another 307 MPs in house who may have good ideas besides him and do good by their constituents. Can’t understand that parliament needs some discipline in order to get things done – yes it means concessions. Can’t understand that a party of one usually can only be a critic (like a deer tick) rather than someone who can actually enact changes.
So he doesn’t like parties. He conveniently forgets that the parties have constitutions that set forth the district rules and regulations. The constitutions are usually ratified by regular people, who take the time to join parties and go to conventions. If they don’t like something, they bring forth resolutions for considerations. Nah – according to Garth’s world…. let’s forget all that and follow Garth’s “digital democracy”. If you don’t follow Garth, well, then he’ll just diss you on his blog.
A word of advise to any Garth’s followers – watch your backs.
It’s all about Garth. 24/7 me, me, me, me, me! It is getting past a little boring GT.
Garth, as honorable your intentions, so you really think that having a large amount of independants would actually work in the system? I think not personaly.
There is already enough problems with paliamentary arguements on policy without adding another 20 or so voices to the fray. The big problem, as I said on my site, is that without party representation, it is almost impossible to actuate change. Sure, you can be involved in the final decision, but can you actually innitiate it?
I am hugely in favor of independants, and do hope you run as one, and I respect your intentions, but whether or not it is the correct thing for your constituants is debateable I think.
Well said Garth. Glad to hear you’ll be campaigning for Elizabeth May in London. Best of luck in your indie endeavours!
Hear, Hear !!
Thank you Mr Turner for trying to make a difference. That’s some of the things people here in “Western Canada” have been asking for/about.
Well, this is quite a situation. I wonder what some of the old true Progressive Conservatives (Diefenbaker, Clark, Robarts, Davis) would have to say about this.
Not an easy decision, but perhaps the correct one.
Now for the kudos and the barbs to begin.
Thank you, Garth. Thank you. Thank you.
Remember Chuck Cadman, to whom the same thing was done. You CAN make a big difference.
Sounds like the noise I heard from the – wait for it – REFORM PARTY OF CANADA starting nigh on 20 years ago. Hope you don’t think you’re the first to think of this stuff. I suggest having a long chat with Preston Manning – a brilliant man who will sympathize with your position but disagree with your methods – and he’ll fill you in on the niggling little details you’re missing. And on the challenges you’ll face if you truly plan to effect any real change.
Not that you asked…
All great ideas go through three steps:
1. That’s ridiculous!
2. That’s impossible!/immoral!/against all principles we stand for!/will never happen!
3. We knew it all along!
It only takes one candle to light the darkness. It only takes one voice to break the silence. It only takes one small stone to start the avalanche.
Garth, you have what it takes, you have ALL it takes.
Never, never, never give up.
NILS ILLEGITIMUS CARBORUNDUM!
BWDIK
You are definately on the right track here. Maybe there is hope for the system yet.
Re:
“But regardless, the people sent them, and unless that MP ends up voting against a budget or publicly opposing a major policy or calling for the leader to resign, they should serve their term as the people wanted.”
I liked everything I read but was bothered by this paragraph. Should a representative not be expected to vote against a major policy or bad budget if they and their constituents do not agree with it? I thought that was the point being made. Otherwise It all sounds right to me.
While you are at it you might want to look into some sort of representational governing too. It would be nice if the party game went away and your vote counted 1 to 1 instead of the way it is today with some people winning with 35% of the popular vote and then those votes being only one riding nationwide which means little when you put it in the big picture.
Imagine that. Wanting Reform in our democracy as a result of the actions of the conservative/alliance/reform parties. Very Ironic.
I like it Garth. I really like the idea. A true democracy is a gathering of independant representatives of their electorate unbound by party politics. Sign me up.
Gorthos
Garth, I’ve been a hot and cold fan of yours for a while.
Seriously though, are you taking media management points from Lyle Oberg.
Big anouncement about a press conference that will shake things up, then a total fizzle of a release.
The Toronto Star sure exagerrated your statement. Talk about sensationalism. I really wish the media would cease using so many exciting adjectives. Nice to see that the Star is as objective and factual as ever.
Mr. Turner, I have read your comments, and find them moving, following my own experience here. (the CA federal government, through the N.S. provincial government, prosecuted me -UNJUSTLY- beginning [this time] in Oct. 2004. Never permitted an attorney (it was/is a very political Case) the government[s] made ‘every mistake in the book’ [Shades of Sponsorship, Ms. Fraser!], and, representing myself, I WON, on Sept. 28, this year (2006)! I assure you (and I believe it is possible you know the particulars), it was a Very Decisive Win, but the federal government, apparently incredulous (they shouldn’t'a been, though!), THEY said I won *because they lost my documents*. I believe, Mr. Turner, that there were a total of ten hearings in this Case [this time] over two years, – a Case THEY HAD LOST FROM THE BEGINNING.
So I just wanted to tell you something; you’re right. I’ve read some of the comments in other areas today (not particularly supportive of you, I gather, though one takes internet dogs with a grain of salt..) and I’m very glad you published your text. Your words truly speak-speak truly. There’s just one problem. If I were you, I wouldn’t count on your justice system, or your legal ‘experts’. Things are pretty (well, actually, it’s not pretty, at all) rotten in there with the way larger part of that group..) Good luck. †KAWilson
Your talents have been wasted with the Conservatives. You are the equal of Layton or any of those other misguided fools.
Take a break from the pomposity of Gart and relax.
As expected, your posting here is a heavily manipulated version of what the real answers were as reported by Stephen Taylor:
1. [Has Garth] been suspended or expelled from caucus?
Suspended.
2. Is it definite or indefinite?
Indefinite.
3. What was the reason?
Garth has been provided with the reasons.
4. Will [Garth] be formally notified (of the suspension)?
No such formal process. Garth was at the Ontario caucus when the decision was rendered. Garth did not attend the National Caucus where it was ratified.
5. What evidence will the board get to justify [Garth's] ouster?
None. This is an internal caucus matter.
6. Are there conditions for reentry into caucus?
Garth would have to approach caucus.
7. [Is Garth] still the nominated Conservative candidate (for Halton)?
No.
8. Is [Garth's] membership (with the Conservative Party of Canada) still valid?
Yes.
9. If [Garth is] stripped of [his] nomination can [he] seek it again?
Not right now.
10. Is [Garth's] suspension or expulsion a directive of the national party?
No.
I guess the forthright answers were too clean for you to deal with directly in your reply.
After all, if you don’t know what “indefinite” means, then perhaps it should have been YOU who clarified that before your board sent in that question… no? You set the perimeters as being of two terms… not them. If you have a problem with their answer, the problem is yours.
And after all, you said that “the national president of the party says I will not be permitted to seek a Conservative nomination again.” But, if Stephen Taylor got the right answer, then it seems that this is not a permanent situation of not being able to “seek a nomination again”… no? It seems that it is only a matter of “not right now.” Of course your wording is very ‘lawyered’ in this regards… how careful of you.
As for no evidence being given to your electors, wouldn’t it be kind of hypocritical of them to divulge the contents of internal caucus information (evidence) if their whole problem with you from the start is that you divulged the contents of internal caucus information? Hello?
I am glad however that you realized that party politics is the problem. As I’ve said on this blog before, your difficulties stem from the fact that you don’t seem to understand the dynamics/origin of party politics. You feel the need to do whatever you and your own constituency wants at all times, the very definition of Independent.
Party politics is about gaining allies by standing firm on common ground and making compromises amongst each other on the occasional issue so that you have a power base from which to achieve greater objectives. Your attitude has always appeared as one of absolutely NO compromises regardless of the issue.
You like to present yourself as being the sole Conservative MP that has problems with different issues of the party in general. What vanity! Of course there are other MPs that have issues with varying elements of what the party is doing. But unlike you, they understand that MPs can’t develop a power base from which to forward the individual objectives of their constituents unless they’re willing to give-and-take a little. They know it’s better to grin and bear it the odd time if they majority and time they can grin and mean it.
Seriously Garth… what issues of your constituents would you have been willing to give up on?
That’s the give part of give-and-take.
Hi there,
I’m not a conservative, but I am also not rabidly anti-conservative
I’ve been watching your situation over the last several weeks and just wanted to say that what I’ve seen and heard from you in reaction to these events has impressed me–a lot. I don’t live in Halton, so I can’t vote for you–but you may be sure that I’ll be asking candidates their thoughts on the autonomy of mp’s and parliamentary reform. Thanks for that.
Hey Garth-good on ya for being so committed to popular sovereignty! As you know, the democratic deficit is surely a systemic problem, one that resides largely in the way parties are run. Maybe this has to do with the constitutional ambiguity about parties? I haven’t read the entire Constitution Act, but I haven’t seen anything regarding parties at all-hence there are no rules prohibiting a party from having such strict discipline. However I think the problem resides just as much in the reason for such discipline-that is the rules of the game itself. In the age of the minority government (which we very well may be in), the possibility of non-confidence motions passing is actually present, creating the possibility for much less stability, hence the need for much more party discipline (ok I know this is basic stuff, but please bear with the undergrad for a moment…) So here’s a simple partial solution to the deficit: fixed elections every four years, even with a minority. Then how about a not-so-simple solution: amend the constitution (not now, but when your Promise Kept movement picks up more steam), or at least introduce legislation involving rules of party conduct that prohibits the use of threats of consequences and consequences themselves when MPs don’t tow the party line. Sure this makes running a government that much more difficult, but if they aren’t following the will of the people/doing the right thing, then that *should* be difficult…
Lastly, and this is what I love about free speech, I feel the need to respond to your comment:
“But my Conservative party believes in free speech, diversity of opinion, co-operation, equality of all people, progressive social values, true environmental protection and stands firm against intolerance, bigotry exclusion.” Diversity? Equality? Progressive social values? True environmental protection? Standing firm against intolerance, bigotry and exclusion? While the Conservative Party (and iterations of right-wing Canadian parties in the past) can possibly make some sort of semi-viable claim to have stood for tolerance, co-operation and inclusion, it appears that a Conservative party that values diversity, equally, progressive social values and environmental protection is Conservative (which to me means right-wing) in name only. Again, I may be “just an undergrad”, but to me Conservatism is all about backwards social, environmental, and most importantly fiscal values of inequality and exclusion. Corporate tax cuts? Investing in the non-renewable oil sands? Wishing away global warming as if it never existed? Maybe I haven’t been following things well enough but this is what Conservatism means to me, and it doesn’t seem to match up with Garth Turner, or the will of the Canadian people itself.
Good for you Garth. I am not a conservative, but I am impressed with your stand on issues. In addition to the issues you have addressed, we also need to have Proportional Representation so that the House is representative of the voters, and that every vote will actually count.
Hi Garth,
My sincerest compliments for the way you’re challenging the accepted truths about democracy, most significantly the truth that it’s best exercised using the vehicle of political parties. Hopefully voters in other ridings, my own riding of Edmonton-Strathcona (currently held by caucus chair Rahim Jaffer) included, will start demanding a taste of what Halton’s getting, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
Garth I read your comments about our political process and totally agree. I have always voted Tory, that was until our current fascist “Conservative Party†changed the playing field, I will never vote for the Conservative Party again. I can’t recall a government (I’m 43) that so tightly controls it’s MP’s, to the point where they are not able to speak to the press or make comments freely outside the Commons. Remembrance Day brought that home for me. Do you think the men and women who built this great Country, fought for Canada and gave their lives for our freedoms could have envision the likes of the “Conservative Party†? I think not. The slogan used by the Conservatives “Stand Up For Canada†should really read “Stand Up For Canada And Do What We Sayâ€, sadly it’s really more appropriate.
Thanks for sticking to your principals and standing up for Canada!
Good work, ,more people should be made aware of the workings of parliament.We have elected members who pose in the nude and cross floors which make for questions as to how this can happen? If one crosses the floor the constituants should be given a free vote befor that person can cross the floor, they were put there by a certain party and should remain there until an open vote is made to all people in the riding.
Garth
A big thankyou for exposing all of this. People of all political strips should be in support of what you are doing.
I agree…the genie is out of the bottle!
JJ
Van Isl
Well thought out remarks and quite dissappointing that a party can do this to someone and not have to provide evidence or proof to the people that elected the official to Ottawa.
Just listened to and read your presentation to the media. You have further garnered my support. The only thing you didn’t say directly is if one of the letters, “the leader of the Conservative party” was in reference to PMSH ? Or were you being coy ?
If you prefer answer me privately at my e-mail address.
Not-withstanding, you still and more emphatically now have my full support.
Morris Lewicky.
“If this can happen to one MP, it can happen to any MP.”
But there was a good reason it happened to this one MP. If you’re going to belong to a party, you should be supporting it more often than criticizing it. If you find yourself criticizing it more often than not, you should know you don’t belong there, and know enough to get out yourself – before being kicked out.
Obviously you don’t share the same views on many matters with this current government and that’s your right. But no one else has been kicked out – just you.
So stop the whining about the bad, secretive, unrepentant and arrogant Stepen Harper Conservatives and form your own party. If Garth Turner’s way of doing things is so much better, I’m sure many other Conservative members, as well as those from all parties, will be beating down your door to join the new progressive Garth party!
Good luck with that Garth.
Allow me to be the first to congratulate you on a well constructed speech. I agree with what you are saying whole heartedly. Enough is enough, and change is required, and none of the usual string of parties has shown an ability to listen to, and receive direction from, the people they represent.
Keep up the good work, and keep rattling the rusty chains of command in Ottawa.
I am not a resident of the Halton riding, thought my sister and brother-in-law are, but I have been following your work and blog for quite a while. I wish there were more like you in Parliament.
Thank you, Garth, for believing that the people matter. Making that true is the only way people will ever again feel there is a point to getting involved or even voting. I, for one, will be watching, and maybe even cheering. I don’t think I’ll be alone, either.
Well said. Your constituents are lucky. Only when parties and politicians are concerned with being representatives and not with just winning elections can we enjoy the government that we deserve. Thanks for being a part of that solution for Canadians.
BTW, that one line should have read:
“They know it’s better to grin and bear it the odd time if the majority of the time they can grin and mean it.”
More blah blah blah…. much pomp and circumstance, signifying nothing. Typical Garth. Grow up and join the real world.
How about you start a “Independence Coalition Party”
where the MP’s actually have free votes all the time.
Ron
Hi Garth,
I’ve written you before to praise your actions, but today’s news
conference deserves another e-mail. Here’s a link to a blog post I
just made praising you:
http://carlosthejackass.blogspot.com/2006/11/more-importantly-though-i-have.html
You don’t need to respond to me – I’m not your constituent, and I’m
sure your hands are full enough dealing with them. But I am assuredly
a fan of your work.
Steve Smith
Edmonton, AB
Great job Garth. You really hit the nail on the head with the nature of this problem. We elect parties and dictatorial leaders, not representatives from our ridings. That’s not how the system was designed and it is high time that we change the system.
It’s great that you’re making this point, but I was rather hoping that what you were going to expose was the secret integration of the North American continent which is quietly happening behind closed doors. My concerns are numerous, but some key ones are concern about protecting our water and oil resources, harmonizing with U.S. military and security policies, and having a common currency (the Amro) when the U.S. is kind of bankrupt right now. Many M.Ps don’t know about this – google ‘deep integration’ and there’s plenty on the web if this is news to you.
Anyway, just to say that I’m waiting for an honest MP, or anyone, to expose these secret set-ups and have the whole plan out in the press for people to see. U.S. and Mexican citizens who know about this are as appalled as the few Canadians who know.
Government is far to financed by, and therefore run by, corporations. As a university lecturer put it recently, government is a branch of the banking cartel. Government has become a corpocracy.
Mr. Turner,
I am a young Canadian from Sudbury Ontario that had been a supporter of the PC party for many years. When the parties merged I was somewhat disheartened but believed that if enough of the open minded conservatives became active in this new party it could succeed and become a party of the people. Unfortunately from what I have seen with you and also in our local riding association I no longer believe this to be true.
Three years ago I ran for municipal council unsuccessfully but had many people asking me to run again this time around. I decided not to as I was considering a run at our local Conservative nomination. In the last few weeks and months I have found myself further and further from the national parties priories and views. Your press conference was enough to make me decide against running for the party. I’d like to thank you for your honesty. I have not given up on politics and like you see things in the green party that I like. I will be talking to them about the possibility of working with them on the next election. But I would like to speak with you about finding ways to get people involved again in the political system.
Thanks for standing up for Canada,
Jeff
Only recently following this situation after catching wind of it from an online source, I could see Garth Turner preparing to commit some form of political suicide. However, having read it, there is much validity in his general point, regardless of how or why he ended up being ejected from the conservative caucus.
Think about it. The only issues that get heavily debated these days are the ones that the media uncover due to questionable activity done by the party in power or the broken promises done by the party in power.
I hope this is at least the beginning of a shake up in politics because right now our political system is done. Everyone is truly “fed” up with it.
Garth, if you can figure a way out of this with the assistance of the “online community” of the people, them more power to you.
Garth I am not in your riding and have always voted for the candidate not the party You are right on keep up the good work I have watched your work for years and for those of you who choose to work in the public office I say good for you .When you get all discouraged some time just remember there are a heck of allot of people who are cheering you on who sit quietly on the side lines Keep up the good work and thank you so much.
Dave
Garth– I think you are right-on with your suggestions. Immediate and drastic change is required to the way we govern this country, and make it a true democracy.
It is shameful that a party who only gets 35% of the vote has absolute rule of this country, and yet the 65% of the population that voted for more liberal parties get absolutely no say whatsoever.Even more shameful is that such a party would only represent the interests of the 35% of the people that voted them in, and totally ignore the remaining 65% of the population.
Our MP’s are elected and end up being stooges for their party bosses. They are only allowed to say what their party leaders tell them to say and do what their party leaders tell them to do. There is no dissention, and the loyalty of these MP’s is to their party leaders rather than to Canada or their constituents. Is this democracy?
I believe that a solution to this would be to get rid of the party system altogether. We vote in our ridings who we feel best represents us. We then have 300 or so MP’s in Ottawa that are all part of government. Each has an equal say. Voting is by majority. The MP’s vote amongst themselves which MP is best qualified to be Minister of Finance, Justice Minister, and so on.
The Prime Minister (or President) should be voted for directly and would not have a seat in the House of Commons. He is like the CEO of a company, and provides direction for the country with assistance of the various ministers ( ie “vice presidents”) elected by the House of Commons . Many feel that this system would not work, yet this is the exact system that works in most municipalities, in which mayors and councillors are voted for individually.
The way government is run now is archaeic. It may have worked in the middle ages, but it needs to be modernized. We need to run this country in a democratic way where the input of all MP’s and Canadians are valued.
This can only happen if we get rid of the party system.
Garth, I would love to hear your comments regarding the above
Good afternoon Garth,
I am very disappointed to see what has happened your career with the Conservative Party, and am totally disgusted. I am afraid in this political arena there are too many back room dealings going on which is quite ridiculuous and totally unacceptable. Please don`t consider siding with the Liberals, but go your own Independent way! We need your voice in Government.
Gerry
Stratford.
i have sent my letter to the head liberal party of canada and the pc party of which refuses to disclose the email address of the executive chair……so I sent my letter to the Prime Minister…..
Canada……..has now become a communist country…..under the pretense of once every 4 year election……… We can’t have these people making decisions for us……..if they do not want us involved as stakeholders…………
Watched your press conference with great interest today. You made some excellent points and it’s a nice relief to see someone actually having something intelligent to say when they’re suddenly thrown into the limelight.
That being said, I fundamentally disagree with some of your arguments. As much as I agree that our current party system is democratically flawed (and this is coming from someone who has experienced and become disgusted with party politics first-hand in my home country – Norway – it’s no different there), I feel that the reforms that you are suggesting might not necessarily lead us to the holy grail of a citizen-run democracy.
You basically suggest getting rid of the party system and moving towards a Parliament of independents. The danger in this proposal is the influence that donors, lobby groups, and large corporate interests can hold over independent candidates. It’s not as if these interests hold no influence today, but when every MP is independent the checks and balances of the party system are removed, and it becomes very difficult for voters to track what and who is influencing each MP.
As an MP you are part of making decisions that affect the entire country – in some cases the entire globe – not just issues that influence the lives of your riding. When people vote for MPs, a large portion of voters couldn’t really care less who their MP is, because what they care about is the party and what the party overall stands for. By removing the party system you have suddenly made it extremely complicated to be a voter. Independent MPs do not have the resources to get their message out in a broad way (even in our digital era), and each voter will be left to weed through websites, news commentary, town hall meetings, TV debates, and other sources in order to make their choice. Who has time for this, unless we are given holidays with mandatory citizen homework! At the same time, they have no idea who their MP will eventually gang up with once they’re in Ottawa. By voting for an MP for a particular party you are guaranteed a certain form of predictability. With independents you have no idea what will happen until they get to Ottawa.
We absolutely need to do something with the old boy’s club mentality of our current parties. However, I believe getting rid of them is not the answer. There’s definitely some need for more transparancy to the inner workings of parties, and this is what should be pursued with the same passion as you have for getting rid of them. Perhaps all internal party communication should be monitored by a neutral agancy in a bid to get rid of the practice of party whips? I don’t know what the answer is, but I do know that I would never want to go to the polls trying to decide between 10-50 candidates that have all promised to represent me to the best of their abilities, but who will be swayed by powerful lobby groups once they’re in Ottawa since they will have no party to support them.
Honourable Garth Turner,
Congratulations on your Independent Outrage! It’s about time that the people of Canada have an example of REAL leadership in government; someone who stands up for developing a government that does what is right, not only for Canadians, but for the world they are a part of. I certainly agree with your initiative to allow independent members of parliament the same benefits and freedoms as those ‘sweater-wearing’ folks. Do you have an online petition for Canadians who want to support your ideas and make this broken system work?
Finally, I have a question to ask of you. With voter turnout at such low levels, it is obvious that those who Do vote are either angry or content, and those who DONT vote are indifferent to the options available to them. I don’t believe this is acceptable. All people should believe their vote makes a difference – What do you think would inspire more Canadians to stand up and be counted?
Graham
4th Year, MOS Finance, University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario
Mr. Turner,
First, let me offer you my congratulations and support as you begin your journey as an Independent Member Of Parliament. You have begun something important today – a change and, dare I say, a revolution in Canadian politics unlike anything that has been imagined before. Your rumoured destination, a party that begins with a ‘G’, would have given said party it’s first elected representative. Again, a noble feat. But, by sticking to your convictions, and by having the desire to have the ability to vote to your constituents wishes – which is why they elected you in the first place – you have changed the landscape, and for the better. My one wish is that I were a citizen in the riding of Halton, just to have the ability to offer you real support as you begin your endeavour.
As I’m sure you are more than aware, minority governments in Canada have a short life span. I suspect that we will see an election by no later than the end of the 2nd quarter of 2007. That being said, I would love and relish the opportunity to run in the next federal election, also as an independent, in the riding if Elgin – Middlesex – London. Do I have a university degree? No, sadly I do not. But, should such a thing be a prerequisite to hold public office? Should it not be more important to have a desire to represent those who elect you with all the zeal and power you can? If I recall correctly, wasn’t it an independent that helped pass what would ultimately be the last Liberal budget? I have written my Member of Parliament on an issue that is near and dear to me. Did I even get so much as a form letter back in response? No, I did not. Understanding that the life of a Member of Parliament is a busy one, surely a quick note, just to say that my concern has been received is a simple thing to send to one who elected you.
I agree, Mr. Turner, that things in Ottawa, and our antiquated system must change. As mentioned, I have a desire to run, but lack the funds to run an effective campaign. My question to you is this. Can you offer any advice to someone who wishes to represent a riding as an independent, as to how to begin down the road to Election Day?
Thank you very much for your time, and good luck as you sit in Parliament.
Noel
Sir,
In all due respect, I am a 68 yr old without a party, however income splitting isnt the matter as you, are tuned into its, the Flaerty, BS about INCOME TRUSTS,which indeed has hurt many of us.
Please get on the band wagon,and off the income splitting, wagon.
Please address this issue, vocally if in fact you are a tue Canadian, and not one like in Ottawa, trying to line their own pockets.
Yours truly
Gord
It sounds to me that Canada is now being run by a neoconservative elite whose political philosophy may include:
Rule One: Deception
-”those who are fit to rule are those who realize there is no morality and that there is only one natural right – the right of the superior to rule over the inferior.”
-”perpetual deception”
-”The people are told what they need to know and no more.”
Second Principle: Power of Religion
-”huge contempt” for secular democracy
-”Secular society in their view is the worst possible thing”
Third Principle: Aggressive Nationalism
-”Because mankind is intrinsically wicked, he has to be governed”
-”Such governance can only be established, however, when men are united – and they can only be united against other people.”
-”Strauss thinks that a political order can be stable only if it is united by an external threat”…”Following Machiavelli, he maintained that if no external threat exists then one has to be manufactured”
-”Perpetual war, not perpetual peace, is what Straussians believe in”
-”aggressive, belligerent foreign policy”
-”They really have no use for liberalism and democracy, but they’re conquering the world in the name of liberalism and democracy”
Does any of this ring familiar?
http://www.alternet.org/story/15935
It’s unfortunate that you generalized all parties into the mix. Perhaps all parties with a sitting MP, are forced to follow top-down politics; but there has been another party that’s growing momentum that values participatory democracy, and is a real grassroots party. Of course this party is the Green Party, and is both socially progressive, and fiscally responsible.
I simply hope that Elizabeth May will be elected into the House, and we’ll get a new taste of what political parties OUGHT to be.
So far I am out approximately $30,000 in equity since Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced that they want to tax income trust distributions in tax deferred accounts, breaking a campaign promise not to do this. Please see previous post for my reading of their political philosophy.
Mr. Turner,
As someone who is very happy to see the Conservatives in power after an era of Liberal corruption and selfishness, I am saddened by your revelations that the Conservatives are up to similar tricks. I am encouraged however, and even inspired, by your stand to be true to the electors of the riding of Halton who rightfully put you in the House of Commons. I agree wholeheartedly that more independant MPs would be able to change the system, especially if this groups of “indies” held the balance of power in a minority government.
I am tempted to run for office under the title of Independant but, as a provincial Returning Officer in Quebec, I have made a commitment to not seek office for the 10-year period of my mandate, and I am sure that you respect the power of honouring one’s commitment. As a Returning Officer, I am taking a stand for the fair electoral processes that we have, both provincially and federally, as mechanisms for justly selecting our elected representatives. Unfortunately, we are only able to take responsibility for the nominations that come to us from the electors, and don’t have a hand in the backroom dealings that go on in selecting these party representatives. Know, though, that I stand with you in your fight for an open, effective, and real democratic representations in all houses of parliament across our great country. If there is anything that I can do to help, that do not go against commitments I’ve made to be neutral in terms of parties, please let me know.
Congratulations for having the courage to speak out and act on your convictions. I would be proud to live in Halton and have you as my representative.
Best wishes,
Mark
Montreal
Mr. Turner,
Here is a copy of a submission from myself to the Conservative party via their website…
“Please note that I resign as a card carrying member of the Conservative party.
Due to your recent handling of Mr. Garth Turner, and the disrespect shown his constituents, I no longer wish to support, or be associated with, the Conservatives.
Mr. Turner has made 2 comments that I fully support. The new government is very much starting to look like the old one. As well, I am only 1 vote, so I’ll use it to try to support someone who will affect true change and represent the people.
I can only hope that we have more people like Mr. Turner decide to run in future elections.”
Mr. Turner, some years ago, you had published a piece in the Toronto Sun regarding an issue I was having. I was the chairperson of a Security Guards union in Oshawa and was having issues with our emplyer. The article helped me get my message out. Naturally, we didn’t win that fight, but I have never forgot that article and how you had, in that way, helped me out.
I wish you all the best in your quest for change. I support it 100%. The establishment won’t like it, but just remember this… the more they kick and scream, the more seriously they are taking you and the more worried they are. I truly believe that.
All the best… and thanks for caring about the constituents.
Reg
Courtice, Ont.
How long before someone alerts the RCMP that fraud and theft are occuring?
Did these secret meetings occur on taxpayer time and were elected government officials involved?
Will the party attempt to sieze certain financial assets that don’t rightfully belong to them?
Stay tuned folks…this issue isn’t going to go away.
Hi Garth,
Just wanted to send along my support for you in the wake of your recent ouster from the Conservative Party. I will refrain from making this a political email message, and instead add my strong support to your efforts to increase the importance and role of independent candidates in Canadian parliament.
The hallmark of any proper democracy is choice. Independent voices must play a key role in the breadth and scope of dialogue in Parliament on issues and concerns that affect grassroots Canadians. The big parties have proven they can’t do this; the only way we can make this happen is if independent voices are heard loudly and clearly.
My family has resided in the Halton region for over 20 years and I grew up scooping ice cream and restoring antique stained glass windows in Campbellville. I am now working as a communication consultant with the United Nations in New York. Although I have moved on, Halton played an important role in my formative years and will always be close to my heart. With this in mind, I would be happy to lend a hand as you regroup and work independently in the service of Haltonians. Please let me know in what way I can be of assistance.
Warmest regards,
Stephen
Garth:
Good for you Sir!
So Garth’s got “The Hill” surrounded.
Hats off to CTV for not sticking around for the whole thing.
No real joy in watching a grown man unravel in front of the entire national media.
I agree that you should rerun in the riding, I didn’t vote last time but I would vote for you this time.
It would hit home your points and I’m fairly sure you’d win
You could not be more right, now I hope that the people of Haldon will lead the way for the rest of us. Having been involved in politics for years I know that is a lot to ask of the people of Haldon, who will get no favours from any government in their riding.
Hopefully like me, they are sick to death of a system that not only makes a mockery of democratic representation but adds insult to injury by muzzeling or dictating what an MP reports to his constituants. I would be happy to assist in anyway I can.
Bonjour M.turner, je suis 100% derrière vous, bravo pour votre courage,et bravo pour votre projet de lois, il faut vous faire entendre,et continuez de travailler pour votre comté et non pas vous faire dicter vos réponse.Encore une fois bravo!!!!!!!!.D’un québecois qui admire votre courage,il devrait yen avoir plus au québec comme vous. Go for it Garth.
Garth,
I agree with your comments entirely.The Liberal party under Jean C was a dictatorship.Harper and his
ilk constantly criticised them for many of the actions that they now have adopted.
We lived in the US for several years where it was said that “the people hated the goverment”here in Canada the
more apt saying should be “the goverment hates the people’.
Unfortunately,each election brings out the same decision and that is to chose the lesser of several evils.
Let me know what I can do to help your cause.
regards
Alex
what suprises me most about your situation is that you have just became aware that democracy in our process ends at the dallot box. we do not vote for a person but a party and once elected there leader becomes a dictatior hopefuly benign but not in your case. if you can change this i will forever be in your debt. in the meantime keep up the good work.
I’m on the Board of Gaspesie-les-Iles and have been working with Darryl Gray to get him nominated for the next election. I am very disappointed by the Party. I expected so much more under Harper. I’ll be there when you need support. You must be in a leadership role of a new Party, dedicated to the type of Canada that means so much, to so many.
Congratulations on your choice.
Andre
Dear Mr. Turner;
I have been thinking lately about the need for a new party to do the unthought of, go back to when things ran better.
I’m thinking of the Confederation Party of Canada and proposing that we return to individual provinces under a common front with equal representation for all.
Quebec would regard this as a message from the anti-Christ but would be better off in the long run.
We must address issues in a more politically incorrect manner.
Thinking “Green”, forget it just a lot of the same babble with no juice.
Fact: Auto pollution does not rise to the ozone layer. Proof? Fly into any major city and have a look on the way in, see the smog bubble?
If you can see it because it is trapped over the city because it can’t rise. Then how does it get to the ozone layer where this pollution together with fluorocarbons ruin our protective cover?
It is delivered by aircraft burning fuel in the ozone layer of course.
A 747-300 carries about half a million pounds of fuel (roughly 50,000 gallons). How far will your car go on that much fuel?
Or the Queen E 2 which gets 6 inches per gallon at cruise?
These interests have big bucks covering them but the poor car owner is made to feel that it is all his fault.
Think that I might be going in the right direction here?
Keep up the effort, Stephen
what a stupid anti-climatic press conference that was. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this attention seeking fool appear on the next season of the “Surreal Life”.
Here’s a thought for people to consider… Nobody tried to silence Garth. Nobody tried to silence the average voter. The only people who’ve really been made useless in this whole situation are the Conservative Party members of the Halton riding. You could maybe say that they didn’t realise who Garth was when they first chose him, but they reconfirmed that choice a little while ago, long after Garth had been in office and kicking up a ruckus.
In other words, the party that claims to be built on grassroots politics just told the grassroots to go f*** themselves.
Not that it’s not the same in all the other big parties, mind you. I just find it particularly hypocritical in a party that traditionally makes such a big stink about the grassroots.
“unravel”?
…we know you will when you have to pay the RCMP to investigate, sieze and search Harpers thugs computers and paperwork as documentation and evidence. (better start shredding fellas-opps too late) Fraud has just been committed buddy. Watch CTV come running as soon as the media get the rest of the scoop, the other parties jump on it as non-confidence fodder and a writ gets dropped again before Christmas the second the libs have a leader.
Garth, you drive safely back to Halton tonight and smile – you did the right thing and Canada is proud of you.
The cover of the PromisesKept.ca is awesome!
Dmytro, you are clearly an idiot. Garth did not jump ship by his own accord, as did Emmerson. And even so, do you think that Harper would call a timely byelection?
You, and many of those on this site who toe party lines, are the source of the malaise. Kindly find a hole.
Holy Smokes!
How can you be a ranting petulant child to some people and an outspoken hero giving ‘em hell to others? Garth, you are on the threshold of some really exciting changes to our system. Who better than you to kick some complacent butt on Parliament Hill? I look forward to your next win as an independent.
Virtually every generation has some who say, “Don’t rock the boat, that’s the way we’ve always done it. It was good enough for the last hundred years so it should be good enough for you.”
Damn, I hate that attitude. With that attitude the Wright brothers would never have flown and velcro would never have been invented… well, you get the idea. Every so often someone comes along and questions the status quo. You are the one, Garth, and the time is right now.
Go get ‘em… Make ‘em weep! Clear the alligators out of that swamp! Hot damn, this is great stuff!
I WILL be a contributor to your next campaign even though I am a CPC member and I don’t live in your riding. Just so’s ya know, pal.
All Garth, all the time.
When does this story end… soon, I hope.
Who. Cares.
Get over yourself, you glory-hound.
Not that you asked…
“Four legs: Good. Two legs: Bad” – George Orwell, Animal Farm
“West: Good. East: Bad.” – Preston Manning, formation of the Reform Party of Canada.
“Syncophantic sheep: Good. Independent, principled goat: Bad.” – Stephen Harper.
The Reform Party was created in protest of the fact that the Mulroney PC’s were nothing more than Liberals in blue suits. The West wanted in. The West got in. When he headed up the National Citizen’s Coalition, Stephen Harper was a voice for reform, for openness, for transparency, for accountability.
At the conclusion of Animal Farm, the poor critters couldn’t tell the difference between the old bosses and the new ones.
Maybe that’s because…there is no difference…
BWDIK
Hey Garth!
I agree! We need more independents in Parliament! Hey, aren’t you a newly made independent? What a perfect coincidence…
Amusing to listen to the arrogance of the members of the Stephen Harper party stating that you won’t win if you run as an independent in the next election.
Obviously, no one can predict the outcome of this possible scenario, but i wouldn’t be surprised at all, if you won.
Look at all these tin foil hatted lefties grovelling at Garth’s feet.
Any of you ever wonder if he’s even telling the _truth_?!? No… just just _accept_ what he’s telling you because you need something to believe in… something to cling desperately to in your wailings against the CPC.
Little shit disturber got spanked and now he’s calling for the teacher to come to his aid. Garth, you acted improperly and now you must pay the price.
Richard – “That is your right just as it is the right of the party to say “sayonara†to somebody who publicly slams the party and its leader. That is life”
A couple of questions to you:
1. Who is the party?
Don’t you think that the 700 or so folks here in Halton that carry membership cards and nominated Garth twice (knowing full well who he was and his reputation for speaking his mind) should have some say?
Or is it the unelected backroom boys who should be calling the shots – a la the former Soviet Union?
2. What did Garth say to “publicly slam” the party leader?
And before you get on the blog, disagreement with a couple of issues (Garth is on record as being in favour of the majority of the CPC’s initiatives) hardly constitutes a public slamming. Anyone in politics should be able to take constructive criticism from his or her colleagues – this is part of the day to day ritual.
Yes ,we need more independents,who have the ability to raise funds + issue tax receipts. Yes, we need to end this democratic dictatorship we experience in Canada. Digital democracy needs the environment to continue to expand. We need a voice and a rallying point. Possibly this will be “Promise Kept”. We need to let our MP’s know what we expect better yet find an indie who will represent his/her constituents.
Good work Garth many are with you. How do we get the Indie running in our ridings?
Hey Garth, I just thought of something; if this doesn’t quench your enormous appetite for media attention, you can always release a sex tape. It worked so well for Paris Hilton.
Mr. Turner,
As a resident of Vancouver-Kingsway (note that I do not refer to myself as a constituent of David Emerson), I support your call for greater democracy. I hope you will now stand in a by-election for your riding, thereby providing Canada with an honourable example.
While I agree that party politics has served to undermine true democracy, election financing and lobbyists have also played significant roles in making government pliant to corporate interests. I hope you will also call for significant reforms in these areas.
Finally, you are not the first to call for such reforms. There are many other efforts underway to make government more accountable. Rather than trying to re-invent the wheel, I urge you to join forces with these groups so that the sum of your parts will be greater than the whole and significant enough pressure will be brought to bear for real change to be realized.
Links:
Democracy Watch
The Campaign to De-Elect David Emerson
The sheer number of comments to this blog entry speaks to the seriousness of the issue. Take heed, oh imbedded parties: The Party Of One and digital democracy is here to stay, and we’re just beginning….
=R=
For all the people calling each other idiots it is David Emerson not Emmerson as alot of people seem to think. FYI
I know there are more canadians like Garth. Unfortunately none in Ottawa. We only need 300 of them.
Garth Turner- I support you all the way!
Adriatik. Toronto, ON
Hi:
Great stuff Mr.Turner. You sure have a lot of attention, and 99 % favour what you are doing. Let’s hope it will grow and we can send those back room boys, girls and masters a message (a real message).
The bigest obstacle to change is change itself. You have taken a very first small step. Let’s hope enough of us will be serious enough to jump on your wagon and propel this forward.
Where there is a will there is a way. Keep it going.
Harrison
I watched today…
Reminded me of this…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Kohoutek
There sure are alot of worried conservatives on this site!
Good!!!
Bravo! You hit the nail right on the head as to one of the primary reasons why Canadians are blasé about politics, no matter which party. “Voting as a citizen’s duty” was rammed down my throat as I was growing up and I must admit that, for the first time ever, I didn’t vote in the last federal election. It is too discouraging and no matter which of the major party is elected, we all know it is going to be same old, same old. I feel disempowered as a Canadian when my vote has “no power”. By roots I was a liberal but after their abuse of power couldn’t go that route again (and Harper’s vibes of control terrify me!). It was a difficult moral decision for me NOT to vote yet my 17 year old son couldn’t even figure out why I was hesitating. To him it was a no brainer: “why bother, they are all liars, don’t keep promises, you can’t change it so why vote!” Scary when the next generation of voters thinks that way. Your comments are like a breath of fresh air and should a good independant present him or herself in my riding, I’ll certainly going back to the poll and voting again! Keep up the good work, we need a wind of change and we need independant thinkers who truly represent “us”.
Garth, you’re hilarious. This is the significant announcement? This is the disturbing revelation? This is the announcement that’s going to make a lot of people angry? You got yourself into the spotlight, but I suspect it’s for the last time. Will anyone ever believe you again when you hype one of your press releases? I doubt it.
You pissed on Harper’s carpet. So what??
The world is bigger than you are, and the moment you realize that, is the moment you mature.
This country is badly in need of participatory democracy, but what you have done means nothing to promote it.
Bottom line is this- You are acting like a spoiled teenager that doesn’t get his way.
Get over it! Grow up!
I’m afraid your political career is over. In a way I regret that. You have skills that would have been an asset to not only the CPC, but to the country as well.
You put your personality ahead of your constituents. Truly sad, and a reflection of what once was a noble calling.
Garth, you have been the Terrell Owens of the Conservative Party (without his talent). If you are not going to be a team player then quit the team (oh, I guess they kicked you out first).
We have management meetings at the company I work for. We debate issues but at the end of the day a decision has to be made. If someone cannot accept the fact that his idea or perspective wasn’t adopted, too bad. Once a decision is made we all row in the same direction to ensure success. That concept has escaped you, Garth.
Now you want to be seen as this great martyr of Canadian politics. “The man for the people.” You weren’t for the people, or the party. You are for yourself. Now you made the bed, you sleep in it.
No surprises. We have an authoritarian top-down structure of “elected representatives” that truly represent less than 40% of the electorate. It is undemocratic and so is the system. There is only one party that has genuinely realized the need to change this and I suggest you follow your instincts of fairness and true democratic representation by joining Elizabeth May and the Green Party and leave the dirty, unaccountable behaviour of the traditional Conservative Party (the other major parties aren’t much better or worse) behind. It will never change, so be the change you want to see with the only party that sees the value of changing the archaic system.
Garth, I’m a fan. I’ve ived in Ottawa for 25 years, and have never heard anyone speak that directly to the Press Core as you did today. I tried hard not to become cynical during the backroom manovering during my works on the Copps leadership campaign, despite seeing first hand some backroom manouvering that left me dumbfounded. I’ve crept back to the party, but will be watching the new Liberal leadership process in Montreal closely. I’ll take your lead and ask some pointed questions about democracy and party leaders. Thanks for taking a stand.
I don’t know how many people who comment on this site have had occasion to deal with Garth as their parlimentary rep.
In the past Garth has always taken the time to explain government policy and defend it.
This was when he was with the PCs.
People that feel the vibe know there is something not quite right with this government.Unfortunatly most people no longer care to be involved due to decades of lies or misrepresentation.
Government is no longer for us ‘hoople heads’ but the powers that be.
Just look at the coverage and reaction today.
Those that come to this site to berate Garth are following time tested methods to question his credability.
Compare his courage and integrity to that of your own MP.
Very best wishes
HONOURABLE Mr Turner PC MP.
Good Lord people – have you all just woken up in Garthland to find out that our government is one where we elect people to represent us. We do this on the basis of their policies and trust that their policies will be fufilled. We assume that they will be team players and that we will continue to live in a safe, clean country.
Seems like the majority of you giving kudos to Garth for his “independent” stance have just totally taken what he has said at face value, just like you take things the media reports at face value.
All of a sudden you have a backbone and are going to stand up to Ottawa – where the hell were you when the Liberals were stealing our money!!
For a guy (Garth) who “doesn’t matter anymore”, there sure are alot of Harper robots visiting and swearing.
They doth protest too much.
I seriously doubt there’s another MP’s website, including Harper’s, that has this amount of dialogue, questions, comments, answers, etc, going on right now.
Quite amazing, really!
shut up Roger and make yourself useful like kissing Harpers Ass
Can anyone tell us how it cost for Garth’s stunt today? The cost of the press room and translators? Was it on our tax dime?
Garth could have been more environment friendly and didn’t have to waste the gas for his vehicle to travel the 400 km down 401 – he could have just posted his pity speech on his blog – like he did.
BTW: You can listen to him give CFRA an interview here:
http://www.cfra.com/interviews/index.asp
scroll down to:
Afternoon Edition – Garth Turner Speaks Out
He said he championed the senior’s income splitting working as an “independant”. Oh, really? I thought Garth was working as a Conservative MP on this prior to his getting kicked out. Or, did Mr. Flaherty come to Garth after October 14th, and ask “Say Garth, we’re trying to straightened out this income trust mess, can you give me suggestions on how to assist the seniors?” Of course, Garth did take the full credit… Unfortunately, the idea for senior income splitting has been bounced around for 40 years now – that would make Garth 17 years old.
Oops, is Garth trying to pull the wool over someone’s eyes? How much of our tax dollars have been wasted on Garth’s mid-life crisis? I don’t care if the media has wasted their money and time – they love gossip stuff.
Some advise for Garth, as he travels Canada for democratic reform – first, learn to give credit to others, as there are folks who have ideas and do work hard(er); second, stop dissing people with whom you disagree; and third, learn to focus on other more important things than saving your own butt.
I have always liked those who rock the boat. Keep rocking, Garth.
Thanks Garth. I liked you as a finacial advisor; now as a parlamentarian. Your fresh approach and your honesty are showing. Not the same for the Conservative Party.
Thanks Garth. I have been saying this for the last year or more. The David Emerson issue set me off. Then the 39 silent conservative MPs that voted for the bill to not allow floor crossings, just backed the party, NOT THE RIGHTS OF ORDINARY DEMOCRATIC CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY.
I Think the party system and the way it exercises its power will be the downfall of our democracy. It is time more of our MPs stood and and said what they believed as that is what we pay them for and elect them for.
They are not paid by the party!!! They are paid by us Canadians, they need to represent us and not just follow the party line.
With all due respect Garth, you called a press confrence to release disurbing information.I rearranged my afternoon for this? Not being allowed to run as a Tory was stating something everyone was expecting anyways. You cried wolf and made yourself look like a grandstander. The media, and me, will think twice on attending, or watching, your next press conference.
By Catherine on 11.14.06 3:33 pm
“Ah poor Garth, just doesn’t understand that no-one wants him. Can’t understand that grandstanding as a primadonna, only harms one’s credibility.â€
Catherine old gal take a page from your own play-book and take a pill…..talk about credibility issues…
we need more like you, keep it up.
I’m ready for my close-up Mr Demil…
Garth come-on that is your “BIG” announcement? They canned you and now you are saying “I quit” boring!!
I am a conservative and I think your style is best suited for joining the Greens. It it will give the Greens a member in parliament and you can go down in history as the first Green MP.
A lifesize Garth statue on lawn of parliament! Marble or Bronze that is the question of the day. geeezzzz.
Your statement has good sentiments and I agree with them. However, short of a citizen revolution, I don’t think it is possible to change the mindset and reign in the power of the establishment (whichever party is currently in power).
So are these words empty? Can we realistically expect the ideals you stated to come close in our lifetimes? I think a lot of people are quite dissatisfied with the impotence of “democracy” as it is practiced today. I’m ready to entertain other models of government. Democracy as promised is not possible and the real-world democracy we have might not be the “least bad” form of government possible. If there’s any real hope, someone draw me a map from here to there.
You know Garth, It sure is easy to tell which posts are from “party hacks” and which are genuine.
I bet that SH had to hire a batch of them just to Pack up your site.
Funny part is they show up as the idiots they are.
There is not one of them ever debates the issue. They just rant
I’m very glad to know that there are (few) people with back bone in Ottawa like you Garth. However, I am a little disappointed that you choose not to help the green party by becoming a member(as you may have hinted on your blog previously). Think of how much you could have made a difference, bringing them into parliament! Finally they would have been able to resourcefully participate in the next election race. Yes, ‘just’ another party, but at the same time a party that stands for exactly those values that you’ve been longing for so much: diversity and equality etc.
I totally agree with you when you say that democracy in Canada doesn’t really work these days. I know that because I’m a German following my countries news on a daily basis, comparing and evaluating… It starts with the German press, which in comparison to Canada’s “free” press doesn’t neglect to contradict and make politicians look stupid if they acted so. At the same time it isn’t uncommon to hear “MPs” disagree with their party’s decision.. and it’s ok, because that’s what a healthy democracy needs… what matters below the bottom line is the majority that is required to pass bills.
I do understand, that a party that runs a minority government needs as many voices they they get in order to pass bills. But if they cant do so without dictating and censoring their MPs, then maybe the existence of this government should be questioned.
Now, I don’t agree with the idea of so called independent seats in the government. Every MP should be granted a certain degree of independence period. What is needed is a much greater diversity of parties, which is only achievable, if Canada changes its electoral system! Why would I want a local representative in the federal government? Thats what the Provinces and Municipalities are there for. What we need is the introduction of a majority voting system which is long overdue! If for instance the green party gets 5% of all votes in Canada the should also be eligible to obtain 5% of seats in the parliament (its only fair). Yet, the writing system could still help distributing those seats to whatever party members got the most % within their writing! Now that would be a fair system – THE ONLY ONE as far as I’m concerned! Just imagine how much diversity that would bring us in terms of new parties having a chance of entering the parliament. Whats wrong with a coalition anyways??.. Nothing… just another guarantor for more freedom of speech, and diversity within the government.
Last off a word to Mr. Harper: I find it unbelievable that this man is ‘running the show’. A man who randomly refuses to answer to the public and dictates censorships over his ministries… what happened to this country?
*yawn*
This grandmother is tickled pink. To those who say Garth didn’t tell us anything we didn’t know, I beg to differ. An internal caucus matter and no evidence for the voters. Like Rae said on Mercer the ideologicals have to go. Let the people stand up for the people and then we will stand up for Canada and her representatives. The next election can’t come too soon for me, I’m in. Indie’s Unite!
Hey Garth
If you keep this up going forward, you can count my support all the way.
So many questions.
Did Garth “chicken out”?
Is he so naive the fact our government’s run by the “back room boys” comes as a revelation?
Is his new found commitment to representative democracy sincere or is he just another “death row convert”?
Does his comment: “…unless that MP ends up voting against a budget or publicly opposing a major policy or calling for the leader to resign, they should serve their term as the people wanted” mean he still believes it’s acceptable for MP’s to disregard their constituents’ wishes and “vote the party line”, when it comes to the “big issues”?
Where is Joe Clark, when we need him?
This episode seems to indicate that MPs are expected to simply “follow” like soldiers – instead of elected generals MPs are thus expected to be redundant and obviously the issue raised is what is then the point in casting a vote in the elections – if your elected MP is not allowed to stand for what s/he believes, then our votes are redundant too. The “digital democracy” seems to have uncovered the reality of the Canadian political system / system of government: The democracy that was supposed to exist in fact does not. If this country is to be a democracy, major Canadian political parties have to stop behaving like the central comitee of a communist party. While that does not happen, we need as many independent MPs as we can possibly get (even if simply for a touch of democracy).
Congratulations on being set free from the mothership. It sounds like you are on your way to accomplishing great and relevant things.
I too have recently removed myself as a member of the Conservative party due to their inaction and non commital to bring into law much needed changes to the divorce act. Specifically custody and access. An issue that they were screaming bloody murder over as the opposition.
In a recent telephone conversation with my MP, Maurice Vellacott, he informed me that the Conservative party is not going to introduce any bills in parliament regarding these issues. We are going to have to “Keep fighting” for change. Keep fighting to be a part of your children’s lives.Imagine!!!!!
You and I both know that the Family law industry is far more important than the alternative, non custodial parents being treated fair and equally and allowed to be a strong and important part of their children’s lives. Instead of just a source of income.
In my opinion Garth, if you want make a big splash, start pushing for the much needed reforms to the family law industry. Try to turn it into a system that works for all involved, not a money making venture for lawyers and psychologists and assessment agencies that are priveledged to have their own taxpayer funded salesman. FAMILY COURT JUDGES!!!!!!!!!!!.
I am also interested to hear your thoughts on a Bi Partisan system, similar to the states. It seems to me that, as you have stated, that it is all about the parties and not the people. When no party holds any real sense of power, nothing seems to be accomplished.
Also, I would like to say in closing that we really need to deal with Quebec once and for all.They are dragging the rest of this country down and have been doing so for the last 35 years.
Thank you, Doug Yarnell. Warman Sk.
Hello Garth,
As I have messaged you before, Congratulations!
I wanted to vote for you in the last election but could not get up the…insanity to vote for a party led by a man who represents everything that I am against; Fundementalist Politics, pollution on a grand scale, fascist policies, and money grubbing.
I am proud to say that now that you have left his evil empire I will be voting for you, and will even offer my services to work in your campaign should I be able to remain in this province which is being screwed out of its tax contributions.
Please have a member of your office contact me, as I am serious about assisting your next campaign, and in any other way I can in the interim.
Craig
I am a social democrat by political philosophy. But I applaud your stand. I do not agree with all of Jack Laytons stands, though I have usually voted NDP in the past. If you were in my riding, I’d be strongly tempted to vote for you, because of your insistance on accountability, and defense of democratic principles. About time this had a voice!
Thanks to a fortuitous combination of his natural independence, previous Parliamentary experience and new found perspective as a suddenly independant M.P., Garth Turner has been able to expose to a wider public audience the sorry state of back-bench M.P’s in Canada.
These talented men and woman have been systematically tamed by inner Party operatives and Party leaders and our nation is the poorer for it. I commend Garth for his courage and determination to not accept this condition for himself and others.
It will be very interesting to see if there are equally courageous backbench M.P’s who will reclaim their real and legitimate Parliamentary power and join him in his struggle for representative democracy now that he has lifted the lid on this disgrace.
One thing is certain, future newly elected members of the Green Party will join him in the struggle for Parliamentary and Electoral reform.
Eric Walton – Federal Green Candidate for Kingston & The Islands
Addressing everybody who bashes Garth Turner for criticizing Emerson… DON’T FORGET that Emerson left the Liberals (who voted for him!) at free will, letting down the followers of the party in his writing. Garth on the other hand got booted whereby THE PARTY LET DOWN THEIR FOLLOWERS!
Unlike Emerson, Garth had no intentions to leave his party. Therefore Garth should not be ‘pulled through the mud’ for making the best out of his situation.
Tobi, Advocate of democracy, free speech, the Green Party and our environment!
I must say, I like others am disappointed to hear that Garth will not be joining the Greens — I am a disgruntled Conservative open to something new, and I would like to see Garth’s touch in moulding the Green Party into an electable party with responsible, conservative values of the type I could get behind.
I read that David Frum, of all people, has coined a slogan down in the U.S. which he hoeps to convince Bush to adhere to: “taxe waste not work” — a call to shift the tax base towards a carbon- and pollution-oriented scheme. Is that something Canadians would get behind? I think it is consonant with both Green and Conservative values, and Garth is somehow I would dearly like to see help bring that option to the table.
I applaud you, Garth.
Someone posted: “this sure reminds me of a Michael Moore thing” and all I can say it that’s a good thing. We need more whistle-blowers, risk-takers and SH*T-Disturbers if we are ever going to change the insulated, over-privileged and above the law types that most MP’s and ministers have become.
And as to the power of independents, two words: Chuck Cadman. Every one can make a big difference.
Garth Turner,
You undermine yourself. You talk about an increase in accountability and so does the Conservative party. This is why Stephen Harper proposed and fought for the Accountability Act. The actions of the elected party and its MPs are only subject to CURRENT laws which would be much more stringent and accountable if the aforementioned act was allowed to pass. Unfortunately, the UN-ELECTED liberal majority in the senate is stalling and diluting the act so that it will be useless by the time it becomes law. THIS IS THE REAL THREAT TO ACCOUNTABILITY, NOT THE CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT. Keep your eye on the ball.
When you criticize and condemn the conservative party you, in effect, ally your self with the Liberals. Yes, the same Liberals who believe they are only in the penalty box while they get a new leader whereupon they will reclaim their rightful position as Kings of Canada. This is the REAL arrogance, not the conservatives seeking to eliminate a “leak” in their party.
Surely as a politician you must understand that it is necessary to keep certain party items secret prior to release so that they can have the desired effect without being trivialized in advance. What if you had complained about the income trust taxing on your blog before it was released? In any team you need to be able to hold your pride in check often in order to help acheive the common goal that can’t be attained independently. “Mission, Men, Self” are words you should learn if you want to join any party.
You seem to be good at criticizing and so perhaps you would be more suited as an independent then as a party insider.
bottom line.
The current government/system must go.
period.
Thanks Garth.
Politics is a team game in Canada Garth.
The US allows for more independent minded congressmen unless your a Joe Lieberman Democrat. Texas congressman Ron Paul is a very successful Free Market Republican you could identify with. Having said that, our system is not the American system. It would be chaos if we were all independent minded Conserative, Liberal or NDP. Views have to be hashed and argued out in caucus with a united public front. You have to learn to be a team player with our system. You will run into the same problems with the Liberals, Greens or the NDP.
Speaking of Greens, I think you would implode with the Greens, they fight amongst themselves worse then any other party.
Way to go Garth!
You have my vote in the next election!
Politics is alive and well in Halton! I love it!
Yawn… just more “I’m better because I CARE” crap spouted by a 15-minutes of fame candidate. Soon people will have forgotten about you, because you spoke about reforming a system that you yourself were kicked out of. If you had shed more light into this system (by dishing the dirt you had “promised”), maybe then Canadians would have supported your ideas about change. But by chickening out and spewing generalizations, you are relegated back to the backseat again. Have fun there.
Hi Garth!
I am with you and proud to be living almost at the border of Halton riding – the land of the revolution (and actually it was my riding a few years ago).
Andrzej Chlobowski
Policy Chair, Oakville Federal Green Party Association
Dear Darth,
Great. We should have more MPs like yourself. I sure hope some more MP’s from both the liberals and the cons will become independants.
“shut up Roger and make yourself useful like kissing Harpers Ass”
By josie erent on 11.14.06 7:09 pm
*****************************
Way to tell him Josie.
Catherine,
You’d better back off a bit, before Josie tells you where to kiss Harper.
Refomer/Alliance,
Harper sucks.
Finally, Garth has freed himself from the BORG. Unfortunately, for many of you-resistance is futile- you have been assimilated!!!
By Jackie Chans Left Hand on 11.14.06 12:14 pm
Your message, “Talk about honesty and integrity” in reference to Rahim Jaffer, reminded me of the following.
Of the 535 members of the United States Congress:
* 29 have been accused of spousal abuse.
* 7 have been arrested for fraud.
* 19 have been accused of writing bad checks.
* 117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses.
* 3 have done time for assault.
* 71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit.
* 14 have been arrested on drug-related charges.
* 8 have been arrested for shoplifting.
* 21 are currently defendants in lawsuits.
* 84 have been arrested for drunk driving in the last year.
This is the august group that cranks out new laws each year for others.
I don’t think tranparency of this kind is what PMSH had in mind.
Reading through the comments I found this one: and the comments get to the heart of what I think Garth is getting at: You go Garth!!! Seriously. Reading what you wrote about our political system, and the changes needed, and your determination makes tears well up in my eyes. This is what its all about, because its our country, its our government. Digital democracy is gonna change this country and you’re leading the way! Keep it up!
By Sian on 11.14.06 3:19 pm
Sian, get a blog! Digital democracy means we all LINK. That goes for the 80% of you who comment but don’t URL.
Good work Garth! A few pebbles rolling down the hill can turn into a landslide. Poor Stephen Harper! Can’t stop the media from publishing stories that he doesn’t want us to see. Can’t get Canadians to let go of environmental issues with a lame clean air bill, and now he can’t even keep his MP’s quiet by firing them! Looking forward to PromisesKept.ca!
You went on a bit at the end there…I hope Vezina wasn’t behind any of this for you. Be true Garth.
Hi Garth,
I don’t think your announcement met all of the hype that was anticipated. Neither is the fact that the party wants you out. A political party is a private club. Even if you pay a membership and one of 308 ridings support you, its their view that it’s okay for the party to take the short term “hit” if it feels they’re better off without you.
Personnally, I think they were better to have you on board.
Keep up the good work. Stick with your questions in QP about personal finances and don’t jump to another party. Run as an independant next time…that will ensure enough vote splitting to either get you back in, or at the least keep the CPC out. They have basically conceded this seat.
Go Garth!
“Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss”
pk, Cambridge, ON
Garth
I have lived in Halton all my life… and I would say…
I’m one of your new found fans!
You’ve brought the Rock’n Roll back into our politics and I’m so
very proud to have you as an Independent in the House…
I’ve never been a conservative… but I have to say you’ve brought conservatism into a
new light in my eyes… and I understand why fiscally there is something to be brought from
the conservative stand point..
But growing up in a pretty Socialist/Liberal household… I believed that I had to stick with
that ideal… to my pleasant surprise you’ve invigorated a belief in something bigger than “parties”.
And I’m mostly writing to tell you … you have support from really unlikely places…
And I can’t wait to see what you do next.
If you ever need a hand with your work..
I am available..
From Lowville
Good for you for standing up for yourself, and all Canadians! We need more people like you in government.
Chrystal
I can not express my deep gratitude for your stand.
The Canadian people stand behind you and I offer you any support that you may need. You will be attacked and criticized for your stand but you are not alone.
It is so nice to meet someone with conviction and fortitude.
Robert
Mississauga
Congratulations, its about time that someone exposed what has happened in politics, I’m sure there are many other situations that the Canadian people do not know of the underhanded deals that are presently accepted because no one is allowed to comment. How about taxpayer money used for the private interests of politians, like travelling to public events on taxpayer money to raise political funds for future elections of their own, and party hopefuls, maybe we should have a minority of independents, that can control the house, I hate it when our local politians vote party line, instead of concience for the people they are supposed to represent.
Garth,
You were elected as a member of the Conservative Party within this riding, being that you no longer are affiliated with this party, I request that you resign so that a bi-election can be held. While I appreciate your attempt to get as much attention for yourself as possible, I do not feel that you are representing the needs and wants of your riding or what you were elected on. Based upon this, I ask that you resign from the House of Commons and allow us a bi-election to vote for someone who stands for what the people of Halton believe. If the people of this constituency really believe in what you stand for, you have nothing to worry about as you will be re-elected. However, if you no longer represent the wants and needs of this riding, we will have the ability to elect someone who does.
I appreciate your time representing our riding, but I feel the time has come for a change to someone who is more willing to think for what’s best for Halton and less about what will get them more media attention for their own personal agenda whatever it may be.
Sincerely,
Brian
Nice***
Garth
I saw you on Parliamentary report announcing your resignation from the Party. Good on you.
You were articulate and pro-active.You are the MP of the future. Keep up the good work and don’t let the system defeat you. I wish I could help more but my personal issues stemming from my divorce continue to consume my available time and bank account. I told you before that I resigned from the party in disgust at one stage and only came back because of you.
I will continue to follow your activities with interest.
Richard
Dear Mr Turner
Thankyou for having the guts to stand up to the machine. Your voice in parliament is backed by many voices across the country…I wish to add my voice to that chorus.
Ive often felt the party system has removed democracy from its rightful place…in the hands of the people. I live in a riding in which I NEVER hear from my mp (one that I did not vote for).
I believe a parliament without parties, without this assumptive holyer than thou attitude toward the common folk would be a much more effective means of running the country’s business. Laws would more accurately reflect the mosaic of the Canadian people. The forum for discussion and resolution and consensus on issues would be far richer and would involve more people …More people means more ideas . The seed for harmony would be planted and citizens would both feel empowered and obligated to be involved in the process of governance. We would finally start to sound and act like a community – from sea to sea to sea.
Garth, do not let up. This is nationhood in the balance. We need to build a new frame work and remove the backroom. With independent MPs it would be the issue that frames the debate not party policy and it would be the voice of the people that would be heard not the voice of corporations or lobbyists or backroom boys.
Im with ya
Mark
Hey Steve, nice job your doing so far alienating everybody outside of Alberta. What happend to your election promise about being a more open goverment? It’s starting to feel like we are under Marshal law. I’m embarresed that I voted for you, I fell for your BS about more open and accountable government. You kicked the smartest guy you have out of your caucus. Oh ya, you couldn’t control his puppet strings like you control everybody elses. Good idea though, because now everybody else in you caucus is scared to open their mouths. Great controling tactic! I think Hitler use to do the same thing, but I’m sure he didn’t just kick them out of caucus.
I though it was a great idea to start electing our senate, to represent us. And instead of having elections for our MP’s, you can just appoint any of your friends to fill those positions.
I must say your enviroment plan is a work of genius, putting lipstick on a pig. Have a nice looking woman, tell the world and the country, that your government has an action plan! When all the fish are dead and all the people are sick, we may start reducing green house gases. Thanks Steve! From all us hicks on the eastern seaboard, with our lakes and rivers dying, highest cancer rates in the country and the highest asthma rates in the counrty, I thank you. You are a champion for our cause.
I should let you get back to ruining, I mean running our country, because I’m sure there are more election promises out there you have to break. Before I leave you let me give you a couple of pieces of advice. First, you are suppose to represent the whole country of Canada, Not just Alberta. And second, most politicians that want to get re-elected try not to be arogant know-it-alls that break all their campaign prlomises.
One of the poeple you work for:
Ted in Halifax
Hello Garth,
It is very refreshing and interesting to discover an MP who realizes that the current political system serves only the interests of the “old boy’s clubs”…I think/remember of the waste of taxpayer’s money because of politics…the effort to discredit the “other ” political party’s decision when an opposing party wins an election shortly after a major contract has been awarded to a previous government…e.g…..how much money was wasted when the Liberal government canceled a contract for helicopters that was awarded by the previous conservative government….the conservative party is also guilty of contract cancellations that cost taxpayers dearly because of short sighted vision…Adhearhing to a rigid political party philosophy is …what ?? wearing blinders…?? .circumstances change…we live in a world that is constantly changing, and in order for our government to “run” our country for the environmental,economic and social benefit of all of us, and still project our values as Canadians, requires intelligence, scientific and pragmatic analysis of internal and external issues (and appropriate non-political response) and resillience….not a dogmatic, unbending political philosophy… the current political/ (and electoral) system in Canada needs some major overhaul if we (i.e. Canadians ) will be able so not only survive, but prosper in today’s ever changing world…..I think (hope) political parties will fade away..
…like the dinosaurs that they (currently) are….
- Tracy (Retired public servant)
Mine Centre, On
Dear Sir,
I’m curious to know if you’ve considered putting your videos (especially of your press conference today) onto YouTube, so that bloggers like myself can use them to back up our points – especially about the need for democratic reform and for Parties to be more responsive to their constituents, rather than loyal to their Party.
It would be a great resource to have, and likely help distribute your message a bit further.
Thanks for your consideration.
Rhys
Garth Turncoat,
I have watched your actions and reactions over the past few weeks, and I am listening to you right now speaking to Christy Clark at CKNW.
I figured you were a “jerk” 2 weeks ago when the Conservative Caucus voted to kick you out. Listening to you at this moment I can well understand why they did so. Now I know that you really are a “BIG JERK”….you sound very self-centered, know it all, “I will save you from the BIG BAD Political Parties in Ottawa, because I know better”, blah blah blah blah………you are certainly not a team player because it’s all about you!!
I have never heard you speak before, but I can now tell from your voice that you were the “whining little boy” who was always picked last at the ‘pick-up baseball game on Saturday mornings at the local park. My impression is that you have to find some way to ‘make your mark’, to impress the audience, to find a way to back-stab your elected leader.
By the way, I find all sorts of reasons to criticize your ex-Leader but I voice them privately and to his face.
My final comment to you is to “Get Lost” ….it is going to happen that way anyways. Most folks don’t care much for a “whiner”.
Bob Brady
I am not normally a conservative voter (although I have supported particular people in the past), and in many respects I dislike the way all parties control ideas. With this conservative government, however, I feel my fears were well founded, and I support you in your actions. You are likely influencing many more people than you realize.
Jean and Richard
Saskatoon
[...] Go Leafs Go! [...]
Dear Mr. Turner,
Allow me to share some of my thoughts (in no particular order):
The Conservative Party is not a true merger of PC and Alliance. Harper and
his people have been working extremely hard to eradicate the PC elements
from the party, thus turning the new party into the Alliance party under a
new name.
One only needs to look at the riding of Rob Anders to see what’s really
going on with Harper.
Everyone I talk to around here (Calgary), including mostly lifelong
supporters and voters of PC/Reform/Alliance/Conservative, is extremely
disappointed with Harper’s performance. His choice of Rona Ambrose as
environment minister, for example, is highly controversial here. People say
that Diane Ablonczy would have been more qualified for a cabinet post, yet
she was passed over for Ambrose. People here simply cannot understand
Harper’s motivation for doing so.
The PC party was once a great party with a long tradition in Canadian
history. Harper destroyed that party once and for all, and that’s a crying
shame. Canadians, even the conservatives among them, don’t want a Republican
party in Canada (which is why, for example, Ted Morton in Alberta is doing
so badly in the Alberta Tory leadership race).
As you know, I am a member of the Alberta Tories as well as a member of the
Liberal Party of Canada. Some call this strange, but I can tell you that
there are many provincial Tories who are also members of the federal
Liberals. Even the front-runner in the Alberta Tory leadership race, Jim
Dinning (Ralph Klein’s former treasurer), was revealed to have supported and
donated to Paul Martin and the federal Liberals. So, the provincial Tories
and federal Liberals are not an unlikely fit. Or look at Anne McLellan’s
many victories in Edmonton election after election, which she achieved with
the support of provincial Tories pushing her).
I have been involved in Mr. Dinning’s campaign at the local riding level,
and I can tell you that people here (i.e., provincial Tories) prefer “Red
Tories”. When Ted Morton asked if he could address our local riding
association, everyone agreed that we didn’t care for the likes of him. Even
Ralph Klein, on his way out, said he preferred a leader and premier slightly
left-of-centre.
Harper’s push to the far (Christian) right is a major mistake, one that will
cost him dearly, even on his home turf in Alberta.
Canadians across the country are not against conservatism per se, but they
are against the Republican-Harper-Christian right-sort-of conservatism that
the new Conservative Party has come to represent. Honestly, if the old PC
party had still been around for the June 2004 election, they would have won
and Paul Martin would have never had a shot at even a minority government
they way he did.
But in January of this year, Canadians had had enough of Adscam and all the
other problems and figured they could give Harper and his new party a
chance. As we see from recent polls, the leaderless Liberal Party is ahead
of the CPC everywhere (except Alberta, but even here the numbers are
dropping) – meaning: Canadians feel let-down. Also note the sharp drop in
Québec compared to January 23. Harper owes his minority to the surprise
seats he won in Québec, but that support is gone and will not come back (the
CPC is now third in Québec again, after the Bloc and the Liberals).
I heard that you annouced today that you would be campaign for Elizabeth
May. Good for you! I truly believe that the Green Party is a growing force
in this country and destined for great things in the future. Apart from
their obvious focus on the environment, they also have very good ideas about
democratic processes, and I think this will come to resonate well with
Canadians (e.g., the Alberta Green Party is also growing in Alberta, and for
all we know, going by recent polls, they could become the official
opposition very soon).
At the risk of repeating myself, I’ll say it again: I admire you immensely,
Mr. Turner, because you give politicians a good name again.
Mr. Turner.
I’ve just finished watching your press release online and felt I needed to write to you in person. I want to applaud you and the stand you are making for all Canadians in bringing to light the flaws in our Parliamentary system. I have felt for a long time that the practices and processes of our current form of government are counterproductive to the needs of the people of which it was elected to represent. I completely
agree with your comparison of the government being nothing more than a “good boys clubâ€. It can and must be changed.
Last year I started to write my thoughts and opinions on the flaws of our current form of government, and it looked like it could have turned into a book; but due to the birth of our baby boy I haven’t had much time to get back at it. I think you may have just inspired me to do so.
Thanks and keep up the fight.
Sincerely,
Ken W.
Newfoundland and Labrador
201 comments. I admire the risks your taking Mr. Turner by being so bold with your blog. I believe that anyone who goes after you on this issue is trying to distract people from the fact their own party is doing the things they said other parties should not.
Good for you Garth!
I am a resident of the Wellington-Halton Hills riding, but I have gone to school, worked, and lived in Milton for practically my entire life.
I enjoy reading your blog when your name pops up on cbc.ca…I watched all of the MPtv videos at one point!
I recently read your comments on leaving the Conservative Party and how they practically disbanded a card-carrying member. I think it’s really sad that such a travesty could occur underneath the noses of Canadians. I appreciate your blog and the truth that actually comes out of it.
Although I am living in Hamilton for post-secondary purposes, I still consider myself a member of the Halton community. I’m glad to hear that you are taking a stance and getting things done (when I read Jim Flaherty’s announcement about income splitting, I couldn’t help but think of you). If I was living within your electoral boundaries, there is no doubt that I would vote for you to hold an independent seat in the House.
Keep up the great work!
Daniel
Garth, with all due respect, it might be tempting to listen to these people who want you to lead the charge for a new movement, but this is precisely what Preston Manning did, and what did he accomplish? He kept the Liberals in power for many more years with majority governments on the basis of 40% or less of the vote because of the splintered opposition.
We don’t need another splinter group deluded into thinking that they can ever form a government without doing some work on healing the divisions and the partisanship that is already there.
You could have risen above partisan politics, but now fragmentation in this land has reached such proportions that we are actually extolling the virtues of independence and individualism instead of teamwork and building trust in relationship. How does telling the secrets of those who confide in you built trust in relationship so that you can be part of something bigger than yourself?
This is a movement towards chaos, which leads towards disintegration, which leads, at the end of the day, to a dictatorship which people will strangely support if it restores some kind of order out of the chaos of rule by the mob.
Thank you Garth for standing up fro real democracy – listen to the working people of this country and you will go far. Extremism such as the ultra right wing has to stopped.
I wish you well in your desire to revamp democracy. We have the tools of participatory democracy now … internet … discussion boards are about consensus building … or can be.
Best of luck!
Secrets?
An open, transparent government has secrets? How does this jive with the Nu Government?
Armbruster, what secrets should be kept from the people to maintain a government which you think believes dissent equals chaos? Majority public approval becomes a “movement” destined to take down our Canada. I doubt it. Disintegration? What’s that? Who complaining was ever for “integration?” Which integrated entities are suddenly disenfranchised and shoved outside?
“This is a movement towards chaos, which leads towards disintegration, which leads, at the end of the day, to a dictatorship which people will strangely support if it restores some kind of order out of the chaos of rule by the mob.”
Seems to me that the 30% or so of Canadians who gave Harper the time of day should be more wary of “dictatorship(s) which people will strangely support…”
Come on now, chaos?
Now what? Besides “innovation,” is “individual” and “free” to be struck from Harper’s Canada glossary? TM (just to be safe)
To all the Harper/Bush wingnuts coming on here and saying, “It doesn’t matter, you won’t win the next election anyway,” I say — REMEMBER CHUCK CADMAN. They stabbed him in the back too. And he had similar integrity, and similarly believed that he owed his service to the constituents and not to the party machine — and boy, did he stick in the Cons’ craw in the end!
Yes, Cons. I can see why you’re so frantic to spin that this doesn’t matter. It’s very obvious. And very amusing.
It’s funny that the majority (I’m guessing) of clowns criticizing you Garth, for hyping digital communication with Canadians, are using the very blog to speak with you, that they are saying doesn’t make a difference in communication.
Keep up the hypocrisy Blogging Tories. It’s good for a laugh, even if you aren’t helping Garth to clean up party politics in Ottawa.
Originaly posted at michaelhollowaysblog
As you know, earlier this year the Conservative Party Leadership booted MP Garth Turner from cabinet, then banded him from standing for nomination in his local Halton Conservative Party, kicking him out of the party – without kicking him out of the party. They’ve never said anything about why, but the corperate media has surmised the Prime Ministers Office didn’t like the independant ideas he was writing in his blog.
In an effort to create ‘transparency, openness and accountability’ in the Parliment of Canada, the now Independant MP Garth Turner held a press conference at the Ottawa press club on Tuesday November 14th.
In that press conference he TRIED to launch a new Web site, but he gave the domain name of an Evangelical web site by accident (because he’s ‘old’ and he doesn’t understand the KEY importance of that single line “Go To…”).
I think what he’s up to is a New Canadian Virtual Political Movement, a Canadian Daily Kos, called ‘Promiseskept.ca’.
Daily Kos is a Web movement that almost got Howard Dean nominated as the Democratic Presidential Candidate in 2004 and in the two years since the sites influence is political book in the U.S.. Since the revolution in congress on November 7th that turfed the Republicans from the House and the Senate, political organizers know they ignore the new model only at great risk to their political careers.
If I’m right a site like Promiseskept.ca could develop something like this:
A web site would act as a chat room on national political issues; a critical mass of e-mailers and bloggers would then create public pressure on individual MP’s thus making the Party Whips job of browbeating members into voting Always with the Party difficult, hopefully impossible. This could easily lead to defections from the Parties and create a critical mass of independant MPs who could dominate the political agenda with-in this minority government, in the short term, as in NOW!
The next step in the years ahead would be to support candidates with campaign workers organization and money all pulled togeather Online, to Win Ridings in the next election. Quickly the Old Parties would begin to adapt to the new reality (hopefully), democratizing themselves from the inside in order to save their political lives. If this didn’t happen, a new Political party would coalesce out of the ferment.
Garth writes in his announcement today:
” … my Conservative party believes in free speech, diversity of opinion, co-operation, equality of all people, progressive social values, true environmental protection and stands firm against intolerance, bigotry exclusion. ”
This new beginning could be a Very Broad Coalition from ‘Red Tories’ or small ‘c’ conservatives to unfearful lefties – people who are able to put aside some less important issues and including all those who see the Corporatization of government as the important thread that is the Great Challenge to democracy today. A way to bring that 50% of people ‘too smart’ to waste their time voting, back into the political process.
Thats my take on it, at any rate. As always, the Comments section is OPEN.
PERMALINK:http://michael-holloways-blog.
blogspot.com/
The deception on this blog is the misguided notion that Garth Turner represents a majority of Canadians, and that everybody else is out of touch. Well, you are out of touch, I am afraid, with reality.
I have seen these populist movements come and go over the years, and people invariably think (such as with the Reformers) that we are on to something here that is going to really and finally change things, but the more things change, the more they remain remarkably the same.
And things really don’t change by external political actions that work only superficially from the outside, and which does not bring lasting transformation.
Because we know that change is needed, people will gravitate to people who will lead the charge for democratic reform, but a basic issue that we are missing here has to do with whether our basic change needed has more to do with the present system, or with a fallen human condition.
Hear me out! People on this blog are demonizing Stephen Harper as a dictator of the worst kind, when the issue is all about caucus confidentiality. OK, so why has every government and every caucus in Canadian history insisted on caucus confidentiality???
Name me one leader of any party who has not insisted that some things be kept in confidence? Name one if you can from any time in Canadian history?
It is because of the human condition that in the world of partisan politics, if other parties knew all of your caucus “secrets,” they would use that knowledge to demonize you, and to use that info for their own partisan gain. We have all done it, and it is wrong.
Just like Garth Turner is here using any “secrets” that he knows about the Conservatives to his own advantage, and for his own political purposes. John Nunziata did the same, and how long did he last?
Yet Garth Turner himself is not being completely transparent in his approach. For example, he will secretly campaign and knock on doors in the London constituency for the Green candidate, but publicly he is encouraging people to run as Independents? What kind of double-face and lack of transparency is this?
Does he have a mandate from the voters of his constituency to campaign for the Green?
Yet I get a response to a previous comment worded like this: “Armbruster, what secrets should be kept from the people to maintain a government which you think believes dissent equals chaos?”
I was not even talking about legitimate “dissent.” I was talking about caucus confidentiality, which in the world of partisan politica, is unfortunately necessary if you do not want to set yourself up to be demonized by the opposing parties before you can take action at the appropriate times.
Jean Chretien was accused of running a very tight ship, and Paul Martin promised more openness in government as well as in the selection of judges. He failed miserably.
Perhaps we are not going to bring real change at the political level at all which can only change the party in power, but not the real issue which is the deceitfulness and the partisanship and the self-centredness of human hearts. We all fall into the same trap, and perpetrate the same problem.
There will never be complete transparency until there is first of all trust in relationships. If relationships keep being broken, all that we have is more mistrust, more cynicism, and more broken relationships.
Garth, I’m surprised that you just noticed that free men and free women are elected to represent their constituents, but, once in Ottawa, they represent their party leaders and his/her group of hidden, unelected advisors and quickly forget about representing ‘the folks back home’. As a result, MPs are mere puppets of their leaders’ offices. Maybe, you noticed this before, but were forced not to say anything that would endanger the well-being of your so-called ‘conservative’ compatriots.
The system is in desperate need of a major overhaul.
Today in Parliament, MPs are ‘ornaments’, ‘clapping seals’, ‘puppets’ in every sense.
MPs are told what to say, what to spin and how to vote. (It becomes even more sick, sad and ridiculous when they are assigned “duty days†in the House. Aside from Question Period, for endless hours, it is their ‘duty’ is to quietly move into the t-v camera frame, behind a lone speaker, in order to ‘fill out the t-v picture’ for home viewers and continue with the façade that there are loads of MPs fervently listening to someone making his/her useless speech. Watch the duty-day sell-outs, it’s entertaining.
MPs are held in place by a combination of ego, status, immediate greed and a shot at an early, full-indexed pension, but only if they can get elected twice. For that, they must have their nomination papers ‘signed twice’ by their party leaders in order to twice run under their party’s’ banner.
It doesn’t seem to matter if they were nominated by a recognized riding association in a duly constituted meeting by their local party members. It doesn’t appear to matter if the wishes of their riding members are overturned by their party leaders. In Canada, as in the tin-pot dictatorships of Africa, the ‘party leader’ is supreme. Is this news?
Any semblance of Canada being a ‘democracy’ is preposterous. Over time, ‘bottom-up’ ‘democracy’ has evolved into “top-down’ dictatorship.
Unlike members in the Mother of Parliaments, Westminster and the in the Congress/Senate of the United States of America, where they frequently break with their party-lines and vote against them, in Canada, such ‘maverick’ members are ostracized and thrown out of his/her party for daring to represent the views of their constituents.
Recently, Paul Martin sucked in his backbench in his run for Liberal leadership by promising to correct this “democratic deficitâ€. Of course, all it turned out to be was one more broken promise. Once in power, with only a few, minor variations, all things remained the same.
In 1887, Lord Acton, in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton, had written that ‘power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutelyâ€. He added that “great men are almost always bad menâ€, but that’s another story.
Although it appears that it took your ouster to do it, you are now alone, yet free to addess the problem.
At long last, “welcome to the clubâ€.
Without voices like yours and others, Canada will remain more than a “party-line-controlled, constitutional dictatorshipâ€.
(Incidentally, in the mid-80’s, in Don Valley West, when I finally realized ‘the problem’, I quit my P.C. Party Riding Executive and ran against the, then Speaker of the House, John Bosley, in the ’88 Federal as an Independent. I knew, full well, that I didn’t stand a hope in hell of winning, but gee, it felt good.)
You were unable to keep “internal†party policy confidential, as mentioned previously and so you were kicked out of the party…It’s like any business…either you are a team player and follow the rules or you get fired…You are nothing but a blubbering Narcissist…even the press is getting bored with your self centredness.
But you cared enough to come and tell me this. Bless you. — Garth
What I heard in Garth’s speach on Tuesday has refired the flicker of hope for political reform, that was extinguished on their merger with the conservatives. A very wise strategy on Garth’s part, not to lower himself to their level. of dirt and slander. I was involved in a similar situation several years ago with a volunteer agency. They dismantled a perfectly functioning clock, no reason given, and hurt several devoted people doing it, no apology. Keep your chin up Garth, stay independent, I think you’ve become a symbol of hope for a large number of apathetic voters!!!!
ps. Funny thing, a number of years later, individuals are coming forward with personal apologies for going along with the “old boys’ club”,and not standing for what they knew was right. I think you will get the same Garth, if you haven’t already.