In any case,Emerson's decision was kept secret from his Liberal colleagues,the press,and even most Conservatives until February 6,2006,when he arrived at Rideau Hall,the official residence of the Governor General,for the swearing-in of the new government. In addition to his International Trade portfolio,Emerson was given responsibility for the Pacific Gateway and the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics,areas of particular importance to the riding of Vancouver-Kingsway and in general,the Greater Vancouver area. He was ranked third in Cabinet in the order of precedence,behind Harper and House Leader Rob Nicholson,by virtue of his appointment to the Privy Council in 2004. [5]
Emerson had given no public indication that he was thinking of leaving the Liberal Party during the election campaign,Wong's remarks notwithstanding. As a Cabinet minister he had been featured prominently in Liberal TV ads in British Columbia promoting that party as the best choice for voters. He launched several blistering attacks against Harper and the Conservatives during the campaign,including one assertion that under a Harper government,"the strong [would] survive and the weak die". On election night,he told supporters that he wanted to be "Stephen Harper's worst nightmare." In an interview with CTV after being sworn in,he clarified to reporters about the heated partisan rhetoric used during the campaign. Emerson told CTV that he ran his riding office on a nonpartisan basis,and that his first priority was the interests of the people of Vancouver Kingsway. [6]
Controversy
Part of the Emerson controversy stemmed from Vancouver Kingsway's voting history. The riding has long been one of the more left-leaning ones in Vancouver;most election battles take place between the Liberals and NDP. Vancouver Kingsway previously existed from 1953 to 1988 and elected a Progressive Conservative candidate only once,during the 1958 Tory landslide. It has not elected a Conservative or any member of its predecessor parties—the PCs,the Reform Party of Canada or the Canadian Alliance—since its recreation in 1997. The Conservative candidate in 2006,Wong,finished a distant third with only 8,700 votes—12,000 votes behind Emerson and 7,000 behind Waddell—and 19% of the total vote. In the 2004 election,the Conservative candidate,Jesse Johl,finished with 16.5% of the vote. Both totals were far less than the combined PC/Canadian Alliance vote of 34.4% in 2000. The NDP's vote share of less than 16% in that 2000 election jumped to more than 37% when Emerson first ran in 2004.
Liberal MP and former Minister of Health,Ujjal Dosanjh noted that a poll held prior to the election showed less than 20 per cent of residents in the riding knew Emerson by name,lending credence to the assertions that the Liberal banner played a large part in his election and re-election.
Liberal National President Mike Eizenga said that Emerson knew "if he was running in that riding as a Conservative,he wouldn't have a chance" and demanded his resignation. [7] Democracy Watch,a nonpartisan ethics watchdog,said it planned to complain to the Ethics Commissioner since Emerson was still technically a Liberal minister when he accepted Harper's offer. The group claimed that Emerson's switch violated the federal ethics code and post-employment regulations for officeholders. NDP MP Peter Julian also called for an inquiry,claiming that the additional benefits Emerson received as a member compared to those he would have received as an opposition MP carried at least the appearance that Emerson acted in his own private interest. [8]
Bill Graham,acting parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party and Leader of the Opposition,called Emerson's behaviour cynical and claimed his actions diminished "the faith of citizens in a system under which we have to govern." Martin,who left on a vacation to Europe shortly after resigning as prime minister,was "astonished" by Emerson's defection and criticized both Emerson and Harper for avoiding "an appropriate level of scrutiny on this matter -- a decision that I believe robs Canadians and the people of Vancouver Kingsway of a deserved explanation".
Criticism also came from Emerson's fellow Conservatives. Garth Turner,a Conservative MP from Ontario said that "anyone who crosses the floor ultimately should go back to the people for ratification and I stick by it and hopefully in this case that will happen ..." [9] Turner later stated his belief that his criticism "seriously limited" his future in the party. Subsequently,he was eventually kicked out of the Conservative caucus and crossed the floor to sit as a Liberal for which he was also criticized. Myron Thompson of Alberta also called for Emerson to step down and run in a by-election. [10]
However,MacKay told CTV's Mike Duffy Live that Emerson wanted to continue and finish the work he had already started as Minister of Industry under Martin on a multibillion-dollar softwood lumber deal with the United States—a deal that could potentially bring a huge windfall to Canada and particularly Emerson's major lumber producing province,British Columbia.
MacKay later also said that there was no comparison between Emerson's switch and that of Belinda Stronach. Reynolds also defended Emerson's switch,saying that Vancouver Kingsway got the better end of the bargain since "instead of having someone in opposition,they have someone who is a cabinet minister of a new government." As Minister of International Trade,Emerson would have key influence on matters relevant to constituents of Vancouver-Kingsway particularly as The Greater Vancouver Area prepared for the 2010 Olympics. The defection also had the support of Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan,British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell,the Vancouver Board of Trade,former Prime Minister Kim Campbell,as well as several prominent businessmen in Vancouver.
In a letter dated Monday February 6,the Vancouver Kingsway Liberal riding association requested that Emerson repay $97,000 spent during his re-election campaign. [11] Emerson stated that he did not intend to repay any expenses,arguing that he had raised large sums for the Liberal party from his corporate connections. On February 8,2006,Emerson described Liberal attacks on his defection as a sign of "deep sickness" and said that his children were being treated with hostility at school because of his defection. [12] Harper called the attacks on Emerson "superficial," saying that the switch was made "in the best interests of not just British Columbia but good government". Emerson had given some thought to resigning over the furore,but told CBC News in Vancouver on February 10 that he would not resign or run in a byelection. [13] Aside from that appearance,Emerson cancelled a telephone press conference on February 9 due to traffic.
The furore reinvigorated support for legislation requiring MPs who switch parties to step down and run for their own vacancy in a by-election. NDP MP Peter Stoffer announced on February 13 that he would reintroduce a private member's bill making such a provision. Turner planned to introduce a similar bill,despite pressure from his party to back off. Speaking on Vancouver radio station CKNW,Emerson said he would be glad to discuss the bill in Parliament:"I'll participate in that debate,I may even vote for it,and I will certainly abide by it." [14] Stoffer's earlier floor-crossing bill (C-251) was defeated during the last Canadian Parliament. [15] Emerson vowed to resign only if such a law were passed retroactively or if the ethics commissioner found him to be at fault.
A crowd of over 700 [16] gathered at an NDP-organized protest rally in Emerson's riding on Saturday February 11. Another smaller rally took place at Emerson's riding office the next day. On April 2,a crowd,variously estimated between 1000 and 1200,participated in a Walk for Democracy organized by a group calling themselves Real Democracy. At times,the tightly packed crowd stretched out over five blocks along one lane of Kingsway as the march proceeded along the 2 kilometre route past Emerson's constituency office to the rally. The next day,another group flew an airplane over Canada's parliament asking the Member of Parliament to "call home". This was in reference to the fact that David Emerson had remained low key and made few public appearances in the riding for the months of February and March.
According to an online poll from The Globe and Mail,77% of respondents wanted Emerson to step down and run in a by-election. A similar online poll conducted by Maclean's magazine showed 66% wanted Emerson to run in a by-election. Ipsos Reid in mid-February 2006 conducted a poll of British Columbians and found that even in staunchly Conservative areas of the province,respondents were 75% in favour of a by-election being called.
On March 3,2006,Ethics Commissioner Bernard Shapiro announced that he was launching a preliminary inquiry into conflict-of-interest allegations against Emerson and Harper. Shapiro said he will look into what influence may have been wielded in the decision by Emerson to cross the floor. [17] [18] On March 20,2006,Shapiro stated that he was "satisfied that no special inducement was offered by Mr. Harper to convince Mr. Emerson to join his cabinet and his party". He found no wrongdoing on Emerson's part and recommended a parliamentary debate on floor crossing. [19]
