Maybe I should start reading those free commuter mags on my way into work in the morning, as it seems like they're doing some real journalism. The Vancouver edition of 24 Hours (via Dan Cook) has this piece this morning with a revelation I haven't seen elsewhere: the Conservative candidate running against David Emerson in Vancouver-Kingsway was ready to drop-out of the race even before the campaign began to let Emerson run under the Conservative banner.
This raises all kinds of questions. For one, when did the talks of Emerson jumping ship really begin? Was it during, or even before the campaign? Was his involvement in holding-up a softwood lumber deal part of his jumping to the Conservatives? Was he talking with the Conservatives before he accepted the money the Liberal riding association transferred to his campaign? I could go on further but I would be accused of veering into tinfoil hat territory, but as more revelations like this come to mind, maybe it wouldn't be too far out there after all.
Um David, you really need to have that press conference today, and maybe show-up this time. And since both you and the media are both right there in Ottawa, why not do it in person? The National Press Building right across the street from Parliament has a lovely theatre for just this sort of thing. Microphones, cameras, chairs, the whole nine yards. Or, for a more intimate setting, there's the Charles Lynch press theatre right in the basement of the Centre Block. I'd be happy to provide directions if needed, just let me know.
Vancouver Kingsway Conservative Kanman Wong says he had a backup plan to step aside for controversial new cabinet minister David Emerson - long before January's election.
"That was my plan. I heard lots of rumours that Mr. Emerson wasn't happy with the Liberal party long before the election," Wong said in an interview yesterday. "If one day Mr. Emerson prepared to cross the floor I was ready to step aside for him."
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4 comments:
Will wonders never cease...?
I heard via a little bird that a new poll in the Van-Kingsway riding has something like 65 to 70% of respondents saying he should run again as a Con. I'll try and find out more.
This is all so totally amateurish, and I don't mean Emerson!
People need to wake up here. Emerson should run in a byelection alright, one in Vancouver Quadra where he actually lives. For that to happen either Prime Minister Harper or Premier Campbell will have to appoint MP Stephen Owen to some very distinguished position, ... such as Ambassador to Washington, or the judiciary, or some provincial commission or agency, such as BC's Ombudsman office, which Owen occupied in the past. Then Emerson can run and win in Quadra, while Ian Waddell, or possibly former BC Premier Glen Clark, can run and win in Vancouver Kingsway.
BC business want's Emerson in the Cabinet, and they couldn't care less if its a Grit or Tory Cabinet and they couldn't care less if Emerson's lawn signs were Red or Blue. It doesn't matter to them.
Fair enough. They should make way for Emerson in a riding where most of them live, rather than in a working class and immigrant district on the other side of town.
I wish he had got elected as a Conservative to begin with. I was never impressed with Stronach's floor crossing. I recently saw an Ontario plate on the Malahat which had a bumper sticker that said "I'm not from Newmarket." Butas a Conservative I like Emerson. Question is will the electors reelect him as they did Stronach.
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