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February 06, 2006

Harper's new cabinet

Stephen Harper has been sworn in as Canada's new prime minister. Among his new cabinet team was a surprise addition: David Emerson, former Liberal minister of Industry:

Former Liberal industry minister David Emerson will cross the floor and sit in the Conservative cabinet.

Stunned onlookers barely had a chance to ask a question of the Vancouver MP and former head of lumber giant Canfor as he strolled into Rideau Hall shortly before the Tory cabinet was being announced. Pinching Emerson might be seen as Conservative retribution for the defection of Belinda Stronach, who went from being a Tory leadership candidate to a Liberal cabinet minister in about a year.

Several Conservatives responded by demanding laws forcing floor-crossers to go back to the electorate for another mandate.

I think Harper has made his first mistake here: the "several conservatives" are right. Anyone crossing the floor should be required to at the very least observe a decent waiting period before being allowed to take a cabinet position, and there certainly is a case for some form of formal consultation with the electors in the riding the MP represents (although I don't think a full by-election is called for).

The new cabinet is much smaller than the last one: 27 members to the 39 of Paul Martin. My local MP, Jim Flaherty, is the new minister of Finance, which is a safe call . . . he did well as Ontario Finance minister. Peter McKay is the new Foreign Affairs minister (I'd expected Stockwell Day in that post), and Gordon O'Connor is the new Defence minister (which is potentially troublesome . . . see Damian Brooks for more info).

The full list of cabinet members is available from Canadian Press.

Posted by Nicholas at February 6, 2006 11:02 AM
Comments
I trust an wave of right-wing blogger outrage focusing on Emerson's sexuality will start right about now...you know, if we are being consistent. Something about being someone's bitch I recall as being valued political commentary to a certain set. You set up the lawn chairs and I will get the lemonade so we can watch it roll out together. Posted by: Alan at February 6, 2006 11:30 AM

Wow, the Wikipedia entry on Emerson has already been updated with today's news:

The Honourable David Emerson, PC, MP, MA, PhD (born 1944 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian politician, businessman and bureaucrat. Emerson is the Minister of International Trade.

Emerson is the Member of Parliament for the electoral district of Vancouver Kingsway. He was elected as a Liberal Party of Canada candidate in the 39th Parliament, but he crossed the floor and joined Stephen Harper's Conservative Party of Canada on Feburary 6, 2006, the day that Harper was sworn in as Prime Minister [1]. He was appointed into Harper's Cabinet as Minister of International Trade.
Posted by: Nicholas at February 6, 2006 11:36 AM
You set up the lawn chairs and I will get the lemonade so we can watch it roll out together.

If all you've got to offer is Lemonade, then I'll have to regretfully turn down the offer. An interesting beer or two would be quite a different thing, though!

Posted by: Nicholas at February 6, 2006 11:40 AM
Hey! Presto! Shazam! And just like that our viewing location of the mind is no longer all-ages. Posted by: Alan at February 6, 2006 11:42 AM
While I shall be pleased to watch the various contortions of all the CPC populists as they struggle to reconcile their previous histrionics with the latest news I cannot say my position has changed in the slightest. If people are unhappy with MPs crossing the floor then they should rewrite the Constitution to reflect the existence of political parties. I think this would be profoundly unwise and unwelcome but it would at least enjoy the merit of demonstrating a passing engagement with tradition, Parliamentary democracy and the law. Posted by: Flea at February 6, 2006 01:36 PM
I just finished watching the CBC coverage and Mr. Harper put a very good "spin" on the appointment of Mr. Emerson and M. Fortier(unelected). He said that due to the lack of Conservative MP's from Vancouver and Montreal, he asked Mr. Emerson and M. Fortier to serve on behalf of their consituencies rather than it being a Liberal vs. Conservative "thing". Posted by: Eliz at February 6, 2006 01:48 PM
That, plus the mathematical truth that with Emerson's switching of sides, the Tories plus the NDP can manage a majority (assuming that the current speaker of the house remains a Liberal). I still have my doubts, but as I posted originally, I don't think a by-election is called for. Posted by: Nicholas at February 6, 2006 01:59 PM
Bob Tarantino sums it up rather well. Posted by: Nicholas at February 6, 2006 04:54 PM


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