Garth Turner

[jdobbin]

The Conservatives voted against having floor-crossers face by-elections, Mr. Harper voted against it too.

Why should anyone stay independent? He wasn't elected as an independent and if it wasn't for him, the Liberals would have won that riding anyway. Harper kicked him out of caucus. Garth is now going where most of his constituents would have liked him to be anyway.

I was posing this question to Tories who have been opposed to this. They are the ones who still haven't gotten over Stromach.

[scribblet]

Well, if Garth stays true to form, I'm sure that Dion will appreciate the heckling hell get from Turner. Guess we'll have to read his blog to find out Liberal secrets.

I couldn't watch the news conference, maybe someone can tell me what Garth's reply was when asked why it was OK for Garth to go around beaking off about Emerson's switch, but now we are all just supposed to forget about that and not refer to him as that fat, self-important, little windbag? Anybody who still believes this guy has any political credibility left, truly is a rube.

[Canadian Blue]

From the poll I saw his constituents wanted him to go Green, I myself wanted Turner to go Green as well but that didn't come to fruition.

But it seem's hypocrisy is the name of the game for all political parties, so I'll simply vote for the Green Party.

I think it'll be harder for Garth to criticize floor crossers, even as an independant I'd he would have believed he should run in a by-election.

Thirdly, LOLOLOL

Laugh out loud, out laugh, out loud...

That doesn't make any sense.

[Saturn]

Why not? Garth's riding has been Liberal for ages and the Liberals were going to take it back if he ran as an independent. He is now guaranteed to be re-elected for another term.

Thought he would consider the Greens before the Liberals.

As a Green his chances of re-election would have been poor. As a Liberal he is guaranteed re-election.

[Saturn]

I couldn't watch the news conference, maybe someone can tell me what Garth's reply was when asked why it was OK for Garth to go around beaking off about Emerson's switch, but now we are all just supposed to forget about that and not refer to him as that fat, self-important, little windbag? Anybody who still believes this guy has any political credibility left, truly is a rube.

Ah, give me a break! Garth didn't just jump to the Liberals 2 weeks after the election. He was kicked out by dictator Steve and sat as independent for quite some time. If he resigned, Harper would not have called a by-election in Halton, so he would not have had the chance to get re-elected until the next election (which may be coming soon but that's still far from certain).

[jdobbin]

As a Green his chances of re-election would have been poor. As a Liberal he is guaranteed re-election.

I don't know that it is early enough to predict how the Greens will do in the election.

[Saturn]

This is what Turner will have to answer for personally. He will have to answer the question of why he doesn't step down and run again under the Liberal banner.

Are you aware of any law that forces the PM to call a by-election within reasonable time when an MP resigns? The stepping down is under Garth's control but the calling of a by-election is up to the PM, no? Do you think Harper would have called one as soon as Garth stepped down?

[Saturn]

As a Green his chances of re-election would have been poor. As a Liberal he is guaranteed re-election.

I don't know that it is early enough to predict how the Greens will do in the election.

So you don't think that his chances for re-election would much, much higher as a Liberal than if he had ran as a Green? We'll talk about it when he gets twice as many votes as the second most-popular candidate in his riding in the next election

[jdobbin]

Are you aware of any law that forces the PM to call a by-election within reasonable time when an MP resigns? The stepping down is under Garth's control but the calling of a by-election is up to the PM, no? Do you think Harper would have called one as soon as Garth stepped down?

I'm basically going by Turner's own words on the subject. He will have to explain himself most certainly.

[scribblet]

Garth will be on CFRB around 6:25 tonite.

The point is that Garth beaked off and made it clear about calling a by election, he was front and centre yelling about Emerson. He should walk the talk, and request that Dion calls a by election. Garth Turner should walk the talk, or shut up. Talk about sucking and blowing.

[Saturn]

Are you aware of any law that forces the PM to call a by-election within reasonable time when an MP resigns? The stepping down is under Garth's control but the calling of a by-election is up to the PM, no? Do you think Harper would have called one as soon as Garth stepped down?

I'm basically going by Turner's own words on the subject. He will have to explain himself most certainly.

He has. He's posted his explanation on his blog already. www.garth.ca

[jdobbin]

So you don't think that his chances for re-election would much, much higher as a Liberal than if he had ran as a Green? We'll talk about it when he gets twice as many votes as the second most-popular candidate in his riding in the next election

Probably higher, yes. However, a poll in the riding supported him going to the Greens and that, along with his name recognition, might have succeeded in him getting re-elected as a Green.

[Saturn]

The point is that Garth beaked off and made it clear about calling a by election, he was front and centre yelling about Emerson. He should walk the talk, and request that Dion calls a by election. Garth Turner should walk the talk, or shut up. Talk about sucking and blowing.

Dion cannot call a by-election. Harper can but he won't, so Garth won't have a chance to run in one until the next election (which is hopefully coming soon).

[jdobbin]

He has. He's posted his explanation on his blog already. www.garth.ca

I've been looking at his website the last half hour and the site is down.

[Catchme]

... can tell me what Garth's reply was when asked why it was OK for Garth to go around beaking off about Emerson's switch, but now we are all just supposed to forget about that and not refer to him as that fat, self-important, little windbag? Anybody who still believes this guy has any political credibility left, truly is a rube.

Emerson switched, Turner did not switch, he has sat as an independant for a long while now.

Of course, he has as much political credibility as any other CPC or Liberal MP.

________________________________________________________________________

The Greens have nothing to offer Turner for joining them. Well, to be frank they have nothing new to offer Canada either.

[Saturn]

Probably higher, yes. However, a poll in the riding supported him going to the Greens and that, along with his name recognition, might have succeeded in him getting re-elected as a Green.

Polls don't mean anything. If someone said they wanted him to go Green, did they say it because they would vote Green or because they thought that as a Green he would be less of a threat to their preferred candidate (Conservative or Liberal)?

[Saturn]

He has. He's posted his explanation on his blog already. www.garth.ca

I've been looking at his website the last half hour and the site is down.

It's the usual - he says he didn't think that he was effective enough as an independent in Parliament. He also says that the next election will be in less than 3 months, so a by-election cannot happen before that. If there was a by-election he is confident that he would win it. (I happen to agree with his last point)

[scribblet]

Emerson switched, Turner did not switch, he has sat as an independant for a long while now.

Of course, he has as much political credibility as any other CPC or Liberal MP.

________________________________________________________________________

The Greens have nothing to offer Turner for joining them. Well, to be frank they have nothing new to offer Canada either.

That's splitting hairs, he's the same as all the others and should put his money where his mouth is and the reason he has less credibility now. Natch it will be spun that he didn't cross the floor...sure, can I sell you a bridge in Brooklyn.

Wonder if all those outraged Liberals will march in the streets as they did for Emerson and if not why not - oh I know they where just shilling for the Liberals. Which is what we see happening now.

The good news is that he is now unlikely to split the CPC vote in the next election.

How about Layton's proposed legislation on by elections.

[Saturn]

How about Layton's proposed legislation on by elections.

The Conservatives and the Liberals voted it down.

[margrace]

Its simply hilarious how the PC;s spin this. Garth was kicked out, and so was Belinda more or less. Now they cry because they have joined the Liberals, give me a break. I hope all the rest of your CP members can bow and scrape to Mr. Harper, you better practise.

[jdobbin]

Polls don't mean anything. If someone said they wanted him to go Green, did they say it because they would vote Green or because they thought that as a Green he would be less of a threat to their preferred candidate (Conservative or Liberal)?

I don't think I'd be as dismissive of what the feeling of the riding might have been. I suppose Turner will find out what those feelings are come the next election. However, Turner himself was a popular choice in the area. It is possible that the force of his own character could have seen the riding re-elect him as a Green.

[Who's Doing What?]

I'll have to read other threads and read what was said before, might be interesting.

We will have to see if Garth Turner puts his money where his mouth is. When David Emerson crossed the floor to join the CPC, Turner travelled the country on a crusade demanding that any MP crossing the floor should resign his seat and fight a by-election. We'll see. I'd bet money that Turner's tune will be far different today.

Even if he was booted out of the CPC caucus he was still elected as a conservative. Personally I'm of the opinion that any floor crosser should sit as an independant until the next election (or have a by election).

Turner also challenged Harper by saying if the prime minister called byelections for the ridings of Vancouver-Kingsway and Mississauga Streetsville -- where MPs David Emerson and Wajid Khan had been elected as Liberals before crossing to the Conservatives -- that he would happily run in one in Halton.

[scribblet]

Its simply hilarious how the PC;s spin this. Garth was kicked out, and so was Belinda more or less. Now they cry because they have joined the Liberals, give me a break. I hope all the rest of your CP members can bow and scrape to Mr. Harper, you better practise.

The conservatives aren't spinning anything, its Garth and his supporters. None of the others mouthed off about the issue as Turner did. And btw Belinda was not kicked out.

[Saturn]

Polls don't mean anything. If someone said they wanted him to go Green, did they say it because they would vote Green or because they thought that as a Green he would be less of a threat to their preferred candidate (Conservative or Liberal)?

I don't think I'd be as dismissive of what the feeling of the riding might have been. I suppose Turner will find out what those feelings are come the next election. However, Turner himself was a popular choice in the area. It is possible that the force of his own character could have seen the riding re-elect him as a Green.

As I said, you don't know what the feeling of the riding might have been because this poll doesn't reveal it. I think that as a Green, he would have lost to the Liberal candidate. Being the Liberal candidate is by far his most certain way to re-election. I'm quite confident that if he ran in a by-election tomorrow as a Liberal he would win. He must be quite confident as well because he undoubtedly did some polling before joining the Liberals. This also suggests to me that he is quite confident that the next election is just around the corner.

[tml12]

Turner should have practiced what he preached and remained an independent until the next election.

If, in fact, he polled and saw that the residents of his riding were leading Liberal and, as such, he became Liberal...did that affect his decision? What if the constituents were leaning NDP?

It just seems a bit sketchy.