Garth Turner turfed by the conservatives!

[The Chameleon]

Turner warned a month ago about his blogging

Updated Wed. Oct. 18 2006 11:43 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

While maverick MP Garth Turner says he has no idea why the Conservative caucus kicked him out, CTV News has learned he was warned a month ago to stop playing reporter on his blog.

"Garth Turner is trying to wrap himself in the veil of innocence," Robert Fife, CTV's Ottawa bureau chief, said Wednesday. "But he knows why he got kicked out."

"Why now? What actually happened today or yesterday to precipitate this?" Turner told a news conference in Ottawa on Wednesday.

Fife said the party had been warning Turner since the summer to stop with the injudicious blogging.

Before MPs returned to Parliament, the Conservatives held a special caucus meeting to lay down the law with Turner, he said.

On Sept. 15, Turner wrote: "In case you are wondering, I am still in caucus! Wonders never cease."

As to suggestions he broke caucus confidentiality through injudicious postings on his widely-read blog, Turner said, "go and read it, and make up your own mind."

Fife said the final straw for many Tories was using the blog to say kind things about Green Party Leader Elizabeth May. The Conservatives' Clean Air Act is to be tabled on Thursday.

Rahim Jaffer, the national caucus chair, said the maverick MP from Halton, Ont. was kicked out on a unanimous recommendation by the Ontario caucus.

The MPs felt "the theme of confidentiality was not being respected" and that Turner was too critical of his colleagues, said Jaffer, speaking to reporters after the weekly Conservative caucus meeting.

He said the suspension was due in part to Turner's blog, which he often uses as a soapbox to make his opinions known.

"This is not something that one person has felt. There were attacks that were made on individuals, including the prime minister, on his blog at different times," Jaffer said.

Jaffer said Turner's indiscretions were hurting the caucus' ability to function behind closed doors.

Turner said he suspected his views on the government's green plan, the next budget and the need for tolerance in politics may have been bigger factors.

He also suggested that reporters talk to Doug Finley, director of political operations for the Conservative Party.

"I know Doug Finley was in the room this morning, and that happens extremely rarely," Turner said. "In fact, I've never seen it before. So that may give a clue as to whether there was something else to this."

If he had more information, "we'd all know a little more clearly what my crime was, and whether the punishment fits it."

Turner has already been moved to the other side of the house.

Sen. Marjory LeBreton told CTV Newsnet's Mike Duffy Live that caucus members felt they couldn't discuss things "without having it appear on his blog and therefore in the media."

Turner responded to his removal on his blog, in an entry headlined "Holy smokes!"

"I have said here many times, and consistently since I was elected this last time, that I work for the voters -- the people, the taxpayers," Turner wrote. "After that I heed my party and the political establishment. All are important, of course, but the people come first."

While Turner professes his independence, LeBreton said, "how can a political party or a government or an opposition party function that way?"

The PMO has made it clear Turner's suspension was not Prime Minister Stephen Harper's decision, and he was just as surprised as anyone else, Fife said.

Don Martin, a Calgary Herald political columnist, said on Mike Duffy Live that technical workers were unplugging Turner's computer equipment moments after the vote was completed.

An important decision like kicking out a caucus member was unlikely to be taken without the prime minister knowing about it, he said. Martin referred to Finley as Harper's "hatchet man."

Harper's office has denied having anything to do with Turner's suspension.

Turner is a small-C conservative who was disappointed to have been left out of Harper's cabinet earlier this year.

Turner's departure leaves the standings in the Commons: 124 Conservatives, 101 Liberals, 50 Bloc Quebecois, 29 NDP, 2 independents. There are two vacant seats.

With reports from CTV's Craig Oliver and Robert Fife

[AdamH]

He's an egotistical buffoon. he will be endorsing the Green Party and evidently Elizabeth May thinks this is a great thing for them. She is her own kettle of problems but c'mon, this isn't he kind exposure the rejuvenated GP really needs is it?

[ollie]

Yeah, but I'm glad someone is still holding Harper's feet to the fire for the complete hypocrisy of some of the moves he made after taking office.

[SmoothedShredder]

Me too. I like the cut of Turners Jib. Really the kind of "Small C" conservative I've tended to associate with with. His TV show was very insightful. Besides, the whole reason Harper got in was to trumpet transparancy and accountablility... you need people on 'yourside' that are willing to be critical thinkers, and 'the people' have every right to participate in this process... Getting rid of a person like that, to me, works against that end. It'll be interesting to see where he ends up... I heard he went to dinner with Belinda!

With no good party leaders out there, Canadian politics could be at a new low... which is still probably a lot better than we give these politicians credit for.

[The Chameleon]

So true it could be worse we could be dealing with the Amercian political system. (ewwwwww)..

(Although that is getting better.)

[timouse]

as a Halton resident, i've never been particularly crazy about mr turner, but i do give him credit for attempted populism (although the "public meetings" of which he speaks are not particularly well publicized throughout his riding).

i also give him credit for standing up for the ortiginal intent of the clean air legislation. harper nicked a line from the bushies about reducing "greenhouse gas intensity" rather than reducing emissions. intensity has to do with emissions with respect to the growth of the economy...which allows the conservatives continent wide to promise a "...significant reduction in the intensity of emissions" based on slower than predicted economic growth, and with no real action to effect emission levels.

if turner does join the greens though, he will need to do a lot of finessing in regards to his comments about david emmerson crossing the floor after the last election...while the circumstances are very different, the conservative spinmeisters are like political rumplestiltskins, spinning bullshit into political gold

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

the conservative spinmeisters are like political rumplestiltskins, spinning bullshit into political gold

That's beautiful! Can I steal that line?

[timouse]

absolutely

[bradm]

Caucus has not been involved in substantive policy issues at all.

That has been, I guess, one of my greatest surprises and greatest disappointments - that we have not, as members of the caucus, been allowed to discuss any substantive policy issues.

The above quote was taken from

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2006/11/27/2516516-cp.html

Aloha,

Brad

[Kanada Kev]

Here's a letter Turner submitted to the Oakville Beaver last week. I may not agree with a lot of what he may stand for, but i totally respect him for living the concept that MPs should be able to speak freely, and for their constituents, not only their party leader.

http://www.haltonsearch.com/hr/ob/opinion/column/story/3790170p-4384125c.html

I work only for you

Garth Turner, Guest Columnist

Nov 25, 2006

If you voted for me Jan. 23, the news is simple, but shocking. I was expelled from the Conservative Party for opening my mouth too often, having too many opinions and saying my voters outweighed my party. The party then decreed I could not run as a Tory -- ever. Stephen Harper's government of Stephen Harper, you could say, has declared war on the MP for Halton.

Some voters think they're disenfranchised by this. Some feel they voted for a Conservative, and I just happened to be the candidate. Others have no idea how an Indie MP could be as effective as one who belongs to a party, especially the one forming government. And I can guarantee that those running against me in the next election will be telling you Garth Turner is now a politician without influence.

So here is my take on this. Hear me, on these questions I have been asked.

As an independent MP, can you help me the same way? For sure. I have the same office, staff, resources, access to government programs and ability to solve problems and seek answers, from a missing cheque to immigration or legislation.

Will you be as effective in Ottawa? I can, and will, be far more effective. As a Conservative MP I was prohibited from asking questions or speaking freely in the House of Commons. I could not bring in private members' bills and was forced to defend government decisions, like the new tax on income trusts, without being able to influence it.

You cannot speak up in Caucus now, so aren't you less important? There has never been a free policy debate in Stephen Harper's national Caucus since he formed government. This shocked and saddened me, since MPs are told of decisions after they're reached. There is no chance to tell the prime minister what voters want or think.

Why would anybody in the government listen to you now? Because you do, and many other Canadians. I now for the first time since January have the ability to ask questions during Question Period (which I do every week), and this has resulted in getting issues of importance on the national agenda. My lobbying helped bring about income-splitting for all retired Canadians, which was announced a couple of weeks ago.

I elected a Conservative because I support the government's policies. Won't you stand in the way of that now? Absolutely not. I am the same man with the same beliefs and values as I was on Election Day. I support less government, lower taxes, more breaks for middle class families, a better economy and more rights and freedoms. When the government asks me to vote on policies I agree with and campaigned on, my support will be there. When support is not merited, it will be denied.

Will Halton be punished because of your rash actions? I'd argue the opposite. Every Canadian seems to know of the unprecedented action the prime minister has taken against me, and they are watching carefully. I think your MP has far more clout in than before, and will end up achieving more for this riding. Isn't politics weird?

What about the next election? That is months away, and my focus now is on being the best MP possible, not getting re-elected. Rest assured the Conservatives will have a new guy gunning for me, and my challenge if I run again will be huge. But my platform will be in proving to you I can do this job well. It will be your choice. You rule.

I know the disquiet my situation has caused. I regret it; did not ask for it. But life is unpredictable and I have found those who stick by their principles and convictions usually prevail over adversity. Trust me, I will not waver in the face of this, nor will I back away from the one belief that caused it all, I do not work for a party or a prime minister. I work for you.

You can reach Garth Turner directly at garth@garth.ca.