by Mike Watkins

Ten months have passed since David Emerson, elected by his constituents to represent them in parliament as a Liberal, decided to ignore the votes of 46,168 electors in Vancouver-Kingsway and take a cabinet position in Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, creating Harper’s first political albatross in the process.
As Stephen Harper considers the longevity of his minority government, he will have instructed his Conservative Party to step up preparations for another election, by ensuring that candidates are nominated in every riding in the country. Most political pundits expect a spring 2007 election, but no one will discount the possibility of a surprise election call from Harper, perhaps mischievously timed to coincide with the conclusion of the Liberal party leadership race in early December.
One of the interesting questions is whether former Liberal turned Conservative David Emerson will run for office in the next federal election. We won’t have long to wait for an answer – his new Conservative party will force him to make a declaration within the next few months. Almost no one expects Emerson to run (and be slaughtered) in Vancouver – Kingsway. Few expect him to run at all, in any riding.
David Emerson and Stephen Harper will come and go, but what they did brought the issue of our fragile democracy into sharp relief and galvanized public opinion on the issue of floor crossing. Who will mark their X on future ballots, without considering how meaningless some of our politicians consider our votes?
Crossing the floor, without seeking a mandate, leaves a constituency misrepresented. That, clearly, is not democracy in action. While nothing in law or custom prevented Emerson from thumbing his nose at the collective will of his constituents, we will have the final say in his career, and in the process send a strong message to other politicians that might be tempted to choose expediency over democracy.

Mike Watkins is a director of the advocacy group Real Democracy, formed by residents of Vancouver – Kingsway in response to the David Emerson affair. For more information visit
(www.realdemocracy.ca).