"Not legally necessary"

Politics Watch:

Tory MPs say Emerson should run in a byelection

OTTAWA — Two Conservative MPs are now publicly urging Trade Minister David Emerson to resign his seat and run as a Conservative in a Vancouver byelection.

Tory MPs Garth Turner and Myron Thompson both made the comments to reporters outside a Liberal caucus orientation on Parliament Hill.

"I think being a Member of Parliament is a very important thing and I think being elected is a very important part of that," Turner said.

"So I said during the campaign that I think anyone who crosses the floor ultimately should go back to the people for ratification and I stick by it... While backbench Tory MPs are now starting to publicly question Emerson's appointment, no cabinet minister has cross that line yet. "I don't think he's required to run in a byelection," said Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay. "It's certainly not legally necessary."

No cabinet minister? Not even one?

Make floor-crossers run in byelections, Fortier says New senator cites Emerson, Stronach as examples Members of Parliament who bolt from their parties and cross the floor of the House of Commons should have to quit and face their voters in a byelection, says new Public Works Minister Michael Fortier.

Hey! Lay off Fortier! His appointment was justified by the vital imperative of representing Montreal in Cabinet!

Michael Fortier may be Montreal's representative in the newly elected Conservative cabinet, but the Senate riding he will represent in Quebec doesn't include any part of the city in its boundaries.

SMART CAREER MOVE: Interesting nugget from Deirdre McMurdy's column in the Ottawa Citizen:

[Fortier] was, according to Tories, a second choice for the controversial slot. The appointment to Senate and cabinet was first rejected by Montreal businessman and thwarted candidate Daniel Fournier, who is said to have longer-term political ambitions within the party.

I think that's called "playing the long game."