Green shoots

  A couple of  encouraging signs today that freedom of speech is alive, if maybe not well in Ottawa these days.

1. Global TV refuses to take No for an answer on the cost of the Afghanistan mission and finds the numbers on a government website.

2. Retiring Conservative MP Inky Mark says some stuff that he should have said before he announced plans to leave, but better late than never.

Comments

[Gabby in QC]

From the National Post story:
“Mr. Mark refused to vote for the Conservative motion to recognize the Quebecois as a "nation" within Canada in 2006. …
… was the only Conservative to vote against a motion that would have weakened the Canadian Wheat Board.”
Was Mr. Marks booted out of caucus for casting those votes? No.
Was Mr. Marks disciplined in some way? Apparently not. True, he did not move up to the front benches, but there’s only so much room available there.

Also, Ms. Delacourt, you and others who similarly accuse the PMO of keeping a tight rein on MPs’ votes seem to forget the NDP’s Bev Desjarlais, whose nomination was denied under questionable circumstances. One reason advanced was that she broke party lines on the SSM vote.
From Wiki: “She acknowledged that her position on same-sex marriage was a prominent factor in her defeat.”
She was even criticized for taking a job with Greg Thompson, Minister of Veterans' Affairs after her defeat.
From Wiki: “Caucus Chair Judy Wasylycia-Leis described her decision as "mind-boggling and very disappointing", and commented that it was ‘hard to understand how Bev could have gone from being an active New Democrat to actually supporting and upholding the Stephen Harper agenda’.”
In other words, following the NDP party line was more important than earning a living.

What about the Liberals?
Then-opposition leader Dion threatened to whip the vote on revisiting the SSM question, but he finally relented due to pressure from some members of his caucus.
Prior to that vote
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061204/ssm_061204?s_name=&no_ads=
“Then-Prime Minister Paul Martin required all cabinet ministers to vote for the bill [Bill C-38]. One minister, Joe Comuzzi, stepped down rather than vote for the bill.”
That was in contrast to the Conservative cabinet ministers, who were free to vote “their conscience.” Among those who voted against revisiting the bill were James Moore, Jim Prentice, Josée Verner and others (I believe 13 Conservatives in all).

Oh, and Mr. Comuzzi, after he was no longer a cabinet minister?
http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourview/2007/03/liberals_oust_ontario_mp_for_s.html
Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion has expelled former cabinet minister Joe Comuzzi from the party's caucus because he plans to support the Conservative government's budget.
“"He's not anymore part of the caucus," Dion said Wednesday after a caucus meeting. He said he had spoken with the Thunder Bay, Ont., MP who confirmed he would vote for the budget.
Dion said it was parliamentary tradition for MPs to follow party line on confidence votes such as budgets.”
And all those times the Liberals did not show up for votes under Stephane Dion's leadership it was because they were freely expressing their voice, right?
No one told them to abstain, get the flu, or support the government. No, of course not, they decided on their own which way to go, with no directions from anyone, right?

Finally, what about that paragon of the spirit of l’independance, the Bloc?
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/04/12/qc-thibault20070412.html
“Thibault, the MP for Rimouski-Neigette-Témiscouata-Les Basques since 2004, said last year's vote on same-sex marriage was particularly a sore point.
She said Duceppe threatened to take away her right to ask questions in the House of Commons if she didn't follow her party and vote against a motion to reopen the same-sex marriage debate."

So maybe it’s time for a new line of attack; the line about the PMO’s so-called dictatorial tendencies and the muzzling of MPs is a tired old song.

BTW, on the Global story about Afghanistan. Is it a state secret where the intrepid reporter found the "secret" information? Why not provide a link to the DND website? I thought the public’s right to know was the object of the entire exercise.

[Darwin O'Connor]

Bev Desjarlais nomination wasn't denied. Unlike other parties, all NDP MPs have to re-nominated for every election. She simply lost the nomination race. Her position on same sex marriage may have been a factor, but the New Democratic members of her riding have the right to decide how represents them.

She was punished for her vote. She was stripped of her critic duties. She got off lightly. The NDP's policy on same sex marriage is unique in that the specifically requires caucus members to vote in favor of it.

[Gabby in QC]

Mr. O'Connor, the issue of SSM is simply one example of political parties expecting that members of the caucus vote according to the party line.

Since Ms. Delacourt's post dealt with freedom of speech being unwell in Ottawa, and both examples pointed to the Conservative party as 'prime ailing suspects', I thought it relevant to point out how 'free' other parties are with members' votes. They are not. The NDP and the Bloc in particular demand members toe the party line, whereas the Liberals, to their credit, have sometimes allowed backbenchers free votes on matters of conscience, such as the SSM issue.

As for the Conservatives, I recently saw a few of them voting with the opposition (during this session) on some resolution or motion not dealing with matters of conscience. Unfortunately, I cannot remember what the vote was about. It just goes to show that the PMO is not as dictatorial as claimed.

[Darwin O'Connor]

I'm pretty sure NDP members are generally not required to toe the party line except on confidence votes and sometimes they don't. I suspect that MPs from all parties don't vote the party line from time to time, but it rarely makes the news.

The fact that Bev Desjarlais got away with relatively minor punishment (removed of critic responsibilities) on a issue that is central to the NDP is testament to that.

The fact that she lost her nomination was a decision by the NDP members in her riding, not the party bosses.