Maverick MP Garth Turner was suspended indefinitely from the Conservative caucus Wednesday, after his often-controversial blog, the Turner Report, ruffled too many feathers within the Tory ranks.
The Conservatives cited confidentiality concerns for his suspension from caucus, but Mr. Turner said Wednesday it is his stance on certain policies that was the real issue.
Mr. Turner, who represents the Ontario riding of Halton, has railed against the Tory brass on issues ranging from same-sex marriage, to the budget, to the Tory's child-care plan, and the recruitment of Liberal MP David Emerson to the Conservative cabinet.
His combative stance, he says, is simply being accountable to his constituents first and his party second.
MP Garth Turner, who was suspended from the Conservative caucus, makes his way to a news conference in Ottawa Wednesday (CP)
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"I work for the voters — the people, the taxpayers. After that, I heed my party and the political establishment. All are important, of course, but the people come first," Mr. Turner wrote on his blog Wednesday afternoon.
Mr. Turner was on-line Thursday afternoon to discuss his suspension and to take your questions.
You can still join the Conversation by submitting a comment. Your questions and his answers appear at the bottom of this page.
Mr. Turner is a millionaire author, broadcaster, columnist, speaker, and successful entrepreneur. He was a member of Parliament from 1988 to 1993, and was re-elected in the 2006 election.
Mr. Turner is as known for his strong views on fiscal management, debt reduction and the encouragement of small business and investment in Canada, as much as he is for his strong views on the environment.
He founded Toronto-based Millennium Media Television, one of the country's largest independent producers of network television programming and has garnered the moniker of being a digital populist due to his daily blogs, podcasts, and MPTV coverage of Parliament Hill.
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Rebecca Dube, globeandmail.com: Hello, Mr. Turner, and thanks so much for joining us on-line to take questions from globeandmail.com readers. As you probably know, your ouster from the Conservative caucus has generated a lot of interest and speculation. There's a huge amount of questions and comments waiting for you, so I'm just going to get right to the reader questions.
Miles Lunn, Vancouver: Hello Mr. Turner. Despite voting Liberal last election, I've been a big supporter of yours and many of the ideas you have been trying to promote. Unfortunately Independents have very little power to change things and nor would joining a small party such as the Green Party help either. I was wondering if you have considered defecting to the Liberals as many other former Progressive Conservatives have? Finally if caucus decided to re-admit you and let you run under the Conservative banner, would you do so?
Garth Turner: Defecting to the Liberals would clearly be a big step for a guy with blue blood in his veins, but the practical answer is I'd need to see who the new leader is and the direction of the "reincarnated" Libs. Rejoin the Tories? Well, it's all academic until I am asked -- which is going to come with the end of global warming.
Michael H., Edmonton: It seems that the timing of this is not a coincidence. The CPC wants to quell dissent related to the so-called Clean Air Act. Do you think that the timing of this had anything to do with the tabling of the Clean Air Act?
Garth Turner:Yeah, I think so. Actually in my infamous caucus dust-up yesterday, people did express concern that I might criticize the new green plan as being inadequate and unworthy if I remained a Conservative. As it turned out, they were right.
Gary Bushwell, Painswick: Is there a 'political playbook' that you subscribe to? In other words, who are/were your political mentors?
Garth Turner: Wish I had some, quite frankly. I am making this up as I go along, which ought to be obvious to you!
