Tory MP gets the boot for blogging
Well, if anyone wanted an example of the Bush-and-Cheney-esque secretiveness of the Harper government, they sure as hell got it today. This morning, MP Garth Turner was unceremoniously drop-kicked out of the conservative caucus ... for the crime of blogging. According to the tory caucus chairman, there were "breach of confidentiality" issues with Turner's blog, the Turner Report, especially regarding his discussions with reporters.
Of course, this is a huge steaming crock of bullshit over which George W himself would be pleased to preside. The writing on Turner's blog has a distinctively populist flavour; he seems to take seriously the opportunity the blogging venue gives him to get in touch with Canadians in a personal way. I read it on occasion because Turner is one of the few conservatives I can stomach, and I can't say I've ever seen anything that would constitute a breach of confidentiality. But Harper is a secretive bastard -- I don't think any PM has alienated the parliament hill press gallery as much as Harper. The fact that Turner could have a good relationship with the press, and with average Canadians at large through his blog, must have been galling for Harper.
But the real reason Turner got turfed is that he's a bit of a non-conformist -- he doesn't always toe the party line. He's a moderate conservative, not one of the christo-fascists that make up Harper's hardcore base. He's pro-choice: for this reason alone, Harper was under enormous pressure from the wingnuts to get rid of him. It wouldn't surprise me to see all the moderates go in the near future, by choice or by chance. Turner is just the first casualty in the purge of moderates that will transform the conservatives into an extremist right-wing party. Just watch.
Meanwhile, I wouldn't mind seeing Turner join the Liberals, along with any other moderates Harper wants to dump. Let the tories get as crazy as they want... it'll make it that much easier to get rid of them.
UPDATE: It's the Christo-fascist idiots behind this for sure. Apparently Turner has had run-ins with christian cretin tories for months over his moderate views on same sex marriage (comparing those against it to the taliban, etc). The idiotic Charles McVety seems to have been especially bothersome, and a couple of months ago he "vowed to help unseat MPs who don't support the traditional definition of marriage". So I guess this is Round One of McVety's battle to theocratize government. Harper should be ashamed of himself.
Of course, this is a huge steaming crock of bullshit over which George W himself would be pleased to preside. The writing on Turner's blog has a distinctively populist flavour; he seems to take seriously the opportunity the blogging venue gives him to get in touch with Canadians in a personal way. I read it on occasion because Turner is one of the few conservatives I can stomach, and I can't say I've ever seen anything that would constitute a breach of confidentiality. But Harper is a secretive bastard -- I don't think any PM has alienated the parliament hill press gallery as much as Harper. The fact that Turner could have a good relationship with the press, and with average Canadians at large through his blog, must have been galling for Harper.
But the real reason Turner got turfed is that he's a bit of a non-conformist -- he doesn't always toe the party line. He's a moderate conservative, not one of the christo-fascists that make up Harper's hardcore base. He's pro-choice: for this reason alone, Harper was under enormous pressure from the wingnuts to get rid of him. It wouldn't surprise me to see all the moderates go in the near future, by choice or by chance. Turner is just the first casualty in the purge of moderates that will transform the conservatives into an extremist right-wing party. Just watch.
Meanwhile, I wouldn't mind seeing Turner join the Liberals, along with any other moderates Harper wants to dump. Let the tories get as crazy as they want... it'll make it that much easier to get rid of them.
UPDATE: It's the Christo-fascist idiots behind this for sure. Apparently Turner has had run-ins with christian cretin tories for months over his moderate views on same sex marriage (comparing those against it to the taliban, etc). The idiotic Charles McVety seems to have been especially bothersome, and a couple of months ago he "vowed to help unseat MPs who don't support the traditional definition of marriage". So I guess this is Round One of McVety's battle to theocratize government. Harper should be ashamed of himself.
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