Garth Turner, a feisty, scrappy, socially-moderate but fiscally conservative guy, was an MP back in the 1980s, and a cabinet minister for a short time in the early 90s. He won a seat in the last federal election, but yesterday was turfed out of the Conservative caucus.
His ouster is huge political news, and also an interesting development for the blogosphere. He's been heavily investing in his blog and in his "MPTV" podcast -- both personally nad financially, I'd figure.
In fact, Turner posted his own video to Google about the backroom antics BEFORE he talked to mainstream media.
Whatever his political future holds, Turner's going to be a thorn in the side of our minority government, and he should be remembered by us bloggers as a pioneer and a crusader.
For the political junkies who aren't up on the story, the ALWAYS insightful John Ibbitson wraps it up in his column today.
Quoth Ibbitson: "Regardless of the reason, the expulsion says nothing good about the party or the Prime Minister. Mr. Turner is a rare phenomenon: a conservative politician popular among middle-class suburban voters outside Toronto, that most precious of political constituencies, and one generally hostile to Harper Conservatives. They liked Mr. Turner's passion for lowering taxes and streamlining government, but equally his commitment to the environment and his socially progressive views. Mr. Turner was a Tory metrosexual, and the party needs all of them it can get.
And now he is on the outside, offering the blogosphere an even more unvarnished critique of his former party's performance, and reminding us that being a socially progressive libertarian in Mr. Harper's caucus is a tough row to hoe.
“I have a hard time understanding who wins out of this particular situation,” Mr. Turner told reporters.
It ain't Stephen Harper."
Bob.
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