Ethics Commissioner clears Harper and Emerson

[Paksis]

considering they hadn't done anything wrong in the first place.

ctv news

I am sure that to some this will be quietly ignored in the pursuit of further new flights of innuendo and speculation.

[Prometheus]

It's time for all of us to move onwards to more important matters...

[xKagex]

Considering we have an ethically-challenged eithics commissioner, this isn't really a revelation. Now if the people in his riding decided everything was ok, that would be a different story - but they're still protesting daily.

[Byrns]

I guess people will go back to the "Hidden Agenda" mantra.

[stevethewheel]

Huh? Did anybody really wonder if it was legal? I don't think all the protest was over whether or not it was legal. Still it's good to know I guess.....

Interesting though that the Liberals won't go after a legal change, although the NDP wants one.

[stewpy]

Huh? Did anybody really wonder if it was legal? I don't think all the protest was over whether or not it was legal. Still it's good to know I guess.....

Interesting though that the Liberals won't go after a legal change, although the NDP wants one.

That is the funny part. If one party was pro floor-crossing it was the Liberals. Emerson was a Liberal candidate, so they got what they voted for, really.

[d_jedi]

Well, the Ethics commissioner found nothing wrong with Belinda Stronach crossing the floor, in essence, Emerson's situation is no different (crossing the floor directly to a cabinet position).

Personally, I think any time a MP crosses the floor it should mean a by-election.

[Peckerwood]

He is only trying to protect his job from being cut by the guy in charge...nothing more.

Time for a new truly independant ethics council

[FastFokker]

What a hit to Canadian democracy.

Can any of us be sure of who we're voting for anymore? I honestly don't care to nail Harper for anything or Emerson, I just don't want this crap to happen ANY MORE.

Harper better push some legislation to prevent future occurences, this sort of act really undermines our entire political system. At least it's resolved and Harper can stop sweating the blowback and Shapiro can stop sweating losing his job.

[blackhawk]

Considering we have an ethically-challenged eithics commissioner, this isn't really a revelation. Now if the people in his riding decided everything was ok, that would be a different story - but they're still protesting daily.

well organized and supported by the NDP, not a grassroots issue but a partisan one

last 12 floor crossers to the liberals, no problem but now its an issue?

It is a grassroots democracy issue and needs to be dealt with on a non partisan basis.

[blackhawk]

He is only trying to protect his job from being cut by the guy in charge...nothing more.

Time for a new truly independant ethics council

Harper cant fire him, only parliament can.

He certainly came out with a quick and non partisan finding after all the complaints from the ndp and liberals about his partisan and inept handling of other cases.

Why on earth doesn't he investigate Scott Brison over the Income Trust leak and his initial lies outed by his email to his investment banker friend!

Because he needs to be forced by the public outcry or the rcmp.

Hopefully harper will try to get some new legislation through to deal with these real or perceived problems with the Ethics office, maybe put it under the Auditor General or expand it to more than one person with some support.

[Crotchety Old Man]

I'm more surprised that Harper cleared Harper, after the big stink he made about the Liberals doing the exact same thing last year and then claiming his party would act with integrity.

[FastFokker]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...PStory/Comment

"Fairly or unfairly," notes Mr. Shapiro, "this particular instance has given many citizens a sense that their vote -- the cornerstone of our democratic system -- was somehow devalued, if not betrayed."

The decision upset Canadians of all kinds -- not just Liberal partisans, but thousands of ordinary voters who sincerely felt that it was wrong for an MP to seek their support asa member of one party and then leap to another. For the Prime Minister to dismiss their concerns with a bitter remark about partisan motives was unworthy. Just a week after giving an excellent, statesmanlike speech on Afghanistan, Mr. Harper once again reverts to the chippy, bitter tone he so often had in opposition. It'snot attractive and it's not prime minis-terial.

As Mr. Shapiro puts it, "the discontent expressed by Canadians on this matter cannot be attributed merely to the machinations of partisan politics." Canadians don't expect MPs to be paragons. But they don't expect them to attack the government one day and join it the next, either. What Mr. Harper and Mr. Emerson did was wrong.

[NG]

Interesting that all the Conservatives who called up biased left, right and centre before now have no problem with his ruling...

Having said that I still have a problem that Harper refused to co-operate with an ethics investigation. For a man who promised to bring ethics "back" to Ottawa he's setting a new low for sleezy.

[Crotchety Old Man]

It's time for all of us to move onwards to more important matters...

Ethics is very low on the priority list.