Posted by True Blue Tory on 12/10/2003, 4:09 pm, in reply to "Re:Scott Brison M.P. for Kings-Hants Nova Scotia P.C. Finance Critic defects to the PaulMartinLiberals" Wednesday, December 10, 2003 Scott Brison, a Tory MP from Nova Scotia, held a news conference with Liberal Leader Paul Martin to announce his defection. The move came just three days after the birth of the new Conservative party out a merger between the Progressive Conservatives and the Canadian Alliance. "All progressive conservatives now face a choice as to which political party in this new political landscape best reflects their personal values and beliefs,'' Brison said. "I've made my choice.'' He said he wants to be a member of a party with new ideas rather than "rigid thinking.'' Martin welcomed Brison as a "tremendous addition to our team.'' He also said he will work with Brison to make the Liberal party attractive to other disillusioned Tories. Brison is the fourth Tory MP to abandon the new party, but the first to join the Liberals. On Monday, fellow MPs Joe Clark, Andre Bachand and John Herron said they couldn't bring themselves to participate in the new entity. Clark and Herron will sit as independents in the House of Commons, while Bachand, the only Quebec Tory MP, has not said what he will do. He is rumoured to be considering jumping to the Liberals. Brison, who represents the riding of Kings-Hants, ran for the leadership of the Tories in June. On Tuesday, he ruled out a run for the top job of the new Conservative party. Brison is a businessman and investment banker who is openly gay. He voted for the merger but said he did so with serious reservations, noting concerns the new party will be too socially conservative. He said his endorsement of the merger was conditional on the new party adopting progressive, centrist values. Alliance members voted 96 per cent Friday to merge the two parties, while Progressive Conservative delegates were 90 per cent in favour Saturday. © Copyright 2003 Canadian Press Name: small 'c' conservative Name: conservative Name: Christopher Young Name: Praetor Name: anti-liberal
Link: Scott Brison M.P. for Leader of the Progressive Party of Canada
Tory MP defects to the Liberals
Canadian Press
Conservative MP Scott Brison announced Thursday he's joining the race to lead the federal Tories. (CP)
OTTAWA -- The fledgling Conservative Party of Canada suffered a double blow Wednesday as another high-profile MP abandoned the party -- and joined the governing Liberals.
Occupation: Trade
Location: Atlantic Canada
He's an opportunist and nothing more. He could have been a positive moderate voice in the Conservative party. No doubt he made this move with the understanding that he'll get the Liberal nomination for his riding in the next federal election. I suppose it's up to his consituents to decide if he deserves to be relected. All I know is that if the sitting MP I voted for switched parties, I'd certainly not vote for him or her again
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The Lib-Leftist propoganda campaign continues. Obviously, the liberal tactic is, "when you feel politically threatened, spout insults". Please, do some research! The Alliance Party is the MOST racially diverse in the Commons. All this talk of conservatives being intolerant and is ignorant. Obviously, the leftist media doesn't seem to think anti-American and anti-Christian jokes are intolerant or hateful. Get a grip of reality, please. Glad to be supporting the ONLY central party in Canada.
Occupation: UofA Student
Location: Edmonton
Nobody respects a turncoat. I was never a Brison supporter, but my first thoughts today were of the many other young conservatives who gave 110% for him in the last PC Leadership election. They believed in him, and he sold them out. Let this be a lesson that we need a real conservative to lead this new party, not the most "progressive" (aka Liberal) individual we can find.
Occupation: Management
Location: Ontario
The merger of the right of centre parties gives us a viable alternative to the left of centre Liberals. The Liberals will probably still form a majority government in the next election, but now the vote will not be split between the tories and alliance. This will force the Liberals to be a more responsive government, hopefully one not corrupt with the patrionage, and mismanagement seen with the Chretien Liberals. Name calling, and generalizations detract from your arguments. Wait and see what the policies of the new party are before deciding if you want to support them. The defections Clark and Brisson are meaningless. They were opposed to one right of centre party. Don't know why, guess they just wanted a continual Liberal government in Ottawa as the right of center vote would always be split between Tory and Alliance. The left wing media will do whatever they can to destroy the new party and turn voters against them even before they get organized.
E-mail: arrow27@hotmail.com
Occupation: Sales
Location: Saskatoon
For starters, all the MP's that have jumped ship already are pathetic. They left the party merely on principle, not because of policy, leadership or any other reason that would have merited it. What are the constituents of these self-serving cowards (Brison being the worst of all of them) to do now? These men were elected to represent the people that voted them in. 96 percent and 90 percent support would seem to be a clear message, this is what grassroots conservatives want. What we don't want is to see a selfish clown like Brison endorse the merger and then turn his back on it 2 days later. Just another example of a desperate politician trying to hold on to some sort of power. Good luck on ever being elected again.
