It seems to me that this won't meet with the organized opposition to David Emerson switching parties (and rightfully so) but a certain trend is developing in British Columbia.
...Gulzar Cheema plans to leave the Liberal party, become a Conservative, and run against former Liberal colleague Sukh Dhaliwal in Newton-North Delta in the next federal election.
"I think at this time, I'm not going to renew my (Liberal) membership which expires August 2," Cheema said Thursday.
He said he has received no guarantees from the Conservatives, and has yet to contact them directly about joining.
"It is not a done deal," Cheema said.
"I am willing to go through the process."
Cheema was B.C.'s Minister of State for Mental H ealth but quit provincial politics in 2004 to run in Fleetwood-Port Kells, where he lost to Conservative MP Nina Grewal.
He said he is switching because the Conservative government of Stephen Harper has shown it is willing to address issues in ethnic communities and will follow through on its promises.
"I'm a practical person," Cheema said. "I will be able to justify (the switch)."
...Also changing political camps is citizenship judge Shinder Purewal, a prominent Surrey Liberal who ran for the federal party in 2000. "I am a member of the Tory party," Purewal told the Leader Thursday. "I joined them before their victory." Purewal would not comment on whether he intends to run as a Conservative in the next federal election.
Comments (5)
As much as I dislike floor crossing, it is part of the picture in this country. I just don’t like someone jumping over and running when others may have been waiting for their shot at the brass ring longer with more party experience. A standing MP has(had) the support of the populace, but when people switch with the winds of change, something just irks me. I may be a hypocrite on this issue but so be it.
Posted by TrustOnlyMulder | July 28, 2006 5:29 PM
Posted on July 28, 2006 17:29
The other thing is that in BC the Conserative and Liberal parties of BC are mergeed so many who are under the Liberal banner there are actually Conservative.
Posted by Deepthinker | July 28, 2006 6:04 PM
Posted on July 28, 2006 18:04
he should resign his seat sit as an independent then go through a nomination after he is an independent. then if he wins the nomination as a conservative then great but if he just floor corsses I don’t like that unless the peopple in all of the conservatives party votes on it then yeah otherwise no. I knew the BC liberals were conservatives and social credit that is why I voted for them.
Posted by Roy Elsworth | July 28, 2006 6:26 PM
Posted on July 28, 2006 18:26
Did you know he started as an NDPer in Manitoba, and then, with the BC Libs complained they were too right-wing? You’re welcome to him, but I suspect he’s just passing through on his ongoing tour of Canada’s political spectrum.
Posted by BCer in Toronto | July 28, 2006 6:55 PM
Posted on July 28, 2006 18:55
I don’t think Cheema is an elected member of the Liberal Party. I think he is only a member of the party. He has decided to leave the Liberal party after 20 years and join the Conservatives. There is no floor crossing that I can see. Just an individual saying he is changing parties. So nobody should get all hot and bothered. The Conservatives haven’t accepted nor has a nomination meeting taken place.
Posted by hollinm | July 29, 2006 10:57 PM
Posted on July 29, 2006 22:57