Some Liberals are calling on MP Wajid Khan to either resign his advisor position or quit the Liberals.
...Toronto MP Maria Minna circulated a memo to other Liberal caucus members Wednesday, saying Mr. Khan should either resign his new position “or resign temporarily from the national Liberal caucus.”
“Wajid's appointment is a slick, sick, calculated move on Harper's part. Liberals shouldn't touch this thing with a 10-foot pole,” she wrote. “Wajid should have known that he was playing into the hands of the Conservatives and [Interim Leader] Bill Graham should have said NO.”
Ms. Minna argued that MPs cannot speak freely on the issue in caucus meetings when one of their number is writing a report for Mr. Harper, and said Mr. Khan should not be joining in a scheme to stop the Tories' dip in popularity.
“This is, pure and simple, a partisan effort aimed at halting the Conservatives' slide in the polls. We should not be aiding and abetting their efforts in that regard.”
This seems to be the key quote.
...Some Liberals said they feel that taking the job should have meant Mr. Khan's expulsion, but that as an interim leader, Mr. Graham may have felt he did not have the power to deliver an ultimatum.
I sense this story is not over yet.
Comments (10)
I think making a big hoopla about this only makes the libs look MORE divided. DOn’t they get that?
By shouting about eachother, “OOOo I can’t talk in caucus any more cause of the spy” it just makes them look so petty.
We’re talkin about someone who offeres advice to the Gov’t on east asian policy… you think that’s discussed in caucus a lot???
Posted by Riley | August 10, 2006 9:33 AM
Posted on August 10, 2006 09:33
Once again the Liberals blow another opportunity. Rather than announcing that the Liberals are going to exert influence over the Harper government - they look divided. Think of the trouble this could have caused Harper. If Harper doesn’t follow the advice then they can criticize him for that. The problem seems to be that the liberals don’t have a unified position and as a result they can’t really push a position with the PM.
Posted by Chris | August 10, 2006 10:32 AM
Posted on August 10, 2006 10:32
The Liberals have trouble understanding that an MP is working for Canada and Canadians. Liberals think their MPs are working for the LPC.
Meanwhile, given that Mr. Khan served as a pilot in Pakistan’s air force before coming to Canada in 1974, and is a prominent in Toronto’s Muslim community - this is a relevant background given this morning’s news now reporting 10 planes were planned to be targeted in the UK. Twenty-one British Muslims of Pakistani decent were arrested overnight.
Posted by nomdenet | August 10, 2006 10:39 AM
Posted on August 10, 2006 10:39
Brilliant.
So he won’t “cross the floor” . .. he’ll be kicked out of the Liberal caucus and free to join a new party.
The whiners won’t be able to this time.
Politics at its best.
Posted by Fred | August 10, 2006 11:06 AM
Posted on August 10, 2006 11:06
The ridiculousness of some Liberals really is starting to annoy me. To me this is a pathetic partisan game that isn’t going to help anyone. I am glad that some cross-party cooperation is happening; I believe this is the way politics should work. Personally I wait for the day when we have electoral reform and perpetual minority governments so the parties learn how to work across partisan lines for Canadians. God forbid the politicians actually work to benefit Canada once in a while…
Posted by Maritime Liberal | August 10, 2006 11:54 AM
Posted on August 10, 2006 11:54
Well now we know why Heather Reisman didn’t try to change the Liberals approach to this issue from within the Liberal Party. They simply don’t want a non-partisan approach to the Middle East.
Posted by Steve | August 10, 2006 11:54 AM
Posted on August 10, 2006 11:54
”..some Liberals ..”
Wrong. Maria Minna penned the email (and publicized it) in her official capacity as a Critic. She would not have done that without (implicit or explicit) OLO approval.
Prediction: Khan will have resigned his official PMO role before the week is out.
This was an untenable situation from the start, and it is astonishing that it was even allowed to proceed as far as it did.
Frankly, the Conservatives should stay away from these half-brained, poorly planned, and transparently political “outreach” efforts.
Run a clean and efficient government, and the rest will follow.
Posted by Anonymous | August 10, 2006 12:54 PM
Posted on August 10, 2006 12:54
If they kick him out of the LPC, then maybe he’ll cross the floor? I somehow doubt it will escalate that far, however. Most likely it will simply generate bitterness within the Liberal ranks. The Libs played right into Harper’s hands. They’re so predictable, attacking each other instead of using this as a chance to promote themselves.
Posted by Sharkey | August 10, 2006 7:14 PM
Posted on August 10, 2006 19:14
So Minna undermines Graham, and 12:54 Anon thinks this is with Graham’s consent?
And what exactly does Minna want the Government to do with the various criticisms which might be raised by the Liberals in the House, or in the Press? If she wanted the Government to act on her advice, wouldn’t she welcome a more direct line to the Government?
Posted by Paul O | August 10, 2006 8:18 PM
Posted on August 10, 2006 20:18
One thing I’ve always spouted on my site is for the parties to work together to actually represent the population. Now it’s happening and everybodiy is bitching about it. He’s not leaving the Liberals, unless of course they alienate him, then why wouldn’t he?
Posted by DazzlinDino | August 10, 2006 10:40 PM
Posted on August 10, 2006 22:40