Um, Politicians!

There we go again. Another crossing on the floor of the House of Commons. Metaphorical but literal. In a sense, Stephen Harper isn't doing too badly. He has managed to swell his infant government's minority yet again. Wajid Khan, that very interesting Toronto-area Liberal who had offered to assist the government, the country in general and the prime minister and the Conservatives in particular by being their Muslim-on-the-Scene, and a believable go-between and explainer has shuffled off the Liberal coil.

Admittedly, he was helped along. By none other than the newly-anointed Liberal leader, Stephane Dion. Ah, Stephane, Stephane, how very casually incautious, how very unastutely apolitical, how very gauche of you. You should know what happens when a former friend who, while a friend, is a repository of your likes and dislikes, secrets and aspirations, becomes detached. All that stuff comes flying out, and it certainly is not to your benefit.

Besides which, Mr. Khan has said he had offered to advise you and the Liberal party in the very same manner as his offer to Mr. Harper. Only you not only expressed no interest in his offer, you did not even have the kindly regard to respond, either affirmatively or negatively. Stephen Harper responded, and he leaped at the opportunity to have a Toronto Member of Parliament (scarce few Conservative seats there) and a minority on board. Let alone taking advantage of a genuinely useful offer.

Dropped the ball, didn't you? Not doing so well, are you? Not at all helped by your statements, both pre- and post-abdication from the party. On the one hand it was "...Mr. Khan is a colleague. He will be part of the caucus; he will work in a positive way. To me, we co-operate with the government, but we are not the government". Hey, Stephane, one of your Liberals was co-operating with the government and isn't that as it should be? Why press the man, why put him on the offensive/defensive?

Post defection: "I was never comfortable with Mr. Khan serving as an advisor to a Conservative prime minister, as Mr. Khan has done since August of last year. As leader of the party I felt it imperative that he decide to which party he would ultimately be loyal. Mr. Khan has now made that decision." Will the true Stephane Dion kindly stand up? Some fool, Mr. Dion, posing as yourself made that initial pre-defection statement. It would appear that Mr. Khan's loyalty is to Canada; something wrong with that?

Of course defection is a two-way (three-way?) street; it has benefited all parties at one time or another. But is it classically democratic, after all? The voters did make their decision known at the ballot box. Voters often aren't entirely thrilled with the fact that sometimes when they've voted in a Conservative that Conservative somehow transmutates as a Liberal. According to Duff Conacher of Democracy Watch the fundamental democratic right of a citizen has been violated by such practises. That really is the crux of the matter.

As things stand, Mr. Harper, the Conservative party, the government of Canada and all of us gain by Mr. Khan's determination as a well respected Muslim who has taken a principled and moral stand against radical militants in the Muslim community, to act in the manner he has proposed. And there is this to consider, a statement made by Khalid Sagheer, president of the Liberal riding association in Mississauga-Streetsville in speaking of Mr. Khan's attributes:

"He has a lot of passion for Canada and for him Canada is more important than any party. He will always do anything for Canada regardless of party politics."

Sounds good to me.