Save Garth Turner!

Garth Turner, my favourite Conservative MP, is fighting for the right to run for the Conservatives in the next election. From Garth's blog:

In case you missed the first act, the geniuses at Conservative party headquarters put Halton in play last Friday afternoon when they unexpectedly called all the members here and told them nominations were now being accepted for my job. Yeah, I know the last election was only seven months ago, and the next one’s not on the radar yet. But, what’s logic got to do with it?

....

Yesterday my team received word the Righteous Right was mobilizing against me. Moving in mysterious ways, and in the space of just two days, they had organized a campaign, rented a hall, started telephone solicitation, written a script, sent out a newsletter promoting anti-Garth campaign events, brought in outside organizers and generally let it be known my buns would soon be toast.

The big event today was an admission of who is behind all of this. Yes, it’s my old buddy Rev. Charles McVety, the Pat Robertson of the North, and a man who’s a pillar of the fundamentalist Christian movement. He and I have exchanged views on TV, on this blog and in conversation. His group issued a press release asking Stephen Harper to condemn me (quite unnecessary, of course), and McVety has said his army would target MPs who do not support outlawing same-sex marriage.

If I lived in Halton, I would seriously consider buying a CPC membership, just so I could vote for Garth.

Garth is one of the few Conservative MP's that has no problem breaking party lines or speaking his mind. The man has no fear of Prime Ministerial retribution and his blog probably gives Harper nightmares. Now Garth is paying the price. The PM's office has decided that it is time to hold riding nominations and there doesn't seem to be an election in the near future.

Can you say payback?




[edit on 16-8-2006 by Duzey]

More on Garth's battle to save his job:

Second: It is becoming increasingly clear, though, that I am in this fight on my own. I spoke with party officials today, and it did not go well. My righteous right opponents who intend on swamping the nomination meeting on September 11th have gained access to party membership lists which should only be released after a candidate is endorsed. They make each phone call prefaced with. “This is a call from the Conservative Party of Canada…” Their organizational meeting last night was booked as a party event, and the would-be candidate, D’arcy Keene, was heard to say he was just out “to help Stephen Harper.” Maybe you read his comments in the media today – he is clearly claiming to be the party candidate. And I can find no willingness to police this process. Interesting.

www.garth.ca...

This really irks me. After all the cries of patronage, lack of ethics and the danger of too much power concentrated on one person, this is what happens?

Errr...wtf?

I live in Halton region. I voted for him, for Christ's sake. His loss in the last election was marginal...something like 49000 to 50500. Part of the problem, one suspects, is Halton itself. The district of Halton encompasses Burlington, Milton, Halton Hills, and Oakville.

Milton and Halton Hills are the boonies.

Burlington is a fairly large city, but I'm hardly going to call it a lynchpin.

Oakville, however, is the kind of place that no party accepts failure from...except maybe the NDP, because they fail at everything. But, let's break this down:

Median household income is $83,982

Average house value of $306,209.

Those are MEDIANS. The lakeshore area's average house value jumps towards one million rather alarmingly. Even out here in the boonies, with a poorly-contructed house, unfinshed basement, and almost total lack of insulation, my parent's house value is about $275,000. Oakville is richer than all hell. Lots of doctors, lawyers, those types in town, so it's in the 'economic interest' of the party to secure Halton, especially Oakville. THat's my take on things, anyways.

DE

If you're in Halton, help save Garth!! Heck, I'll even send you the $10 the CPC membership costs. There are very few politicians I have any respect for and Turner is one of them. I had oodles of respect for Chuck Cadman, but he died.

Is Halton a religious area? I just don't see the wisdom in replacing someone who has proven they can take the riding.

It may be a slight exageration, but it seems like there's a church for every five people in town. In North Oakville (where I sit, just south of Dundas), I can think of, oh, say five churches that I know of within a mile in any direction. Probably more, closer to eight it you count the nest of Prysbaterian and Unitarian churches on Trafalgar. I'll check the stats, but something like 75% of town is Christian, and I know of two snyagogues and a mosque. There are a TON of churches in town, probably twenty or thirty for the 160.000 people in town. Lots of catholic schools and all that. Private schools, etc.

Basically, a highly religious area.

DE