Ottawa

If you can’t beat them

Get them to join you.

Much mumbling around Ottawa about the potential for floor crossings, as is probably to be expected. In that regard, an interesting anecdote from Glen Pearson’s latest blog post.

“I was approached by three Conservatives today to help support them, saying that I was an honest broker type and that my voice would be respected. But when I asked them if they would just quit playing this kind of brinksmanship and retreat to a position of non-partisanship and accommodation, they quietly moved away.”

The primary requirement for any potential floor-crosser would seem to be a disinterest in any future political career. The last three major switchers were David Emerson, Wajid Khan and Garth Turner. Emerson was subsequently considered unelectable in his home riding and left politics for the private sector. Khan and Turner were defeated in this fall’s election.

There are, of course, those of short-term political ambitions, who would probably be more than satisfied with a spot in government (be it Liberal, Conservative or otherwise).

Anyway. Here’s a silly question. If Mr. Harper feels that the opposition parties should face the electorate before making a change in government, shouldn’t he be demanding the same of any opposition MPs being courted to change sides by his party?