Puppet MPs

The CBC finds a couple of defeated Conservative candidates doing the work of MPs.

One of them, Cecil Clarke, ran for the Conservatives in Nova Scotia’s Sydney-Victoria riding, losing to Liberal Mark Eyking by fewer than 1,000 votes. Now he’s a federally paid consultant, travelling the province meeting with businesses and individuals. He’ll get $135,000 a year for three years.

"There’s a whole host of issues that have to be dealt with …," Clarke told CBC News. "I would say, you know, that I’ve had a very positive relationship with the government of Canada." Clarke’s task of listening to people and letting them know what the federal government has to offer sounds a lot to Eyking what an MP should be doing.

"We hear about puppet governments," said Eyking. "Now we’re going to have a puppet MP."