Comuzzi turfed from Liberal caucus

[CDNBear]

OTTAWA (CP) - Former cabinet minister Joe Comuzzi has been expelled from the federal Liberal caucus for pledging to support the Conservative government's budget.
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion said Wednesday that parliamentary tradition requires MPs to toe the party line on important confidence votes such as the budget. "He's not any more part of the caucus," Dion said after a caucus meeting.
"A vote on the budget, like a vote on a throne speech, is a vote of confidence. You cannot vote against the caucus on it."
Comuzzi, a veteran MP for Thunder Bay, first told a local newspaper he intended to support the budget because it contained funding for a molecular cancer research centre in his riding. Having been instrumental in getting the centre off the ground, Comuzzi said he couldn't vote against a budget that would keep the centre open and employ 300 people.
Dion said he subsequently spoke with Comuzzi and the MP confirmed he intends to "vote for this bad budget."
"He's well aware, after 19 years in the House, of the consequences of what he's doing," Dion said.

Comuzzi could not be reached for immediate comment.
The Liberals plan to oppose the budget when it comes to a vote in the House of Commons soon.
Comuzzi will now sit as an Independent. The 73-year-old MP had already announced that he won't seek re-election.
Comuzzi is generally considered a soft-spoken, gentlemanly, perpetually tanned MP. But he has also been a bit of a maverick. He was briefly a junior minister in Paul Martin's short-lived government but he quit cabinet rather than vote in favour of legalizing same-sex marriages.

 

[CDNBear]

You vil vollow zee party line, or you vil not be part of zee party.

Now is that fascist? Just curious.

 

[westmanguy]

Yep! I hope he joins the Conservatives!

MPs are their for thier riding 1st and party second.

he was doing something in favor of his riding!

What a commendable person!

Aparently their is no room for being their for your riding with the LPoC.

Stephane Dion is just trying to make himself look "strong-willed".

And to me he comes off looking like a dumb@$$

 

[unspoken]

It's definitely applaudable to see someone who stands up for the people who actually voted for them. And before any Liberals come bash me for that, I'd say the same if a Conservative were to vote against if he/she thought it was bad for their riding.

There's talk that a bunch of Quebec Liberals too are not happy with the stance Dion is taking. The most likely course of action for them is to abstain from voting so they can still be in the party but tell their constituents "I never voted against the budget."

Just another scenario making Dion look bad and bringing his leadership into question again.

 

[Tonington]

I hope he remains an independant. No better way to represent your constituents than to please them instead of some overlord.

Honestly, I think a coalition of independants would be better than our current system of parties with their partisan view. No conservative or liberal, left or right, only what is good for Canadians.

 

[snfu73]

I am not a Joe Comuzzi fan at all. I could never figure out why he WAS with the liberals.

 

[snowles]

Having worked for and spent several years in Comuzzi's riding, I can tell you that this isn't the first thing he's done to go against the Liberal grain; just last year (like the article states) he also voted against the first round of SSM legislation, using his religion upbringing as the reasoning, which got him removed from his Northern Affairs portfolio, a move that at the time was a crushing blow for Northwestern Ontario's social programs like FedNor. The move almost cost him the election last time out; he just barely defeated Bruce Hyer by less than 500 votes, despite Hyer's inexperience.

Where was he sticking up for my region there? The centre was going to be there regardless, especially since there is a multimillion dollar hospital it can already attach to; if he really cared, he would have fought a hell of a lot harder for things like the Northern Doctors facility (which was ultimately centered in Sudbury, with a satellite in Thunder Bay); such a move would have ensured MDs could practice in the north and the crippling shortages would be addressed. As well, despite being in power for the majority of it, barely lifted a finger in fighting for softwood lumber, a staple of the region's economy. He's also done nothing to address the problems of gas price inequity in the North, and has sat idly for the past 20 years while Thunder Bay lost its ports, its shipping, its mill (an employer of 1,500 high paying jobs that is now indefinitely closed) and its commerce, which now sadly centres on call centres and welfare.

I hope he joins the Conservatives; the backlash would be huge - if Westmanguy knew anything, he'd know that this is one of the safest Liberal ridings in the country, it's been safely red in every election except one in the modern era (1979 on), which was won by the NDP during the crush of Mulroney. In fact, since 1935 it's been nothing but left. Thus it would seem to me that we, in this riding, vote for the party and not the person.

Because of the high reliance on social programs, the high proportion of Natives and the prevelance of union-fortified jobs, NWO is very, very left leaning. A right-wing politician hasn't finished higher than third place there since 1993. If he leaves, he can kiss his political ass goodbye; it's for the best he isn't running again.

 

[snfu73]

Having worked for and spent several years in Comuzzi's riding, I can tell you that this isn't the first thing he's done to go against the Liberal grain; just last year (like the article states) he also voted against the first round of SSM legislation, using his religion upbringing as the reasoning, which got him removed from his Northern Affairs portfolio, a move that at the time was a crushing blow for Northwestern Ontario's social programs like FedNor. The move almost cost him the election last time out; he just barely defeated Bruce Hyer by less than 500 votes, despite Hyer's inexperience.

Where was he sticking up for my region there? The centre was going to be there regardless, especially since there is a multimillion dollar hospital it can already attach to; if he really cared, he would have fought a hell of a lot harder for things like the Northern Doctors facility (which was ultimately centered in Sudbury, with a satellite in Thunder Bay); such a move would have ensured MDs could practice in the north and the crippling shortages would be addressed. As well, despite being in power for the majority of it, barely lifted a finger in fighting for softwood lumber, a staple of the region's economy. He's also done nothing to address the problems of gas price inequity in the North, and has sat idly for the past 20 years while Thunder Bay lost its ports, its shipping, its mill (an employer of 1,500 high paying jobs that is now indefinitely closed) and its commerce, which now sadly centres on call centres and welfare.

I hope he joins the Conservatives; the backlash would be huge - if Westmanguy knew anything, he'd know that this is one of the safest Liberal ridings in the country, it's been safely red in every election except one in the modern era (1979 on), which was won by the NDP during the crush of Mulroney. In fact, since 1935 it's been nothing but left. Thus it would seem to me that we, in this riding, vote for the party and not the person.

Because of the high reliance on social programs, the high proportion of Natives and the prevelance of union-fortified jobs, NWO is very, very left leaning. A right-wing politician hasn't finished higher than third place there since 1993. If he leaves, he can kiss his political ass goodbye; it's for the best he isn't running again.

How many times did he promise to get VIA rail back into Thunder Bay? Did that ever pan out? Nope. I can't figure out how he kept getting elected. I remember going to an election debate, and judging from the response towards him, I thought people were angry and not going to back him anymore...and maybe the folks in the room didn't, but he definitly got in...again. I think Northwestern Ontario has needed new representation for a long time. I hope this will be the end of Comuzzi's career, and new blood, fresh ideas and approaches can come in and make a real difference.

 

[snowles]

People don't vote for Joe, people vote for Liberal.

 

[DurkaDurka]

I read in the Star that he won't be running for re-election, so whatever party he chooses to serve will be short lived.

 

[snfu73]

People don't vote for Joe, people vote for Liberal.

I suppose. Ya...I think you are right with that. Good call.

 

[snowles]

It's probably in the riding's best interest if he sits as an independent MP; it will be in Joe's if he sits as a Conservative. I wonder which one will win out?

snfu73: this should give you a better idea of the region's philosophies, and why I believe that do be the case.

 

[snfu73]

It's probably in the riding's best interest if he sits as an independent MP; it will be in Joe's if he sits as a Conservative. I wonder which one will win out?

snfu73: this should give you a better idea of the region's philosophies, and why I believe that do be the case.

I don't know if it really will be in the regions best interest to sit as an independant. I think more could be accomplished being part of the governing party....but I could be wrong. Who knows what good things could come his way as the conservatives try to woe another former liberal over to the dark side...

 

[snowles]

I don't know if it really will be in the regions best interest to sit as an independant. I think more could be accomplished being part of the governing party....but I could be wrong. Who knows what good things could come his way as the conservatives try to woe another former liberal over to the dark side...

I do, if he moves he will encounter a very large backlash of outrage from a riding that is very, very left-leaning. Sitting as an Indy would allow him to vote for the region and still hold deal those Liberal leanings he claims to possess. Joe, despite having served in goverment on multiple occassions, never did anything more than a junior cabinet position, a position he bungled badly - he's shown that despite being in the governing party (and sitting through several majorities) that he got nothing done and actually set the region back in terms of advancements.

His move to the Cons would be minimal at best, and the backlash would assure it's at least another 40 years before a Conservative gets close (ie. higher than third place in a 3-party system) to winning that riding.

 

[RUEZ]

So it appears Harper isn't the only party leader that wants to control his party with an iron fist. The liberals can start apologizing any time now.

 

[snowles]

So it appears Harper isn't the only party leader that wants to control his party with an iron fist. The liberals can start apologizing any time now.

Uh, since when is voting with your party in a confidence motion, something that has been done since the inception of the HoC, ruling with an iron fist? Nice empty rhetoric though; shall we turn the tables and demand apologies from Conservatives for this liberal-style spend-a-thon budget, or the Liberal-stolen environmental programs?

And unlike Harper, Comuzzi, like all MPs, was given a chance to speak to the media, which is where the iron fist analogy came from. Twisting in the wind my friend...

 

[RUEZ]

Uh, since when is voting with your party in a confidence motion, something that has been done since the inception of the HoC, ruling with an iron fist? Nice empty rhetoric though; shall we turn the tables and demand apologies from Conservatives for this liberal-style spend-a-thon budget, or the Liberal-stolen environmental programs?

And unlike Harper, Comuzzi, like all MPs, was given a chance to speak to the media, which is where the iron fist analogy came from. Twisting in the wind my friend...

That's what I figured, it's only bad when Harper does something.

 

[snowles]

That's what I figured, it's only bad when Harper does something.

I never said that, but thanks for putting words in my mouth. For your information, I disagree with party silence but on issues of confidence I expect the party vote to hold rule, regardless of who is governing. Just because my beliefs happen to reflect badly on your party's Queen is not my problem.

I gave several instances in this thread of Joe Comuzzi, my MP and a lifelong Liberal, failing me. But of course that doesn't matter to you. Got anything real to bring to the conversation, or should I just go ahead and pull the whambulance up 'round back?

 

[RUEZ]

I never said that, but thanks for putting words in my mouth. For your information, I disagree with party silence but on issues of confidence I expect the party vote to hold rule, regardless of who is governing. Just because my beliefs happen to reflect badly on your party's Queen is not my problem.

I gave several instances in this thread of Joe Comuzzi, my MP and a lifelong Liberal, failing me. But of course that doesn't matter to you. Got anything real to bring to the conversation, or should I just go ahead and pull the whambulance up 'round back?

You should lose the condescending attitude. I expect the liberals will stop bitching about Harper trying to be controling now. The Liberal party is done. Thank god.

 

[snowles]

Uh, I'm the condescending one? Pot, meet kettle. I'm not the one looking for apologies from parties I don't agree with by trying to loosely tie one instance with a longstanding history of that with which I agree. Again you missed all of my instances of Liberal failings, blinded by partisan rhetoric.

How is Joe Comuzzi any different than Garth Turner? I didn't see anyone out looking for apologies from our dear leader after that whole debacle. What ever became of David Emerson, done for the good of himself? At least Comuzzi had some reasoning behind the expulsion.

Additionally, I'm pretty sure a party who polls at 30 per cent, despite everything that has happened, isn't quite as done as you'd like to believe. For one, Joe Comuzzi's seat next election is pretty safely in Liberal hands.