By Arthur Weinreb
Monday, January 8, 2007
Some members of the Liberal Party have expressed shock, outrage and disbelief after MP Wajid Khan crossed the floor last week to sit as a Conservative. They should have seen it coming.
The Mississauga MP, first elected in 2004, was appointed by Stephen Harper last August to be the prime minister's special advisor on the Middle East. Kahn's appointment came in the wake of the arrest of 17 people on terrorism related charges last June. A not insignificant factor is that Khan, a Muslim, worshipped at the same mosque that many of those arrested were connected with and came out with some pretty strong statements against those who would commit terrorist acts on Canadian soil under the guise of religion.
Newly elected Liberal leader, Stephane Dion essentially laid the law down to Khan; either give up his post as a Harper advisor or leave the Liberal caucus. What was really shocking about the Khan matter was not that he crossed the floor last week, but that he was allowed to take the position of a special advisor to the PM while remaining a Liberal MP in good standing in the first place. Those disgruntled Liberals who felt that Khan's appointment was tantamount to having a Tory spy in their caucus room had a valid point.
Khan's appointment came when the Natural Governing Party was "leaderless". The party had no leader since Paul Martin's resignation almost a year ago although it could be argued that the party lacked a leader since December 2003 when Jean Chretien waved goodbye. It is easy to understand how the Wajid Khan situation was lost in the midst of what seemed to be a never ending quest by all the Liberal candidates to be the next prime minister of Canada.
Sadly, to the detriment of our democratic system, floor crossings have become all too common. The only shocking thing about these floor crossings is that some Canadians are actually shocked when they happen. It's almost funny to watch the party that gained a new member smile with glee while the party that loses an MP feigns surprise and anger. Only the NDP are seriously angered at these switcheroos and this time they went so far as to issue a media release that "condemning" Khan's actions. In all probability, Wajid Khan became the first Muslim in history to do something that was actually "condemned" by the socialists. Jack sure doesn't want to talk to him like he wants to talk to the Taliban. The reason for the anger of the NDP is that members only cross the floor (a) to sit with the governing party, or (b) to join the party that has a good chance of forming the next government. Nobody ever crosses the floor to spend the rest of their political lives sitting in a corner between Smilin' Jack and Libby Davies.
What really got the Liberals going is that while they were busy deciding who the next prime minister of Canada would be, the current one outsmarted them. Harper was able to get the support of a sitting Liberal MP who was tough on terrorism and who holds a riding in the GTA and who can help the Tories woo the ethnic vote and whose joining the Conservatives changed the balance of power in the House so that the Liberals will be unable to bring down the government without the support of the NDP.
What seems to be lost in last week's defection was the fact that Stephane Dion showed true leadership; something that interim leader Bill Graham lacked when Khan initially took the position and something that was completely missing in the government of Paul Martin. Dion was right to insist that Khan leave his position as an advisor to Harper. Even the Liberals that believe in everything and nothing cannot have a member of caucus with divided loyalties and Khan's position as a government advisor at least gave the perception of divided loyalty.
Stephane Dion deserves credit for forcing Wajid Khan into making a decision. Dion may not be another Jean Chretien, but at least he has shown that he's not another Paul Martin. And for the Liberals, that is a good thing.
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