Posted by Senator Marjory Lebreton OVER THE past few weeks, Kings-Hants MP Scott Brison has gone to great lengths to try to defend his decision to join the same Liberal government that he has vehemently criticized since his election in 1997. Citing Paul Martin as the "exceptional attraction," Scott has said he wanted to join a party fuelled by "bold ideas." In reality, the "exceptional attraction" was the parliamentary secretary's job that Martin put on the table as a reward for Scott's defection. The "bold ideas" were replaced by old-fashioned opportunism. Progressive Conservative delegates approved the unification of the Tories and the CA by a margin of over 90 per cent. Scott himself voted for it. Like many of us who are anxious about the project, it was assumed Scott would stay to help build a moderate, progressive alternative to the Liberals. Instead, Scott has decided to take the easy route and join Paul Martin. That Scott maintains his decision was based on principles is both laughable and sad. As an activist in the Conservative party years before Scott was born, I know that the truly principled decision would have been to stay and fight to make the new Conservative party one that reflects the views of Progressive Conservatives. Scott's role should have been to help promote the virtues of public service, instead of fuelling the cynicism about politics that already exists among Canadians. In his speech to the delegates attending the 1956 PC leadership convention, John Diefenbaker (who was first elected in 1940 as a member of the Conservative party, by the way) said, "The Conservative party will be the national party; it is the party which founded Confederation and the party that will save Confederation. . . . It is my intention to unite all Canadians from the Atlantic to the Pacific." These are the words that inspire Progressive Conservatives like me to help build a Conservative party that will attract Canadians who are looking for change from a tired, old and cynical Liberal regime. In time, Canadians will come to see that the Paul Martin government is nothing more than a new paint job on an old jalopy. In fact, Martin's government is already starting to look much like the administration that just left. Within 48 hours of the swearing in of his "new" cabinet, one of Martin's ministers was preparing to consult with the ethics counsellor to address allegations of conflict of interest over his role in securing a grant that may have provided an indirect benefit for his son. While Paul Martin wants Canadians to believe he's whistling a new tune, his Liberals are singing from the same old song book. One of Mr. Martin's key political operators in B.C. has recently been fired by the provincial Liberals following a police raid of his office. Are these the qualities of a Martin government that Scott Brison finds so "exceptional"? The irony of Scott's defection is not lost on anyone who followed his campaign for the leadership of the PC party in 2003. At that time, Scott was more than happy to list the shortcomings, not only of the Liberal government, but of Paul Martin in particular. During the leadership race, he noted, "Our standard of living has been slipping relative to other countries', our manufacturing productivity growth has been half that of the U.S., more Canadians are declaring bankruptcy than 10 years ago, and the value of the dollar dropped 16 per cent under Paul Martin's watch." Has Scott now forgotten the arrogance of the Liberals regarding issues such as the gun registry, HRDC and advertising scandals, the GST, NAFTA and Airbus, just to name a few? Apparently, Scott is content to abandon his principles to be on the "B" team of a tired, old government, rather than to be a builder of a bold, new entity founded on the principles of the Progressive Conservative party. Scott's payoff is his new position as parliamentary secretary where his bold, innovative ideas won't see the light of day. This is a symbolic victory for Paul Martin. Scott Brison will now be a trophy to be trotted out as the political opportunity warrants. Whenever Paul Martin wants to try to paint the Conservative party as intolerant, he will point to the defection of Scott Brison, the gay MP, as evidence. It's such an ironic shame that Scott now risks becoming far more famous for his sexual orientation than for his considerable talents in finance and economics. To say that longtime Progressive Conservatives like me are shocked and disappointed by Scott's actions is an understatement. Over the immediate term, his political future is very much in doubt. His electoral prospects in Kings-Hants as a Liberal will be poor. Already the names of Tories with strong conservative roots have been floated as possible opponents to Scott. The voting history of Kings-Hants shows that, above all else, it is a Tory riding where victory is often measured in the thousands of votes. It didn't have to be this way. But in choosing opportunity over principle, Scott has joined a Liberal party that is famous for its weathervane approach to public policy and is anything but bold or new. Apparently happy with his new colleagues, Scott should be mindful of an old saying that, over time, applies to all political turncoats: Learn to love your enemies because you may not be able to trust your friends. 
on 1/11/2004, 10:57 am, in reply to "Re:Scott Brison M.P. for Kings-Hants Nova Scotia P.C. Finance Critic defects to the PaulMartinLiberals"
PUBLICATION: The Sunday Herald DATE: 2004.01.11 SECTION: Opinion PAGE: C5 BYLINE: Senator Marjory Lebreton
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Brison move opportunism
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Senator Marjory LeBreton has been an activist in the Progressive Conservative party for over 40 years. She has worked with PC leaders John Diefenbaker, Robert Stanfield, Joe Clark, Brian Mulroney, Kim Campbell, Jean Charest and Peter MacKay.