tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30694877.post5211852473476294643..comments2023-10-28T11:29:07.881-03:00Comments on Politics from a New Brunswick perspective: Defection reactionnbpoliticohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09517401409653124082noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30694877.post-55882416133366405152007-04-18T19:38:00.000-03:002007-04-18T19:38:00.000-03:00Like the old political saying goes, Governments Lo...Like the old political saying goes, Governments Loose and Opposition always winAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30694877.post-57840629132806465472007-04-18T17:27:00.000-03:002007-04-18T17:27:00.000-03:00"Of all the reasons to cross the floor, claiming y..."Of all the reasons to cross the floor, claiming you were unappreciated ranks down there with "my former party is too tough on those who create child porn". Seriously folks, you're in opposition. Nobody appreciates you in opposition." - Eugene at To Be Annnounced<BR/><BR/>Best quote I've heard in all of this.Spinkshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10044519689330008751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30694877.post-48245090786995148192007-04-18T16:29:00.000-03:002007-04-18T16:29:00.000-03:00I agree with anonymous above. The impact of these ...I agree with anonymous above. The impact of these two defection will be minimal for the citizens in the ridings of Petitcodiac and Moncton West. It would have been better for them if their members had stuck it out in opposition with the party that elected them until there was a leadership change. (which will be very soon since Volpe is an interim leader and he said he won't seek the leadership of the party when a leadership race and convention date is called) <BR/><BR/>The reason I say these two defections won't have any impact on the ridings is because I witnessed the exact same thing happen when I was working in Ottawa with the federal PCs back in 2000. Both Diane St-Jacques and David Price crossed the floor over to the Liberals a few weeks before the writ was dropped. <BR/><BR/>Though the perceptions around the hill and in the media were that these two had done it because Joe Clark's leadership was in question and an election was around the corner, all knew very well they both jumped ship because they were not eligible for an MPs pension as both came in during the '97 election and didn't have the years required to draw.<BR/><BR/>Both retained there seats in the 2000 election, so many would believe that it was a win-win for the two members and for the people in their ridings. Not the case.<BR/><BR/>As a keen observer of politics, I kept my eye on these two to see if they were promoted to positions where they could make a difference in their ridings. They never were and, in turn, they both were defeated by the Bloc in the next election as they were painted with the tainted brush of the sponsorship scandal. So in the end, the real losers were the citizens of Compton—Stanstead and Shefford who gained nothing from this selfish political move. I think you will see that history will not be so kind to the ridings held by Stiles and McAlpine as the game of politics tends to reward strong loyal leaders (which these two are not), rather than rats who jump ship for personal gain. Even Premier Shawn Graham, who welcomed them with open arms like Chretien did with the two I mentioned above, knows this all too well. <BR/><BR/>Those two ridings will be in limbo for quite sometime because of this move.scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02243209351941311552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30694877.post-22598993648605988852007-04-18T14:42:00.000-03:002007-04-18T14:42:00.000-03:00I do not know Wally Stiles so it will be unfair to...I do not know Wally Stiles so it will be unfair to comment on him. However, Joan MacAlpine is no gain for Liberals. She is a failed minister many times over and exceptionally shallow personality. She will do anything for personal gain. She is a liability.<BR/><BR/>Sorry to be so harsh but that is the best description of her.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com