By Stephen Gray
"… I'm thankful that a Progressive Conservative refugee like myself has found a home in this country"
(M.P. Garth Turner quoted in a CTV news story Feb. 6, 2007).
Was it a nice and “honorable” thing to see this political "refugee" welcomed into the Liberal Party
abode? He had left his refugee camp on parliament hill and was now home at last. Surely, this is a story to bring tears to the political eyes of his new-found political family. Big hugs were in order and perhaps a few political kisses for this asylum seeker. After all, we are a caring, tolerant society. What a journey this poor man had before he finally made it into the welcoming arms of the Liberal party. He was sitting in the refugee camp of the independent, waiting for acceptance, and perhaps confirmation that there was a home for him in the camp of liberalism. Gee, he must have been on tenterhooks wondering if he would be accepted! After all, it is not an easy life being a political refugee. Of course, cynical people will say the guy was drawing a salary from the taxpayers, and is a bogus refugee claiming to have found a home.
Still, home is where the heart is as the saying goes, and no doubt this lonely refugee might be looking at himself in the mirror of liberalism and saying: home at last, home at last, I have found a political asylum at last.
Though many people are surely wondering if the country is becoming a real political asylum? For instance, why are the taxpayers paying for a political ‘refugee’ who double-crossed the people who elected him to public office? (This same question should also be asked of other refugees who crossed the floor and double-crossed the people who elected them.) Should this latest turnercoat, oops I mean turncoat, really qualify as a refugee and an asylum seeker? Or should he have been deported from the refugee camp on parliament hill? Of course that could never happen; this refugee has rights under the Charter, and must be accepted as a bona fide asylum seeker--who would argue with that?
The man was an internally displaced person seeking sanctuary in a new political home. Therefore, should
we all be glad and welcoming to this refugee? After all, he is the first M.P. in this country to claim he is a refugee from another political party. Also, the man has paved the way for other political refugees to come out when the opportunity arises--those who may be undercover right now in the refugee camp on parliament hill.
Stephen Gray
February 9, 2007
graysinfo@yahoo.ca website:
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