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6- The Oakville Beaver, Friday February 9, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-3824, ext. 224 Circulation: 845-9742 Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS A DIVISION OF Media Group Ltd. NEIL OLIVER Publisher JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director TERI CASAS Business Manager MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution ALEXANDRIA CALHOUN Circ. Manager IAN OLIVER Group Publisher Turner reveals true colours Halton MP Garth Turner didn't just switch political parties this week -- he also abandoned the political philosophy he'd been preaching for nearly two years. For nearly two years the Halton MP had been the model of consistency with this specific criticism. In April of 2005 he used the occasion of winning the Conservative's Halton federal riding nomination to condemn then Halton MP Gary Carr for leaving the Conservatives to run as a Liberal. Throughout last year, Turner indicated his disdain that any elected official dare shed their party colours for the promise of greener pastures on the other side of the political fence. The Halton MP has repeatedly argued that elected officials do a great disservice to the people who voted for them by switching allegiances midstream. He has challenged fellow MPs thinking of defecting to first allow the electorate to decide whether their support extends to a different political party. Prior to and after last year's federal election, Turner promised that he would hold the will of voters ahead of that of his party. Now, after months of questioning every MP floor crossing, Turner has become a Liberal traitor in the eyes of Halton Conservatives who elected him. Would he still have voters believe he has gone from Conservative MP, to ousted independent to adopted Liberal MP -- all in the name of representing their best interest? Frankly, we don't buy it. We believe Turner simply realized the odds were stacked against him being reelected as an independent MP. What will be interesting to observe is whether Garth Turner the Liberal MP maintains the constituents-before-party approach that got him in so much hot water with his former party. If he does, we suspect the Liberals will also grow weary of the maverick backbench MP's unquenchable thirst for attention and quickly sever all ties. And where would that leave him? What Turner has revealed in his latest headline-grabbing move is that he is exactly the kind of political opportunist he used to take great delight in denouncing. While he may continue to hold the people's point of view above that of whichever party he is affiliated, it has become clearer this week that he places himself way ahead of anyone else in the equation. The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Turner should be revered not punished As an Oakville resident, I have been following the story of Garth Turner's ousting from the federal Conservative party. He then sat as an independent and now has joined the Liberal party. It is sad that he has bounced from party to party. This man should instead be welcomed and applauded for his integrity and honesty. I for one share his personal values around truth telling and appreciate hearing his educated and intellectual perspective. Turner is a former journalist and communicator. As someone with a similar background, I suggest Turner is my kindred spirit in his honest and outspoken approach! It is important to understand where he is coming from: honesty, intellectual debate, being outspoken and unearthing information -- these are mindsets and skillsets of journalists and communicators. With all the politics played by corporations, politicians and bureaucrats, someone has to be brave and willing to tell the truth on behalf of society. Too bad honesty today is such an uncommon trait and one that is seen as mischievous rather than insightful. MARGARET MERCER Disappointed with Turner As a party voter, I had always chosen the Liberals until their past do-nothing performance and financial scandal changed my mind. Having moved to the Halton Region, I voted Conservative with Garth Turner as my representative. Following a brief stay with the party he took me to Independent, a talk with the NDP, a Green Party exercise, and now a return to the Liberals. Had I wished to vote Liberal, I could have selected a far better candidate. The Halton Liberals must be very disappointed with this outcome. Imagine government, should all elected representatives choose to follow Mr. Turner's example. I don't believe I will bother to vote again. At my age, 70, I cannot share this disappointment. B. ANTONEN Pud BY STEVE NEASE snease@haltonsearch.com Unfortunately, dreams do come true In regards to Halton MP Garth Turner becoming a Liberal: Last night, I had a bizarre dream where I voted for a federal blue Conservative MP. During the night he morphed into an invisible Independent, then almost turned Green. When I awoke, I was shocked to find he had become a red Liberal. The strangest thing is that this nightmare turned out to be real example of opportunism, courtesy of the political chameleon, I now know as Garth Turncoat. In the upcoming federal election, our MP should pray very hard that the voters of Halton remain both asleep and colour blind. A J GIZZIE The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981.Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline.