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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday March 7, 2007 - 5 Turner draws fire at first town hall meeting as Liberal By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Halton MP Garth Turner took fire from former supporters at Oakville Town Hall Monday night during his first public meeting since switching from an Independent to the Liberal Party. Against a backdrop of three Canadian flags, that he brought with him, the former Conservative turned Independent turned Liberal defended his decision to switch saying as an Independent he lacked the power to get anything done. "Independent Members of Parliament are still second class citizens. They can't do a number of things in Parliament that party MPs can do," he said. "As an Independent I could not sit on a parliamentary committee and these are the committees where all the legislation is gone over clause by clause and where the changes are all made. I could not speak in the debates because the debates are controlled by the parties. So there were a number of things that infringed on my ability to work." This explanation did not sit well with Nan Neill, who initially voted for Turner when he ran as a Conservative. "I heard a lot of politician-speak. To me he would have more integrity and my respect had he remained an Independent and not a member of the Liberal Party," said Neill. "There's no loyalty. He's not loyal to the majority of the people who stating that it was his duty voted him in in the Halton as a Conservative MP `to Region." make his relationship with Neill walked out in the the Prime Minister work.' middle of the meeting after Turner countered that it voicing her feelings of was impossible to work with betrayal, which were chalHarper and still do his job lenged by a number of other for the people of the Halton audience members, who Region. sympathized with Turner's "I've served under three situation. Prime Ministers and the "I voted for a man and only one I've really run into now that man is no more," a problem with is Mr. she said as she disappeared Harper," said Turner. into the cold winter night. "I've never seen anybody Turner did go on the who manages the way he offensive at one point when manages. He just doesn't Halton MP Garth Turner another audience member care what people think. compared him to David Emerson, a Liberal Some people say that's decisive leadership. MP who had switched to the Conservative Other people say that's a dictator." Party shortly after being elected. Turner went on to describe an incident "David Emerson was elected as a Liberal where the Prime Minister told a group of MPs and 10 days later he ended up in the that cuts were going to be made to program Conservative Cabinet. I was elected as a spending that would affect their ridings, but Conservative and I got thrown out," said refused to tell the MPs what those cuts were. Turner. Turner said the Prime Minister then threat"I'm not an opportunist. I gained nothing ened to fire anyone who talked to the press by doing what I did." about this. Although the Conservative Party has not "If you're not listening to your MPs, you given the specific reason, Turner was suspend- don't care about the voters and that's how I ed from running as a Conservative indefinite- felt," said Turner. ly Oct. 18 of last year. While Turner says he can work with One audience member blamed Turner for Stephane Dion, this does not make the Liberal being kicked out of the Conservative Party Leader immune to Turner's criticism. "Dion has to work on his English. I've told him that and I'll tell you that," he said. Turner talked with the audience about topics that ranged from higher education, which he feels is quickly becoming unaffordable, to the war in Afghanistan, which Turner believes Canada must continue to fight until the Afghans are ready to take over. Despite a few very vocal critics, the bulk of those who attended the meeting seemed happy with what Turner had to say even though some have yet to come to terms with him joining the Liberals. "I enjoy Garth's personality, his positions. I believe I agree with most of his policies and I think he's a strong representative of our riding," said Glen Wimbush. "I've never voted Liberal before, but I may now because I do believe in Garth Turner. I like his policies as an individual so I've got a larger decision to make." "I like him. I think he's going to be good and I'm happy he's my MP," said Jan Doholis. As far as Turner is concerned the meeting went about how he thought it would. "This was the first public meeting since I announced my change so some people are okay and they now support me, some people now hate me and that's kind of what I expected the situation to be," he said. 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