Casey comfortable with status as an Independent Progressive Conservative
June 8, 2007
Ottawa – He has sat as a member of government, the opposition and now Bill Casey, MP is content to take his seat in the House of Commons as an Independent Progressive Conservative.
“I am very comfortable with this situation and I have no intention of joining any political party,” Casey said on Friday. “I have the experience of being a member of government and a member of the opposition, so I know I can adapt to this current situation.”
“I still have the exact same office budget, staff members, offices and equipment as I did prior to being expelled. I still have access to the decision makers,” Casey said. “If anything, I will have even more time now to work on constituency issues since I have reduced committees and no party duties to attend to.”
Casey added he is still committed to the fight to get the Harper government to honour the Atlantic Accord.
The Liberals are the party that ferociously opposed the GST when the Mulroney government brought it in back in 1990. Remember their noisemakers in the Senate? The Liberals are the party whose former leader, Jean Chrétien, once pledged to "axe the tax" and then used it to help balance the budget in 1997.
He doesn’t have a scientific poll, but he said about 62 per cent of the more than 3,000 people who have contacted him on the issue want the registry kept. He said they want to see improvements so it is more respectful to long-gun owners.
Stoffer blamed himself for not persuading people in the riding that the registry should go. He said he may have been arrogant in thinking his position reflected what people were thinking.
Andy Webber, president of the Nova Scotia Rifle Association, said registry opponents in Stoffer’s riding are not happy.
"They are exceptionally upset," Webber said. "They feel they’ve been betrayed."
The Nova Scotia Federation of Anglers and Hunters said the same thing.
"Betrayed is not too strong a word to use," said a news release from executive director Tony Rodgers.
Rodgers said he thinks Layton whipped his MPs while at a caucus retreat in Regina this month to vote in favour of the registry.
"Peter Stoffer’s rhetoric has never matched his record," he said in an email. "Just like he pretends to support members of the Canadian Forces and veterans but consistently votes against every defence and veterans bill in the House of Commons, Peter Stoffer is now going to reverse his vote on the long-gun registry and abandon his promise to his constituents."
Some in the media thought Rob Ford could never be a Mayor of Toronto and the same media will predict Stoffer is safe. All bets are off.
