A look at the flux of the Conservative Party of Canada
With recent news of foreign affairs minister John Baird resigning and Eve Adams crossing the floor to the Liberal Party, the Conservative Party is once again trying to minimize the impact of its members leaving the House of Commons. For the Conservatives, this is no new task: since the 2011 federal election, numerous members have left their seats for a number of reasons, including scandal, health, and disappointment with the current government.
The first of many Conservative members to leave their seat was Bev Oda, who resigned in 2012 after an expense scandal that revolved around her charging taxpayers $16 for orange juice and upgrading to a more expensive hotel on a trip to London. Oda was the Minister of International Co-operation prior to her resignation – which she purported to be her decision, as she had planned to retire for some time.
Following Oda was Aboriginal affairs minister John Duncan, who resigned from his position in 2013 after sending a letter to the Tax Court of Canada on behalf of a constituent. After his resignation as Aboriginal affairs minister, Duncan continued to sit as a Member of Parliament (MP).
The next to resign in a cloud of scandal was Peter Penashue, also in 2013, who had taken 28 ineligible election contributions worth over $40,000, including over $18,000 from Provincial Airlines. The scandal lead Penashue to resign from his position as intergovernmental affairs minister and his seat as MP. Though Penashue attempted to regain his seat in the following by-election, he lost.
Brent Rathgeber also resigned in 2013 as backbench MP. Rathgeber became irritated by the lack of freedom he had in the party, and told reporters that he left to better represent his constituents in a way he could not as a Conservative Party member, where he was “told how to vote; told what to speak.”
For a short time after 2013, the Conservatives appeared to have better management of their MPs, and no members resigned – that is, until one of the biggest resignations in the history of Canadian federal politics, when finance minister Jim Flaherty resigned in 2014 due to sudden health concerns. Flaherty was a key player in federal and Conservative politics, and was responsible for steering Canada through the economic recession of 2008. A month after his resignation, Flaherty passed away from a heart attack.
Earlier this year, veterans affairs minister Julian Fantino was moved out of his position, following outcry from opposition members and the public over the lack of support for veterans with mental illness and the closing of regional offices. Fantino now sits as Associate Minister of Defence, with retired Royal Canadian Air Force officer Erin O’Toole taking the Veterans Affairs seat.
After Fantino, the Conservatives were dealt another major blow when Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird resigned. Baird has yet to officially provide a specific reason for his resignation, but some sources report that he is following opportunities in the private sector. Baird became a common name after the series of international crises in the summer of 2014, including the conflicts in Ukraine and the surge of ISIS conflict. Many considered Baird to be Harper’s top lieutenant, and his resignation came as a surprise.
The most recent political hit for the Conservatives came when Eve Adams, a Conservative MP who has been followed by a series of questionable acts, crossed the floor and joined the Liberal Party. Adams notes to have made this decision after some “soul searching” and long-term distaste with the Harper government.
As the series of resignations – especially of those higher up in the party – continue, many are starting to question the credibility of a Conservative Party that can’t hold onto their own caucus. The Conservatives still have time, however, to recover before the next election, which is currently set to take place in October of this year.