Tory MP to Vote Against His Own Party over Equalization

Hi all,

I'm still travelling in parts of Canada (NB this week) but I noticed this article in the Halifax Chronicle Herald this morning and thought it might interest you all.

Too bad our Newfoundland and Labrador MPs don't have the same sense of morality.

I'll be back next week, until then keep your keel in the water,

Myles


OTTAWA — Tory MP Bill Casey says he will vote against his own government’s budget legislation this evening unless the Conservatives unexpectedly reverse themselves and reinstate the offshore accord between Nova Scotia and Ottawa.

Mr. Casey’s vote is expected to result in his ejection from the Tory caucus, which means he will have to sit as an Independent.

"I’m convinced that the budget amends the offshore revenue agreement that is detrimental to the province," said the MP for Cumberland-Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley. "This is a signed contract between the Province of Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada, and it should not be amended by one side. And I hope this error will be corrected."

Mr. Casey said he has worked behind the scenes since the budget came down in March to try to persuade Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Prime Minister Stephen Harper to honour the accord.

"I’d like you to write this down," he said. "We’ve met with Mr. Flaherty several times. We met with the prime minister several times. We’ve raised it in caucus. We got a legal opinion. We’ve made several proposals. We’ve tried to build bridges between the federal government and the provincial government. And we haven’t made any progress. So it doesn’t leave me a lot of choice."

Mr. Casey was to meet with Mr. Flaherty on Monday evening, but it would be surprising if the minister was to change his position now.

The Tory governments of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador have both complained that Mr. Harper has broken the offshore accords and repeated, explicit promises to allow the provinces to enjoy 100 per cent of offshore revenue without an equalization clawback. Independent analysts have estimated that will cost each province about $1 billion.

The Tories point out that, accord or no accord, the province gets more money this year than last.

In spite of that, Tory MPs from the two provinces have been under pressure, in particular from Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams, to defy their own government and vote against the budget.

That defiance is likely to come at a cost for Mr. Casey if he votes against the implementation bill, which must pass to set the federal budget into motion.

The few precedents of MPs voting against their party on a budget all end with the MP’s expulsion from caucus.

Mr. Casey said he doesn’t feel he has any choice.

"This has been a very emotional, trying decision to make. But I went to the Parrsboro legion on Saturday night to (provincial attorney general) Murray Scott’s lobster dinner. I think I’ve gone to 12 of these consecutively and I’ve always spoken. And I felt so uncomfortable that I said to my wife, I hope they don’t ask me to speak. On the way home, I thought to myself, I don’t want to spend the rest of my career not being able to look people in the eye or speak to my people."

Mr. Casey’s move is likely to increase the pressure on other Nova Scotia and Newfoundland Tories, who risk looking like they are meekly betraying their constituents while Mr. Casey stands up for his.

Nova Scotia’s representative in the federal cabinet, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay, was travelling Monday and unavailable for comment, but his communications director said he would not comment until after the vote.

"I don’t talk on hypotheticals," he said. "The vote will come and we’ll see what happens."
South Shore-St. Margarets MP Gerald Keddy said he understands why Mr. Casey is doing what he’s doing, although he will vote for the budget himself and stay in caucus.

"I fully respect his decision," he said. "I’m going to take the position that I’ve taken up to this point. I’m going to continue to work with the minister to try to have it changed."

Mr. Keddy said he believes the cap on offshore revenue must be removed if the budget is to respect the offshore accord negotiated by former premier John Hamm.

"This has to be fixed. If it’s not fixed in this budget, it has to be fixed in the next budget."
Mr. Keddy said he hopes Mr. Casey isn’t kicked out of the party, but the precedents aren’t good.
"They all ended up not being in the party," he acknowledged.

In question period Monday, Halifax West MP Geoff Regan, who helped signed the offshore accord for the previous government, used Mr. Casey’s comments to attack Mr. Harper.

""With his own members turning against him, will he end his betrayal of Atlantic Canada and honour the accord?" asked Mr. Regan.

Mr. Flaherty said Mr. Regan wants Nova Scotia to have less money.

""If the government listened to the member opposite, the people of Nova Scotia would receive $95 million less this year than they are going to receive under the O’Brien formula," he said.
The Tories frame the debate as if critics want to return to the older, less generous equalization system, while critics say the accord guarantees offshore revenue and the more generous equalization program.

Mr. Casey said he could still vote for the budget if the government signals it will respect the offshore accord.

"It’s very simple to correct, and I don’t need an amendment to the legislation. I need a signal from the federal government that they will take the steps to restore the benefits of the Atlantic accord in the same way that John Hamm negotiated them for about five years."