Rob Anderson: Why I chose not to consult with my constituents
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Crossing the floor is an excruciating decision. The worst part is knowing your character and integrity will be questioned in a very personal way by the media, constituents and even friends.
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Another commonly recited argument suggests MLAs owe some sort of absolute allegiance to the political party they were elected under; and that by leaving that party, an MLA is being disloyal to his constituents. I wholeheartedly disagree.
In our parliamentary system, an MLA is elected to represent the interests of his or her constituents, not their party. MLAs campaign on a set of principles and policies, and it is their duty to do all they can to advance those policies on their constituents’ behalf.
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One can choose to disagree with our judgment of Prentice, his policies or how our parliamentary system works. But to attack the character and integrity of the MLAs who have chosen to support and work with a premier to implement a policy agenda they were elected to advocate for in the first place, is unfair.
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http://calgaryherald.com/opinion/col...ross-the-floor
From the comments ection.....
Timothy Anderson · Writer/Editor at Wooden Door & Associates
Mr. Anderson, in trying to paint this as an ethical action you do your constituents a disservice. We have already seen that Prentice follows the same pattern as the PCs you left: poor consultation, top-down decision making, backroom deals, and short-sightedness in fiscal matters.
Wildrose still stands for the things you said you stood for. By offering you an agreement document, Prentice essentially bribed you to leave the party that continued to stand for the values on which you campaigned and were elected. There was no need to leave the party. If you believed the two parties should merge, then go through the merger process in an open and above-board manner. Or you could have consulted the people who elected you. Or you could have sat as an independent. You had several options and you chose one that did not respect the voters ...and the people who worked so hard to get you elected.
By being part of a behind-doors deal, so contrary to what you were supposed to stand for, you proved that you do not have integrity. Now you are desperately trying to paint it as a move that shows your integrity. That is insulting to the people who believed in you. They have a right to be concerned, especially since you seem to be totally oblivious to the ways in which you behaved unethically. that lack of an ethical compass is what makes you think you have done nothing wrong. That lack of an ethical compass is exactly the sort of thing Wildrose is trying to fight in the PCs.
Personally, my opinion is that you belong with the PCs, but not because you have integrity. I think your actions are exactly what we have come to expect of the PCs.