Toe the party line at your own peril.
As the SNC-Lavalin scandal continues to reverberate throughout Ottawa and beyond, Delta Liberal MP Carla Qualtrough has been steadfast in support of her boss, embattled Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. On a couple of occasions when we’ve asked her for comment on the issue, the minister of public services and procurement and disability has been diplomatic in her comments, but there’s no mistaking her allegiances.
That loyalty could be considered admirable, but with a federal election just six months away, it could also prove to be problematic for Qualtrough, particularly if this saga gets even uglier for Trudeau. Voters in these parts like their representatives to be outspoken, even if doing so puts them at odds with those in power, a situation evidenced by recent history.
This is a riding that elected John Cummins five times because voters knew the Reform/Alliance/Conservative MP would speak his mind, and speak up for Delta, regardless of the consequences, which included not getting the fisheries portfolio when his party formed government even though he was the most qualified member of caucus.
This is the riding that became the first one in more than half a century to elect an independent to the provincial legislature and followed that up four years later by becoming the only riding in modern B.C. history to re-elect an independent. That’s because voters wanted someone to stand up for Delta South and they found that in Vicki Huntington.
This is also a riding that turfed a federal cabinet minister in the last election in part because voters didn’t think she had their back. They wanted Kerry-Lynne Findlay to stand up and say the proposed radio towers shouldn’t be located just across the line in Point Roberts, so they turned on her when they didn’t get such a declaration.
There’s no doubt the SNC-Lavalin issue has been a costly one for Jody Wilson-Raybould and fellow former cabinet minister Jane Philpott, both of whom have been expelled from the Liberal caucus and face uncertain political futures. They’ve certainly paid a steep price for their decision to speak out, but it should be remembered that not doing so can also come with a cost.
