For the first time since 1957, St. Albert’s member of Parliament will not sit with a Conservative caucus. But beyond that, now-independent MP Brent Rathgeber says little will change for residents within the boundaries of the Edmonton-St.
For the first time since 1957, St. Albert’s member of Parliament will not sit with a Conservative caucus.
But beyond that, now-independent MP Brent Rathgeber says little will change for residents within the boundaries of the Edmonton-St. Albert constituency.
“I suspect nothing (is different for voters),” Rathgeber said during a press conference Thursday at his St. Albert office. “I suspect on a go-forward basis their MP will be able to represent their wishes and interests and not be mandated to vote pursuant to the wishes of the party establishment.”
Rathgeber, 48, announced Wednesday evening that he was resigning from the Conservative caucus in Ottawa because the government had “gutted” his private member’s bill. C-461, the CBC and Public Service Disclosure and Transparency Act, would have required disclosure of civil servant salaries greater than $188,000 annually. The government changed that to any above $444,000.
Though he will sit as an independent, Rathgeber said he will still support the Conservative government, just not unconditionally.
“I will support the government on a case-by-case, issue-by-issue basis,” Rathgeber said. “If I believe a legislative initiative will benefit the people of Edmonton-St. Albert, of Alberta, I’ll support it. If I think it won’t, I won’t.”
The last time St. Albert was represented by someone who was not a member of a conservative party was 56 years ago when Liberal George Prudden served his last year as MP.
It doesn’t appear, at this early stage, St. Albertans will be headed to the polls as a result of Rathgeber’s actions. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office had said Rathgeber should step down and submit to a by-election, but Rathgeber criticized that suggestion.
“I think that’s a little rich coming from the Prime Minister’s Office,” Rathgeber said. “With the benefit of hindsight, they might actually realize the hole in that argument and realize it shows a lack of understanding on how our Westminster Parliament works.”
Rathgeber cited the case of David Emerson who, after being elected as a Liberal MP in 2006, crossed the floor to the Stephen Harper Conservatives two days after the election and was subsequently appointed to cabinet as minister of international trade. He did not submit to a by-election.
But Rathgeber said he will listen to his constituents and take action if he feels it’s warranted.
“I’m accountable to my constituents and if I sense my constituents are unhappy with the decision, then I’ll have to deal with it,” Rathgeber said. “The various e-mails and tweets that have come into the office have shown anything but unhappiness.”
Mayor Nolan Crouse said he doesn’t expect Rathgeber’s decision will have much of an effect on city operations, but also said he doesn’t know much about what role an MP plays in local affairs.
“As long as the St. Albert voice isn’t lost in the hallways for grants and things like that,” Crouse said. “For the most part the interaction we have at the local level is on grants.”
What will happen in 2015, however, when the next election has been scheduled, is unclear. Rathgeber said that is still a long ways away but conceded if he were to run again as an independent, he would face an uphill battle.
“I am most mindful of the difficulty of getting elected as an independent. The resources that parties can bring … makes running under a party banner almost an imperative but not quite an imperative,” Rathgeber said. “Two-and-a-half years is a long time so I’ll have to reassess whether or not it’s realistic if an independent has a shot of retaining this seat.”
