Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

Au revoir, Mr. Martin

by Aaron Wherry on Tuesday, November 9, 2010 3:42pm - 55 Comments

Original Reform MP and current Liberal MP Keith Martin will not seek re-election.

“One of the greatest honours a Canadian could have is to serve our nation as an MP,” Martin said. “I am profoundly grateful to the citizens of Esquimalt–Juan de Fuca who have given me their trust and confidence since 1993. ”Canada’s institutions need new blood and new ideas and it is neither sensible nor fair for someone to stay too long.

Eight years ago, after the Liberal government of the day preempted a vote on a private member’s bill of his, Mr. Martin somewhat famously seized the ceremonial mace, held it over his head and declared that Canada was no longer a democracy. He was briefly suspended for his efforts, but the resulting House debate, including Mr. Martin’s explanation for himself, can be found here. Mr. Martin expressed further concern for our democratic process as recently as this past June.

Tags: ceremonial mace, house of commons, Keith Martin, Parliament, Reform Party

More by Aaron Wherry

Dot

Attention Nanaimo realtors:

Elizabeth May could be interested in moving. Send accolades. Local chocolate treats appreciated.

Jeff Jedras

Keith represents Esquimalt Juan De Fuca, across the bridge from Victoria. Nanaimo is well over hour's drive north of EJDF and Saanich Gulf Islands. So while I'm sure Nanaimo realtors appreciate the heads-up, it's out of their territory.

Dot

Sorry. I was just trying to get her some press. Fact checking is new.

Jan

Why Nanaimo?

Dot

She renovated and has a spare bathtub.

PeteTong

Methinks the Conservatives will win the riding.

Incognito

With Martin gone, I wouldn't count out the NDP taking the seat back.

Orson Bean

The NDP remain a force on Vancouver Island. Lots of union power there, for one thing.

Incognito

I suspect that provincial HST politics will have an impact on federal races as well.

David

I vote in Esquimalt and followed the riding closely for 15 yrs. Dr Martin won by give or take 67 vote last time to a very weak conservative opponent. I am wiling to bet dollars to donuts the CPC wins this riding in the next election. I also think that the LPC is more than happy to see him go based on his more right thinking attitudes regarding health care national defence etc.

hollinm

Martin should never have left the Reform/Conservative party. He is not a Liberal and I suspect he is not too happy with the current direction and its current void of political leadership.

Incognito

Yet, he's not a social conservative. I doubt he could stomach being in favour of harm reduction and stand to be in the Conservative Caucus among other issues.

Katherine

It's a definite swing riding. It really depends on who the Liberals run. If they run a poor candidate, the NDP have a chance; if they run a good candidate who is nonetheless new to the people of the area, the Conservatives will probably take the seat.

Orson Bean

A very odd journey for a MP. Starts as an original Reformer, and like a lot of the idealistic Reformers, he had a lot of ideas that he wanted to push. Then he gets disillusioned with Reform/Alliance social conservatism, crosses the floor, and is resolutely a backbencher for the Liberals — with all his intelligence, ideas, good looks, etc., for some reason the LPC never really warmed up to Martin. His outspokenness on healthcare might have had something to do with that, who knows.

kcm

Yeah, Martin may have been too good [ read principled] for either party.
gottabesaid

I think that it's interesting that he did his floor-crossing in such a manner (inadvertently) as to maximize his time in opposition. He only had a cup of coffee in government under Paul Martin.

Katherine

Yes, he chose a rather unfortunate time to switch sides – which means he's either very principled, or very bad at being opportunistic.

Mike T.

Definitely a blow for people who wanted to hear the same push for two tier care for another ten years….

Jan

I see an opening for Bernier…
Incognito

That's not why he's held the seat for ages.

Mike T.

But it's the reason anyone OUTSIDE his riding has heard of him.

TwoYen

I got to know Keith Martin as a Reform MP and think very highly of him. I'm sorry to see him leave politics.

This seat is very much in play for both the CPC and NDP. Ironically his departure may make this more difficult for the CPC to win in the next election as some of his Liberal supporters may now switch their votes to the NDP. If he were still the candidate, I think the Conservatives would have won it easily.

Incognito

He was also the recipient of strategic voting.

TwoYen

Good point. It will be interesting to see how the strategic voting breaks down next time. I still think both the NDP and CPC have a shot here. This seat will not stay in the Liberal column. It was only Liberal because Keith Martin changed parties after becoming an MP and had developed a presence as an MP.

Incognito

We are of the same mind. It's hard to know for sure which way the wind will blow, but yes it won't go liberal.

Jan

Is the same Conservative running again – deSouza(?)?

Dot

What did Jim Prentice accomplished more than what Keith Martin did over the same period? Nothing? So why the different response?

And what's with this practice of announcing that you're not going to run again, whenever? Just quit, or wait to announce until you do. This isn't some monarch abdicating.

Jan

Announcing not re-running is pretty traditional isn't it?

Dot

Why? And why now?

308 or whatever seats . Say 20% choose not to run again. That's 60 announcements. What's so special about this one?

Jan

I don't see any more attention made to this than others. What am I missing?

Dot

Lots. Apparently.
Jan

Standard articles on the major news outlets. Other than that – what?

Daisy

Are you that unaware of how politics works? Keith was conscientious to afford his riding and the people who volunteer and work for him the opportunity to find a new candidate, to allow them to build a prescence there, to allow his team to decide if they wanted to remain active in the riding, to allow his team to know if they had to plan for canvassing and other activities that many MPs including govt MPs are currently doing in their riding now given that most believe there will be an election sometime after the budget is released.

Incognito

Jim Prentice joins Bay Street and you want people to relate to him?

Maybe their constituency wants to know ahead of time? It's part of being a good constituency MP.
Daisy

Given that Keith was never in Cabinet, he managed to get some remarkable things done…like get hundreds of thousands of dollars of life-saving medicines and medical equipment to places like Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and other places, worked on the landmines treaty, draw attention to the funding deficit in First Nations and the quality of life on reserve. He's developed conservation plans and has been working with NGOs to implement his solutions, he has done some amazing work on maternal and child care…the story is compelling given that he isn't a Minister and this was a person who saw Parliament as a center of innovation – unfortunately, after 17yrs, his experience has shown him that this is no longer the case.

Dot

Nov 9
Ottawa-

306 MPs have neither announced decisions to seek re-election, nor to retire.

DEVELOPING
Incognito

Speaker Milliken, rather.

Jan

No wonder I kept getting Spike when I was googling him.

http://secondthots.blogspot.com Dennis_F

Am I the only one to see something perhaps a bit strange about the timing of Martin's announcement? One week he's pushing for two-tier health again. The next week he's gone. Hmmn.
Dot

It follows closely actual retirements from Jay Hill and Jim Prentice, and their attendant private sector job offers.

"Hey world, I'm open for business too. All offers considered".

http://secondthots.blogspot.com Dennis_F

I also think that the time to bail out is right now: a few months before a probable election.

However, it still doesn't explain to me why Martin didn't seem to be acting like a departing MP only a few weeks ago. Or maybe that was the private sector advertisement? Fraser Institute, here I am?

LdKitchenersOwn

However, it still doesn't explain to me why Martin didn't seem to be acting like a departing MP only a few weeks ago.

Did Prentice seem to be acting like a departing cabinet minister a few weeks ago?
Katherine

Keith strikes me as too intellectually honest and thoughtful to work for the Fraser Institute. I suppose he wanted to plug his ideas one last time and try to get a debate started.

LdKitchenersOwn

"Hey world, I'm open for business too. All offers considered."

How novel of Martin! Announcing that you're going to resign for Parliament as a means of attracting offers for a private sector job. Isn't the usual way of doing things to announce that your resigning from Parliament to take a job that you've already been offered and were approached about weeks ago?

Dot

He's a backbencher in the opposition. Difference.

Btw, the G&M is right now running a series on healthcare and different models of delivery. Interesting opportunities…

Jan

Wow – on something Martin's been on about for years – maybe there is some sort of conspiracy here.

Dot

Timing's good. Just calling a spade a spade – as I see it. Next election, if you believe Coyne, won't be until 2012.
Jan

I didn't know Coyne was known for his election predictions.

Incognito

There's that, but I also think his integrity and views on a range of issues appeal to a broad voter pool.
Blue

I think Martin feels he has stayed too long……he probably should have left 5 years ago.
Jan

He was never a blind partisan which always earns a lot of respect. Very few of them left.
hollinm

That's why he won by 67 votes last time out. Yeah, he had broad appeal.
Orson Bean

. . . which, unfortunately, is also probably a key reason why he never climbed the ranks or built a power base in either of the parties in which he resided.
Daisy

His riding is not a Liberal riding and he's won that seat since 2004 purely on the strength of his personal brand. So for heaven's sake, wake up – this is a physician who left being a doctor so he can make a genuine difference for a larger group of people having worked in some of the most gruelling conditions as a doctor both in rural Cda and in parts of Africa. You may or may not agree with his stance on health care, but he derives his position having dedicated over 20 yrs as a doctor. He decided to go to the Liberals after having sat as an independent once he left the Reform/Alliance given that he is socially liberal, fiscally conservative…he won the last election by a razor thin margin b/c the Liberals under Dion damaged the brand (not that Ignatieff is doing that much better) but he won despite the fact this is not a traditional Liberal riding and the party brand worked against him.
hollinm

I am not questioning Martin's committment at all. However, I was responding to someone who said he had broad appeal. With a razor thin margin of 67 votes that is not somebody who the electorate in his riding are breaking down the barricades to have represent them. Yes the brand was damaged by Dion but if Martin was so beloved by his constituents that would not have mattered to them in the least.