A meeting manifested by a Ward 6 councillor with upper levels of government took place at this week’s Chatham-Kent Council meeting, on the same night members debated a motion for the municipality to take a stance on floor crossing.
Councillor Brock McGregor had a motion approved back in December to host a public meeting with council, and local MPs and MPPs to facilitate dialogue across all the levels of government.
Chatham-Kent-Leamington Conservative MP Dave Epp made a presentation for council on issues facing Chatham-Kent residents and the contentious issue of Members of Parliament switching parties.
“It is a part, a function, a feature whatever word you want to use, of our Westminster parliamentary system,” said Epp.
“I have been directly approached, three days after the election, a year ago. And I was lobbied pretty hard about three, four weeks ago. For the record, for the media, I’m not crossing the floor other than what I do on a weekly basis to advocate for CK or other issues with relevant ministers.”
The Conservative MPs visit coincided with Councillor Rhonda Jubenville’s motion to write a letter to call upon “the House of Commons to amend the Parliament of Canada Act to require that any Member of Parliament who crosses the floor to join another registered political party must vacate their seat and trigger a by-election in their riding, while permitting them to sit as an independent without such a requirement.”
Councillor Melissa Harrigan said she appreciated the discussion but was not supportive of council moving beyond the scope of municipal politics.
“Having good relationships with our provincial and federal counterparts is really important,” said Harrigan.
“And so I don’t know if I would like to risk those relationships over what is really a procedural process at the federal government in parliament that we don’t have influence over.”
Jubenville felt that constituent votes are an investment and should be treated as such.
“I do believe that most people align with a party and then they will vote with the person that is representing that party,’” said Jubenville.
“When the people invest in a vote, they are taking their vote as an investment and they are investing that vote in that person who represents a party and a platform, and then that person abandons the platform that they stood on and they cross and they go over to a different party that is completely different that is where I feel that needs to be addressed.”
The motion failed 5 to 11 with councillors Jubenville, Ryan Doyle, Michael Bondy, John Wright and Amy Finn voting in favour.
