Garth Turner's Defection

Before I say anything about the matter, a hat tip is due to my friend (and also honourable political rival) Michelle for informing me that the rumours are now true - Garth Turner will be joining the Liberal caucus.

I am very curious how Liberals feel about this move. Partly because of the sheer volume of scorn that was heaped upon Mr. Khan and Mr. Emerson during their defections. Of course, admittedly, Conservatives were equally critical of the Stronach and Brison affairs. So, I wonder where we are as political rivals at this point in the game? Have we reached the point where defections have become so common, and the criticism so hypocritical, that there is little we can say besides the usual partisan cheering from each side about "winning one for the good guys"?

But, I am more interested in what Liberals have to say about the matter because I am curious how many of them are actually excited to have Garth Turner on their team. In some ways Mr. Turner demands a certain degree of respect for being to Parliament what Don Cherry is to hockey. He speaks his mind and "tells it like it is". This role is both entertaining and refreshing to those who find the whipped nature of partisan politics distasteful. The problem is that, to a significant degree, the practice of governance according to the English Parliamentary system is a team sport. And Mr. Turner is not a team player. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't define "team player" as someone who mindlessly obeys commands from upon high. Rather, I mean it in the sense of someone who understands how to convey constructive internal criticism and get their issues on the table without publicly sucker punching members of their own team (whose political well-being determines the effectiveness with which their policies can be realized). It's all well and good to congratulate Mr. Turner for "speaking his mind" when he slams the PM on his blog for not being responsive enough to his concerns; but, let's not kid ourselves - slamming your leader in public does less to get your issues on the table, and more for making your party look divided, unorganized and foolish. After all, you learn quickly in politics that the media (and the public) love a good story about political infighting. Mr. Turner has shown an innate talent for attracting just this kind of spotlight. I wonder how eager Liberals are to become the unwitting co-stars of his show.