Plus ça change...

Wow! Harper is not even (officially) in the job one day, when he apparently goes back on what seemed to be a big deal in the major platform plank of "accountability." Somehow I seem to recall the noise that erupted when Belinda Stronach crossed the floor, nominally on a policy difference with her soon-to-be-former party, to sit with the Paul Martin Liberals in the Paul Martin cabinet. Something about having to return to the voters? But today, we hear news of elected Liberal MP, David Emerson, not even waiting to get to the floor to cross it, being sworn in as a Conservative cabinet minister.

Anne McLellan, the former Liberal deputy prime minister who lost her seat in the election, said Emerson's defection shocked her and others in the party... McLellan added, however, that Emerson was not looking forward to the prospect of being an opposition MP. "I talked to David after the election and I know there was no question he was not looking forward to sitting as an opposition member. He told me that he'd ... come to Ottawa to be in government."

The Conservative Party spokesman offers this very weak response to the obvious "pot, meet kettle" moment: "I think a lot of people in the Conservative party came from other parties. There wouldn't be a Conservative party today if people hadn't come from other parties," [Conservative strategist, Tim] Powers said."

Mr. Harper: there seems to be a defect in your cabinet.
P.S. The blogosphere is watching you.
[Technorati tags: harper | conservative | emerson | defection | hypocrisy]