But he blew it.
Last Tuesday, Wilks told constituents that he opposed parts of the 425-page budget bill, which affects everything from EI and Old Age Security to the size of the civil service and environmental assessments.
Audio clips posted online from a party meeting made it sound like Wilks had been put on the spot by the good citizens of Revelstoke, in his Kootenay-Columbia riding. They wanted to know why he was voting for legislation they opposed and they wanted him to take a stand. Finally he vowed: “I will stand up and say the Harper government should get rid of Bill C-38.”
But Wilks also maintained that his was only one vote among many and that the budget bill would pass no matter how he voted. He suggested the constituents lobby other MPs as well and that if 13 votes were found, the bill might be changed or defeated.
The constituents pressed: If the bill will pass no matter what, why not take a stand on principle and vote no? At least he would express their democratic wishes.
Wilks seemed ready to do it. But then the political commissars got to him. Within minutes of his comments going public, he was back in line. Wilks went from a potential Bill Casey to a political Joe Schmo.
His website put up a grovelling message: “I look forward to supporting the bill and seeing it passed.
“I support this bill, and the jobs and growth measures that it will bring for Canadians in Kootenay-Columbia and right across the country.”
Clearly the hard men of the PMO had a full and frank talk with the rookie MP, who is a former Mountie, mayor and pool hall proprietor in beautiful Sparwood, B.C. You can imagine how that went: If he valued his future as a Tory, he’d better “clarify” his remarks and pledge obeisance to the party line.
And so David Wilks’ brief encounter with independence and personal accountability vanished in the dust. That’s a shame, and not because one dissenting vote might be cast by a Tory against undemocratic legislation. The tragedy is that Wilks denied himself the chance to actually be somebody through the simple act of representing his constituents.
Which brings us back to Casey. The amiable businessman from Amherst could have been premier of the whole East Coast almost exactly five years ago this week because of his opposition to measures in another controversial budget.
Casey bravely and brilliantly stood up to Stephen Harper over the 2007 budget because, as he righteously pointed out, it abrogated the Atlantic Accords on offshore resources. It would have hurt his province, his region and his constituents. It was wrong. So Casey voted no and got booted from the Tory caucus.
And that’s where Casey and Wilks go their separate ways, the former into the history books as a Maritime political folk hero, the latter into utter irrelevance. Where Casey stood and voted his conscience, Wilks will soon stand in the Commons and vote for a budget he knows is misguided and opposed by his own constituents.
From now on, Wilks will be tainted by his sudden loss of fortitude, a fate shared by yes-men and sycophants down through the generations. Where Casey retired covered in glory because he took a stand for what was right, Wilks has been shown to be just another fawning toady.
But fear not, because there are heroes in this cautionary tale. They are the constituents of Kootenay-Columbia who challenged Wilks to vote his conscience and stand up for what is right. It is them we should honour, because they demanded what is theirs to demand: honest representation.
It is their lesson we should take to heart: that it’s never wrong to hold our elected representatives to account. All honour to them. We can forget David Wilks.
Original Article
Source: the chronicle herald
Author: DAN LEGER
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