For David Wilks, it’s been an honour just to take up space in Ottawa

Until recently, I wasn’t that big a fan of Conservative MP David Wilks, possibly on account of never having heard of him.

But he’s made quite an impression of late. First, Wilks spoke in favour of Stephen Harper’s omnibus budget bill. Then he told some constituents the legislation was flawed and overstuffed—and he would oppose it, even if it meant leaving caucus. About five minutes later, Wilks ever-so-slightly altered his position on the bill once more—now he was totally for it again.

Kudos to you, David Wilks. It is said that some members of Parliament are afraid to take a stand—but here we have an MP with the courage to take several.

Re-education of David Wilks a lesson on the decline of parliament

Nobody gets killed for his beliefs in our democracy; nobody is jailed or beaten for speaking his mind. Nevertheless, there are moments when the curtain is pulled back, and we see the interplay of power and subordination in its rawest form — the humiliations, the lies, and most humiliating of all the obligatory lie, the forced confession, in which some poor schmuck is dragged in front of the cameras and required to state that day is night, even when, especially when, the whole world knows that day is not night, and knows that he knows day is not night but has been forced to say it anyway just to rub his nose in it, or rather to rub our noses in it, to assert the primacy of power, not just over poor schmucks, but over truth itself — and it all looks just a little bit Darkness At Noon .

Of mice, men, and tap-dancing chihuahuas

The dudes in the Ministry of Fear, alias the Prime Minister’s Office, have struck again.

Kootenay-Columbia Conservative MP David Wilks has been taken to the woodshed of Stephen Harper’s political re-education camp. That’s the place where you go in a man and come out a tap-dancing Chihuahua.

Is there a sadder spectacle in public life than a backbench MP who was almost courageous? Bad enough when you are only brave in private, and then only if you can find 12 plucky colleagues to back you up. But when you climb down all the way to the supine position after your “real” thoughts about government policy are Youtubed, it’s probably time to pack in politics and open a tanning salon. Even in these dear, dirty times, David, no one likes dancing to the rhythm of a grown man’s knees knocking.

MPs choosing between constituents and party

OTTAWA -- Canadians got a rare glimpse last week into just how much influence their MP actually has on the way government operates.

Conservative MP David Wilks, a rookie from the B.C. riding of Kootenay-Columbia, met with some constituents in Revelstoke, B.C., on May 22. The meeting was captured on video and posted online. This was done with Wilks' full knowledge.

Wilks was refreshingly candid with group members at the table, who were not Conservative supporters. They were upset the budget implementation bill contains elements that have little to do with the budget -- things such as cross-border policing powers, environmental regulations and immigration rules.

The Tory who could have been a somebody, but folded

For a brief, shining moment last week, David Wilks stood poised to become the West Coast Bill Casey. The little-known B.C. Conservative MP was going to stand up to the prime minister, the Tory party and the hydra-headed beast that is the omnibus budget bill.

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.

Criticism by Conservative MP shows depth of unease over omnibus budget bill

The Conservative government’s Russian doll budget legislation is starting to generate opposition from within its own ranks.

David Wilks, the rookie MP for Kootney-Columbia, may be so back-bench he’s in danger of falling off, yet he already knows long careers in politics are not founded on further aggravating angry local voters. At a meeting in Revelstoke, he reportedly told people protesting against the omnibus budget bill that he would vote against C-38, if 12 other Conservatives voted alongside him.

Unfortunately, before you could say “career-limiting move” he was compelled to “clarify” his comments by saying he now supports the bill.

Still, it’s not hard to see why parliamentarians concerned about democratic process are upset about the budget bill.

5 Things MP David Wilks taught us about Canadian democracy

Conservative backbencher David Wilks was caught red-handed this week telling his Kootenay-Columbia constituents how Ottawa really works. The 12 minutes of amateur video taken during a frank and open discussion in Revelstoke, B.C. about the budget bill might mark the last time Canadians ever hear from Wilks — beyond the “yay” he has now promised to give C-38.

Let’s remember the Top 5 things Wilks taught Canadians about their democracy:

1) Stephen Harper gives his backbenchers less face time than his soon-to-be-published hockey book — he reportedly worked on it 15 minutes every day. When asked about the opportunity to raise his concerns with his party and the prime minister, Wilks explained: “We can do that at national caucus, which is every Wednesday from 9:30 until noon. We have about a 10 minute period in which we can speak to the prime minister.”

MP David Wilks addresses Bill C-38 critics at Revelstoke meeting

Kootenay-Columbia MP David Wilks said he will vote against the Conservative government's omnibus budget bill, but only if 12 other government MPs vote with him.

"I will stand up and say the Harper government should get rid of Bill C-38," he told a gathering of about 30 constituents at the Best Western Hotel in Revelstoke Tuesday morning.

However, he added that he alone couldn't stop the bill and 12 other Conservative MPs would have to vote against the government bill with him for him to do so.

And that, has zero chance of happening, he said after the meeting.