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I’m not giving up my seat
In 1998, the Honourable Jean Charest bowed to tremendous public pressure and resigned as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party to become leader of the Quebec Liberal Party.
The PC party had no obvious candidate to fill Jean Charest's leadership position. The party then turned to the Rt Hon Joe Clark to once again to lead the party. He was elected PC leader by a teleconference of PC members from around the country. However, he did not have a seat in the House of Commons.
At the time, I had been re-elected in the 1997 election after having lost my seat in the 1993 election. In the interim, I had sold my car business and accepted a position with Midland Walwyn Investments. Merrill Lynch Investments then bought Midland Walwyn. I was nicely settled in the new office when Merrill Lynch sold to CIBC Wood Gundy, and we moved again. I had gone from an elected MP to a defeated MP to no longer being a car dealer and suddenly was employed by three different investment firms, all in a very short time. It was like career whiplash. Then I decided to run again in 1997.
After I was re-elected in 1997, and Mr. Clark was chosen to be our leader of the PC party, there was a strong movement to get him a seat in the House of Commons. Some people thought that I should give up my seat and let him run for office in Cumberland Colchester.
However, considering the career roller coaster I had just been on, I couldn t once again find myself with no career and no source of income. I said that I would consider giving up my seat if I could find a new vocation and I started to send out feelers. In the meantime, I made it very clear that without a new direction, I could not step down.
Then one afternoon, CBC reporter Julie Van Dusen called me at 5:30 pm and said “Just calling to let you know that on the six o’clock news tonight we are announcing that you are stepping down as MP to allow Joe Clark to gain a seat.”
I said “Julie that is not correct. I am not stepping down.”
Julie the said “No, no, I have it from a good source that you are stepping down.”
To which I replied “Julie, I am a good source and I am telling you that I am not stepping down.” She hung up.
A couple of minutes later she called back “No, it is confirmed from an excellent source, you are stepping down.”
Me: “Well, this source (me) is telling you that if you report that news, you will knowingly be reporting wrong information.” She hung up.
A few minutes later she called back, “Is it really true that you are not giving up your seat?An Ottawa Senator says that you are.”
Me: “No, Julie, I am not giving up my seat.” She hung up.
A couple of minutes later she called and said, “OK, we are going with the story that you are one of several who might give up your seat for Mr. Clark.”
Me: “Perfect.”
A couple of days later, I was sitting on my swim platform on my boat in Halifax Harbour, when I looked at my cell phone and there was a message from journalist and friend Mike Duffy. The message said “We are announcing at 6:00 o’clock that you are giving up your seat for Joe Clark.” Yikes!
I immediately called Mike Duffy back and got his answering machine. It was about two minutes to the 6 pm news, so I just left a simple, repeated message. I said “I am not giving up my seat, I am not giving up my seat, I am not giving up my seat, I am not giving up my seat, I am not giving up my seat, and in case I have not made myself clear, I am not giving up my seat,” and I hung up. I did’t think that he would get my message before he went on the air.
A few minutes after 6 my cell phone rang, and it was my friend Ian Hamilton from Moncton. He said I just heard the funniest thing I ever heard. He said that Mike Duffy played back my recording “I’m not giving up my seat, I’m not giving up my seat, I’m not giving up my seat”, etc. I couldn t believe it, but maybe it worked.
Just for the record, If I was going to give up my seat for anyone, it would be for the Right Honorable Joe Clark. At that time however, I had just experienced too many zigzags in my career and couldn t take another zag.
The PC party had no obvious candidate to fill Jean Charest's leadership position. The party then turned to the Rt Hon Joe Clark to once again to lead the party. He was elected PC leader by a teleconference of PC members from around the country. However, he did not have a seat in the House of Commons.
At the time, I had been re-elected in the 1997 election after having lost my seat in the 1993 election. In the interim, I had sold my car business and accepted a position with Midland Walwyn Investments. Merrill Lynch Investments then bought Midland Walwyn. I was nicely settled in the new office when Merrill Lynch sold to CIBC Wood Gundy, and we moved again. I had gone from an elected MP to a defeated MP to no longer being a car dealer and suddenly was employed by three different investment firms, all in a very short time. It was like career whiplash. Then I decided to run again in 1997.
After I was re-elected in 1997, and Mr. Clark was chosen to be our leader of the PC party, there was a strong movement to get him a seat in the House of Commons. Some people thought that I should give up my seat and let him run for office in Cumberland Colchester.
However, considering the career roller coaster I had just been on, I couldn t once again find myself with no career and no source of income. I said that I would consider giving up my seat if I could find a new vocation and I started to send out feelers. In the meantime, I made it very clear that without a new direction, I could not step down.
Then one afternoon, CBC reporter Julie Van Dusen called me at 5:30 pm and said “Just calling to let you know that on the six o’clock news tonight we are announcing that you are stepping down as MP to allow Joe Clark to gain a seat.”
I said “Julie that is not correct. I am not stepping down.”
Julie the said “No, no, I have it from a good source that you are stepping down.”
To which I replied “Julie, I am a good source and I am telling you that I am not stepping down.” She hung up.
A couple of minutes later she called back “No, it is confirmed from an excellent source, you are stepping down.”
Me: “Well, this source (me) is telling you that if you report that news, you will knowingly be reporting wrong information.” She hung up.
A few minutes later she called back, “Is it really true that you are not giving up your seat?An Ottawa Senator says that you are.”
Me: “No, Julie, I am not giving up my seat.” She hung up.
A couple of minutes later she called and said, “OK, we are going with the story that you are one of several who might give up your seat for Mr. Clark.”
Me: “Perfect.”
A couple of days later, I was sitting on my swim platform on my boat in Halifax Harbour, when I looked at my cell phone and there was a message from journalist and friend Mike Duffy. The message said “We are announcing at 6:00 o’clock that you are giving up your seat for Joe Clark.” Yikes!
I immediately called Mike Duffy back and got his answering machine. It was about two minutes to the 6 pm news, so I just left a simple, repeated message. I said “I am not giving up my seat, I am not giving up my seat, I am not giving up my seat, I am not giving up my seat, I am not giving up my seat, and in case I have not made myself clear, I am not giving up my seat,” and I hung up. I did’t think that he would get my message before he went on the air.
A few minutes after 6 my cell phone rang, and it was my friend Ian Hamilton from Moncton. He said I just heard the funniest thing I ever heard. He said that Mike Duffy played back my recording “I’m not giving up my seat, I’m not giving up my seat, I’m not giving up my seat”, etc. I couldn t believe it, but maybe it worked.
Just for the record, If I was going to give up my seat for anyone, it would be for the Right Honorable Joe Clark. At that time however, I had just experienced too many zigzags in my career and couldn t take another zag.