Campaign to De-Elect David Emerson continues call for Emerson to resign and run in by-election

For Immediate Release

May 8, 2006, Vancouver-Kingsway - On February 6th, David Emerson, re-elected as BC's most senior Liberal MP just a couple weeks prior, shocked the country when he arrived at Rideau Hall to join then Prime Minister-elect Stephen Harper's Conservative cabinet and caucus. That same day the country learned that Emerson had been in secret negotiations with Conservatives less than 24 hours after the final votes were counted here in Vancouver-Kingsway.

Since then thousands of riding residents have participated in protests, rallies and forums and have sent a uniform message to Emerson: resign and run in a by-election and earn a legitimate mandate.

Recently, after being forced by the presence of national media to accept a constituent's meeting request, Emerson met with one of the many disenfranchised voters of this riding. Emerson only agreed to do so only on the condition that the voter, Manuel Pereda, vowed to not demand for his resignation.

The Campaign to De-Elect David Emerson finds this price of admission far too high.

David Emerson was elected to serve the people of his riding, yet he refuses to engage with his constituents and legitimate community groups that seek his attention. Since he is unwilling to meet constituents without conditions, Emerson is unfit to represent Vancouver-Kingsway.

2 men, Harper and Emerson, secretly conspired to overturn the votes of 46,168 citizens. That's not real democracy and the undemocratic precedent they've set can not be allowed to stand.

It is the view of the Campaign that real change does not happen when important issues are put on the back burner only to silently run dry, and this we will not do. We will continue to keep the issue in the spotlight and pressure on Emerson at full boil for as long as it takes to bring back real democracy to the people of our riding.

The Campaign to De-Elect David Emerson represents hundreds of volunteers and tens of thousands of supporters and continues to seek a by-election for Vancouver-Kingsway, and will support any effort undertaken to ensure that what Emerson and Harper did to Canadian voters never happens again in this country.