Angry in the Great White North

Blair Wilson is in troiuble. The Liberal MP was forced to resign from caucus when the press began to run stories outlining serious problems with his personal and election finances.

Can he return to the good graces of the Liberal Party? No. Not even if he beats the charges.

Mark Marissen, the chief Liberal Party organizer in BC and one the party's top people, has said he has passed the question to British Columbia's Green Light Committee. I've considered whether Marissen is looking to embarrass these provincial committees in order to force them into their performance as well as blunt some criticism being level against Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion from within the party.

I still think that's valid, but here's another factor. If the Green Light Committee comes back and says that had they known about Blair Wilson's past, they would never have approved the nomination, the Liberal Party might be able to use that to force Blair Wilson into resigning his seat.

Indeed, Michael Ignatieff has confirmed that Blair Wilson's ethical standards are being considered:

Blair Wilson, the British Columbia MP who resigned from the Liberal caucus on Sunday, will have to satisfy Elections Canada that his 2006 campaign expenses were in order and will have to satisfy the party that his personal financial situation is ethical, Liberal deputy leader Michael Ignatieff said yesterday.

Mr. Wilson, the former revenue critic and Vancouver-area MP, had "taken the responsible step of stepping aside" while Elections Canada investigates allegations he violated the elections law by failing to report some campaign expenses, Mr. Ignatieff said.

He noted there are two issues at stake -- one to be decided by Elections Canada and the other by the Liberal party: "There's an Elections Canada issue and there's an issue of making sure that we're represented in the next election by a candidate who meets the highest ethical standards."

I'm not sure that it's entirely legal to have the Green Light Committee re-evaluate a sitting MP (whatever the Green Light Committee says, there has been an election and the people have spoken), but Blair Wilson might realize he has little choice, practically speaking.

Michael Ignatieff has all but said that Blair Wilson will not be running for the Liberals.

That frees up the riding of West Vancouver--Sunshine Coast--Sea to Sky Country for someone else? Who would that be?

According to two sources, none other than Mark Marissen's wife Christy Clarke.

Yes, the same Mark Marissen who is involved in determining Blair Wilson's fate, and who delivered the evidence to the committee that can rule that Blair Wilson is not fit to be a Liberal MP.

"Ok, well this is all nudge nudge wink wink stuff, but follow my train here. First, Wilson's in-law torches him, then Dion dumps him from his shadow cabinet and from caucus, and now I'm hearing that a couple of the ladies want the Liberal nomination in that riding.

"What's the scuttlebutt ?"

"How about Judy Tiyabji, ex-BC lib leader Gordon Wilson's femme fatale ..."

"I heard that too, but apparently she told someone on Facebook not a chance".

"Well ... how about Christy Clark, BC's former deputy-Premier, Vancouver mayoralty candidate, mom, yak-radio host, and Dion wagonmaster Mark Marissen's wife."

"No shit !!!

"Well, that's the rumour mill, anyway. I also hear that if Marissen can throw the Hail Mary long-bomb of his political life and somehow ensconse Dion into 24 Sussex, he'll be named to the Senate.

"That would explain the 'Senator Marissen" cracks ... but why didn't he get Paul Martin to name him when he had the chance ?"

"Let's just say Martin left a lot of unfinished business ..."

"You're dropping a lot of names today", egged Pinstripe.

"Somebody's got to", shrugged Tweed.

And then from my own source in BC Liberal politics:

You are wondering why Mark Marrisen is raising the green light issue. Speculation out here is rampant that he wants his wife Christy Clarke to run in that riding. She has been a Liberal MLA out here and challenged Sam Sullivan for the nomination for Mayor of Vancouver. Together they [Marissen and Clarke] are major movers in the BC Liberal Party.

Stephane Dion gets a woman candidate to help achieve his goals of 33% women on the Liberal slate, and Marissen-Clarke become an even more important force inside of the Liberal Party.

Not everyone is sad to see Blair Wilson run into serious trouble, it seems.

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