Angry in the Great White North

Liberal MP Andrew Telegdi is going to vote.  Yeah, I know. What a shocker!

The Harper government survived a potential election-triggering vote on its controversial immigration bill Wednesday after Liberals voted with the government. But at least one Liberal MP is threatening to break ranks unless the party takes a stand soon against the bill.

Before the vote, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion said his party is "adamantly against" the bill, but it's up to him to decide whether to bring down the government. "If they don't change it, we'll vote against it. And it's my decision to decide when the trigger will happen," Dion told reporters.

But Liberal MP Andrew Telegdi, who represents the Ontario riding of Kitchener-Waterloo, said Wednesday he will vote against the bill when it comes up for third reading in the House of Commons, no matter what position his party takes.

"They can't move my seat any further back, can they?" Telegdi said in an interview, referring to his status as a backbench MP and any repercussions he might face for breaking party ranks. "It's a horrible bill."

Andrew Telegdi's reference to being punished is a bit overly dramatic.  I can't really see what Stephane Dion can do.  Consider his options:

1. He can punish Andrew Telegdi.  That means a Liberal who is standing up for Liberal values and for his constituents against a bill that the Liberal have said they don't like (including Stephane Dion) is being punished for, well, standing up.  How many votes will that earn Andrew Telegdi in his riding?  Probably more than a few.  Indeed, I wonder how many more Liberals might be happy to be seen to be punished by Stephane Dion for the crime of not giving the Conservative Party a free ride.
2. He can let Andrew Telegdi off without any punishment.  What sort of leader allows his caucus members to vote against his wishes in a confidence situation without some sort of punishment?  What will other MPs do once they see that Andrew Telegdi has successfully stared down Stephane Dion?  Again, how many votes can Andrew Telegdi gain if he spins this action as one by a true Liberal who is more concerned with policies rather than polls.

For Stephane Dion, he is damned if he does, and damned if he doesn't.  Not every Liberal MP would appreciate Andrew Telegdi's defiant gesture, but I bet more than a few would, and plenty more rank and file Liberals would cheer Telegdi on.

Those would be the same Liberals who moan when Stephane Dion explains why the Conservatives ought to continue governing and passing bill after bill after bill:

"I will choose my time in keeping in my mind the necessity to give to Canadians in an optimal situation the possibility to have a progressive Liberal government that will replace this bad bill by a good law and that will replace this bad government by a good government," stammered Liberal leader Stephane Dion yesterday. Um, well, you figure that out.

Maybe Andrew Telegdi is going to be punished if he votes against Stephane Dion's wishes.  But it's Stephane Dion who is going to be hurt.