Conservative-turned-Independent-turned Liberal maverick Garth Turner has resigned his candidacy to run for the Grits in the next federal election.
On his website, the outspoken Turner lashed out at his former leaders, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, in a statement discussing his resignation.
"Some months ago I was encouraged to return to federal politics. I succumbed. Big mistake," the former MP wrote. "Yesterday I corrected that, and am returning my Liberal decoder ring. In fact, it's fair to say my experiences in politics over the past four years have reminded me why 97% of Canadians do not belong to a party."
Turner said his frank assessment of the state of Canadian politics "did not endear" him to Ignatieff and led to his resignation.
"To date, no party or leader has treated you honestly to an explanation of what a $56 billion deficit or $600 billion debt mean for your family or your finances. Suggesting there'll be no tax hikes, spending cuts or mortgage increases is akin to Stephen Harper telling us one year ago Canada was immune to recession and our budget would stay balanced. It's crap. But apparently crap that people like hearing," he wrote.
Turner says he was recruited to run for the Liberals in the Ontario riding of Dufferin-Caledon in July.
"In Dufferin-Caledon I have been the only nominee for MP candidate since August. I'm interpreting the leader's failure to allow a nomination meeting as a signal my views are unwelcome," he wrote.
Speaking to Â鶹´«Ã½ Channel's Power Play on Tuesday, Turner said the Liberals "don't want me."
But Janet Rosenstock, the chair of the Dufferin-Caledon Federal Liberal Association, has a different story, saying Turner only needed nine more members to sign off on his candidacy for a nomination meeting to be called.
Turner called Rosenstock's version "incorrect" but did not go into details.
In an email to CTV.ca, Rosenstock responded to Turner's statement and said Turner was told a nomination meeting could be held as soon as the riding reached the required membership level.
"I am not misinformed. Mr. Turner simply does not listen. He was first informed of the necessary number (of members needed) on June 18th," she said.
Additionally, Dufferin-Caledon Federal Liberal Association president Jeff May told Â鶹´«Ã½ in an email that Turner was informed on Sept. 17 that he just needed a few more members for a nomination meeting to be called.
"Neither he nor his team brought any new members to the Association between that statement and his 'resignation,'" May wrote.
When asked if he would run for office again, Turner did not give a definite answer but said there needed to be room in politics for those with an independent view.
Turner has had an extensive political career going back to his initial election as an MP for the Progressive Conservatives in 1988. He made a leadership run in 1993, but finished a distant fourth.
In 1993, he served as minister of national revenue in Kim Campbell's short-lived government and was defeated in that year's election.
He returned to office in 2006 as a Conservative but was kicked out of the party after repeatedly refusing to give up his outspoken, and often critical, blog.
Turner sat as an Independent before joining the Liberals in February 2007. He was defeated by Minister of Natural Resources Lisa Raitt in the last federal election.
