Embattled independent MP Blair Wilson said he hopes to see an outcome of an Elections Canada investigation soon. He said he has no plans to resign and is committed to working for his constituents.
Wilson, the member of Parliament for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country, appeared on Coast Cable 11's Parliamentary Talk Back call-in show Jan. 17. It was the first time Wilson has made a public appearance on the Sunshine Coast since allegations of election improprieties surfaced in November.
Wilson said he's committed to working with Elections Canada on their investigation and that he's looking forward to bringing the investigation to a close as quickly as possible.
"As soon as the story broke in The Province in November, one of the first things I did was contact Elections Canada to request a review into the allegations that appeared in the paper," said Wilson. "I feel very strongly and I'm very confident that each and every one of those allegations will eventually prove to be wrong. Elections Canada runs at their own timetable and their own pace. Myself, my supporters, my fiscal agent, have contacted Elections Canada and said we are willing and able to answer any and all questions. We can provide you with any and all documentation you need to get through your review as quickly as possible. It's a bit of a waiting game now. I was hoping to get the results before Christmas, but that didn't happen. We're very hopeful and confident that Elections Canada will come out with their findings as soon as possible."
Wilson also commented on the December announcement that the Liberal Party of Canada in British Columbia did not want him as their candidate in the next federal election.
"When it's hot in the kitchen, some people want to get out of the kitchen. Right now the spotlight is definitely on myself and this issue. It's an important issue and I want to clear it as quickly as possible," Wilson said. "I'm a Liberal at heart. The values and principles that I care about are Liberal values. I respect the Liberal party and will do whatever I can to resolve these issues as quickly as possible."
Wilson said there are pros and cons to being an independent MP.
He said one of the downsides is not having access to the Liberal research bureau as he did before, but that being said, Wilson feels he can still be an effective representative for this riding. "Seventy per cent of the job that members of parliament do, regardless of which party they represent, is dealing with constituency issues," Wilson said. "We have our office here on the Sunshine Coast, our office in West Vancouver and our office in Ottawa. We're going to continue to work hard for the people in the riding and I'll continue to lobby for watershed protection issues, our troops in Afghanistan, immigration issues and any other issues for this riding. My position hasn't changed on the issues."
A question was posed to Wilson about his status as a candidate if a federal election was called before Elections Canada wrapped up their investigation. Wilson said he really couldn't comment much on that.
"I can't read the tea leaves for the future and don't know what's going to happen - we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Wilson said. "All I can say is I was elected by the people to be their member of parliament. I have no plans to resign. It's business as usual and we're working for the people of the riding. They elected me and I will continue to do the job."
