EclectEcon

Paul Summerville, the former Bay Street economist who became a star candidate for the New Democratic Party in the last federal election, has defected to the Liberals because he is disillusioned with the NDP's economic policies.

Mr. Summerville says that if the NDP is to be taken seriously it has to accept the market economy is [not] "a necessary evil but an indispensable part of the engine of prosperity and by implication, justice. In addition, the party must accept the fact that Canada does not, and never will have the capacity to rewrite the rules of engagement in the global economy. ... Consequently, saddling the party with anti-trade, anti-corporation, anti-market rhetoric just perpetuates its marginal status at federal level.

The first order of business was to complain about - naturally - the order in which the resultions were going to be discussed. After 45 minutes, they still hadn't decided on an agenda, so I decided to take a short break. Then I found that I wasn't allowed back into the room, because I wasn't a party member. So I went home - to learn that the session to which I was denied access was being broadcast live on CPAC.