It鈥檚 taken a couple of years, but the chummy bi-partisan approach publicly displayed by 琉璃神社-Lake Country Liberal MP Stephen Fuhr and his Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola Conservative counterpart Dan Albas has evaporated.
Fuhr went on Facebook over the weekend accusing Albas, now his party鈥檚 small business critic, of taking cheap shots at him over the Liberal鈥檚 controversial planned changes to Canadian tax laws.
鈥淪o Dan Albas decides to bring partisan politics home to the Okanagan,鈥� Fuhr wrote on his Facebook page. 鈥淚nstead of working together for the betterment of the community, he would rather take cheap shots at me.鈥�
In a column a few days earlier, Albas accused Fuhr of 鈥渇ailing to defend local businesses,鈥� in part by voting against a Conservative motion to extend the 75-day consultation period the Liberal government put in place to gather the thoughts of Canadians on the planned tax changes.
Albas said only one Liberal MP 鈥渉ad the courage鈥� to vote to extend the consultation period鈥攁nd that wasn鈥檛 Fuhr.
鈥淟iberal MPs, including Stephen Fuhr, are sitting in silence while (Prime Minister) Justin Trudeau and the Liberals attempt to push these tax hikes through,鈥� wrote Albas.
Given the partisan nature of politics these days鈥攁nd the controversy swelling around the planned tax changes in particular鈥攊t was just a matter of time until Fuhr and Albas, who both represent parts of 琉璃神社 within their respective, adjoining ridings, fell out.
What鈥檚 a surprise is it鈥檚 taken this long.
For his part, Albas has been much more politically aggressive since he was first named deputy finance critic by former interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose and then promoted to small business critic in the shadow cabinet by new Tory party leader Andrew Scheer. Of course he would argue he鈥檚 doing what an Opposition MP is supposed to do鈥攐ppose.
Fuhr, on the other hand, would also argue he鈥檚 also doing what鈥檚 expected of an MP who represents the party in power鈥攄efending its policies and political moves.
The 琉璃神社-Lake Country MP also has a relatively high-profile political side gig as the chairman of the parliamentary national defence committee.
Having settled into their roles鈥擜lbas having had more time as he was first elected in 2011鈥攂oth men are now starting to flex their politically partisan muscles and letting their respective political stripes peak out from under the dark suits and red and blue ties that have become the de-facto Grit and Tory uniforms for male MPs.
But the pair are actually just doing what they were elected to do鈥攕upport and oppose.
In the meantime, they may need reminding a thicker skin is required by those seeking, and gaining, public office. The nature of any job you鈥檙e voted into means in all likelihood there will be people who didn鈥檛 vote for you and you鈥檙e going to be criticized.
So being badmouthed by another politician is par for the course, not really fodder for Facebook.
Alistair Waters is the assistant editor of the Capital News.
