LILLEY: The truth about Larry Brock leaving as Conservative MP
· Toronto Sun
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Larry Brock is leaving his position as the Conservative MP for Brantford, but unlike others, Brock isn’t being bought off. Brock isn’t crossing the floor to join the Carney Liberals, he’s not taking an appointment and he’s not running off to live in the lap of luxury on a fat MP’s pension.
After nearly five years in office, Brock is simply returning to his old job as a Crown prosecutor in the same area he represented in the House of Commons — Brantford.
No deal with the Liberals
The idea that Brock was leaving to take an appointment isn’t crazy, because the Carney Liberals did try to entice the MP with the prospect of a judicial appointment earlier this year. He didn’t take them up on their offer and he should be applauded for that.
What shouldn’t be applauded is the fact that the Liberals thought it wise to dangle a potential judicial appointment in front of Brock to see if he would bite.
Astute observers might be asking how the Liberals could offer a judicial appointment to a sitting MP. That would be illegal under Section 124 of the Criminal Code of Canada and be punishable by up to five years in jail.
The simple answer is: they didn’t make a direct offer. When the Liberals approached Brock, they complimented him, told him how good he was with the law, how smart he was, and asked if he’d ever thought about becoming a judge — never quite crossing the line into an actual offer, but making sure he got the message.
The Liberals were also smart enough to know that Brock was facing the clock, he had to decide by this fall whether to return to his old position as a Crown prosecutor or stay on as an MP. That decision had to be made by next month, so their suggestion of a judicial appointment didn’t come out of the blue. They tried to use it to entice him to step down and force a by-election in a seat the Liberals believe they have a shot at.
A legacy on bail and justice reform
Brock has been a standout in the House of Commons, leading the charge on criminal justice reform, particularly on bail, because as a former prosecutor, he knew the system inside and out. In committee, Brock had a way of hold Liberal ministers to account while in news conferences he answered journalists with an authority that only comes with experience.
In going back to his former role, he will still serve his community by being the kind of prosecutor who upholds the law, fights for justice and puts the rights of victims ahead of criminals.
Will he be a judge someday? Perhaps, and that wouldn’t be a bad thing.
It would be politically difficult for the Carney Liberals to appoint Brock to the bench now though. As for Ontario Premier Doug Ford giving Brock a provincial appointment, it’s hard to see why Ford would pick up that political hot potato even though Brock is the type of judge Ford would want to see on the bench.
Debunking the pension myth
As for the ridiculous idea, pushed by some, that Brock is cashing out to collect a big, fat MP’s pension as he leaves, nothing could be further from the truth. An MP needs to sit for at least six years before qualifying for a pension, and as an opposition MP rather than a cabinet minister, Brock wouldn’t have made enough to retire in luxury even if he had met that requirement.
This is a man who took a $44,000 pay cut to serve as an MP in Ottawa. He didn’t run to Ottawa for the money, and he’s not running from Ottawa for the money.
From all available evidence, Larry Brock, a man I’ve never met, entered politics for all the right reasons — mainly community service. He is leaving politics to continue serving his community.
He deserves gratitude, not scorn.