The last Parliament included the famous debate and vote on Canada’s same-sex marriage legislation. When that legislation came to a vote in the House of Commons, the NDP caucus was “whipped” to vote in favour of the bill. In other words, NDP caucus members were not allowed to vote however they pleased on the issue. Despite that edict, Bev Desjarlais (left), who was the NDP member for the northern Manitoba riding of Churchill, voted against that legislation.
Because she ignored the direction of her party’s whip, Ms. Desjarlais was stripped of her critic’s responsibilities. Shortly after that, she resigned from the caucus and finished the Parliamentary session sitting as an Independent.
She ran unsuccessfully in the Jan. 23 election as an Independent, losing to Liberal candidate Tina Keeper.
Ms. Desjarlais, though, will continue to work on the Hill.
She has been appointed Director of Parliamentary Affairs to the Minister of Veterans Affairs Greg Thompson.
Other staffers hired to date by Thompson, who represents Southwest New Brunswick, include Jacques Dube who will be his chief of staff, and Robert Smith as Senior Policy Advisor. He has not yet hired a director of Communications.