Here’s our transcript of Mississauga-Streetsville MP Wajid Khan’s (left) opening remarks at the press conference, in the foyer of the House of Commons, as he announced he was defecting from the Liberals to the Conservatives:
For the past six months, I have been honored to serve Prime Minister Harper and Canada's new Conservative Party, especially on Middle-Eastern and Central Asian affairs. [It was] the arrests in Toronto last June [that] prompted me to put partisan interests aside and try to do something for our country. It has often been said and no doubt it will be said again today that politics makes strange bedfellows, but nothing about my decision to join the Conservative caucus feels strange to me, because I have come to admire the Prime Minister and his government during the last year. It is a government with a clear sense of direction, a mainstream agenda, a commitment to honesty, openness and accountability, an assertive, realistic approach to foreign policy and a real record of accomplishments.
Also — and this is very important to me and many of my constituents in Mississauga-Streetsville — the Prime Minister and his government have demonstrated a genuine commitment to new Canadians. They have reached out to immigrant communities and taken action to solve some of the problems we have had for years with Ottawa, among other things the cutting of the landing fee, increased settlement funding and finally, got the government moving on credentials recognition. As a result, I have noticed that more and more Canadians are excited about joining the Conservative Party.
For all these reasons, I came to the conclusion that my ideals and priorities and those of my constituents would be better served in the Conservative Party. So I was very pleased, and Prime Minister Harper agreed, that I should join Canada's new government. I must say that I did not come to this decision lightly, but quite frankly, the Liberal Party has moved away from people like me, people who believe in free enterprise, support for families, and a stronger, more assertive Canada on the world stage.But there is another very important issue and that issue is of leadership. Leadership matters and I believe the best leader for Canada is the man who now has the job, Prime Minister Harper. I want to keep working with the Prime Minister to protect our national security, to advance and defend Canada's interests on the world stage and to ensure that Canada works for all Canadians, no matter who they are or where they may have come from.
I also want to get things done for the city of Mississauga, the region of Peel and the entire GTA on the issue of infrastructure and transit, public and community safety, air quality and the environment. I can't get these things done from the opposition benches, but I can as a member of a government with a proven record of getting things done for Canadians and their communities.
So today … I called Mr. Dion as well as my riding association of my decision. I'm pleased to report that my riding association president and several members of the board support my decision. Prime Minister, thank you, sir, for welcoming me into your party and your government. I look forward to working with you and the entire Conservative team in building a better, stronger Canada.
You can watch the entire press conference by clicking on the video links here.