David Emerson was formerly the Member of Parliament for the riding of Vancouver Kingsway.
27 Facts About David Emerson
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David Emerson was first elected as a Liberal and served as Minister of Industry under Prime Minister Paul Martin.
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David Emerson attended the University of Alberta and obtained his Bachelor of Economics degree in 1968 and his Master of Economics degree in 1970.
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David Emerson then went on to Queen's University where he received his Ph.
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In 1975, after working as a researcher for the Economic Council of Canada, Emerson moved to British Columbia and joined the public service.
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From 1992 to 1997, David Emerson was president and chief executive officer of the newly created Vancouver International Airport Authority.
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In 1998, David Emerson was appointed president and chief executive officer of Canfor Corporation, a leading integrated forest products company and Canada's largest producer of softwood lumber.
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In 2008, David Emerson joined private equity firm CAI Capital Management as a senior advisor.
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David Emerson attracted some media attention in December 2005 with a comment that NDP leader Jack Layton had a "boiled dog's head smile".
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David Emerson said that his wife, a Cantonese speaker, used the phrase to describe him when he posed for pictures.
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At some point between election day and the day Stephen Harper was due to be sworn in as prime minister, David Emerson accepted an offer from Harper to cross the floor and become Minister of International Trade in Harper's new Conservative minority government.
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Wong added that he would have stood down in David Emerson's favour had he done so.
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David Emerson was ranked third in Cabinet in the order of precedence, behind Harper and House Leader Rob Nicholson, by virtue of his appointment to the Privy Council in 2004.
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David Emerson had given no public indication that he was thinking of leaving the Liberal Party during the election campaign, Wong's remarks notwithstanding.
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David Emerson launched several blistering attacks against Harper and the Conservatives during the campaign, including one assertion that under a Harper government, "the strong [would] survive and the weak die".
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David Emerson told CTV that he runs his riding office on a nonpartisan basis, and that his first priority was the interests of the people of Vancouver Kingsway.
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Liberal National President Mike Eizenga said that David Emerson knew "if he was running in that riding as a Conservative, he wouldn't have a chance" and has demanded his resignation.
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Democracy Watch, a nonpartisan ethics watchdog, said it planned to complain to the Ethics Commissioner since David Emerson was still technically a Liberal minister when he accepted Harper's offer.
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The group claimed that David Emerson's switch violated the federal ethics code and post-employment regulations for officeholders.
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NDP MP Peter Julian has called for an inquiry, claiming that the additional benefits David Emerson received as a member compared to those he would have received as an opposition MP carry at least the appearance that David Emerson acted in his own private interest.
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David Emerson has stated that he does not intend to repay any expenses, arguing that he has raised large sums for the Liberal party from his corporate connections.
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On February 8,2006, David Emerson described Liberal attacks on his defection as a sign of "deep sickness" and said that his children were being treated with hostility at school because of his defection.
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David Emerson has vowed to resign only if such a law were passed retroactively or if the ethics commissioner found him to be at fault.
24.
On March 20,2006, Shapiro stated that he was "satisfied that no special inducement was offered by Mr Harper to convince Mr David Emerson to join his cabinet and his party".
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David Emerson found no wrongdoing on Emerson's part and recommended a parliamentary debate on floor crossing.
26.
On May 26,2008, David Emerson was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs following the resignation of Maxime Bernier, though it was reported at the time that David Emerson's appointment to the position would be brief.
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David Emerson became a member of the International Advisory Council of the Chinese sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corporation.