Has anyone even played The Last Post?

It's time for some old news (Jan 13, to be exact). Andre Bachand's decision not to join the new party.

"Over the course of the past four weeks, I have had to mourn the death of the Progressive Conservative Party," he said later, in English. "I have accepted the death of my party."



Is it legal to copy and post an article verbatim from a newspaper's website? Who knows...

By OLIVER MOORE
Globe and Mail Update


Saying that he could not represent his riding as a member of a different party, Progressive Conservatives MP Andr? Bachand will sit an Independent until the next election and will then quit politics.

Mr. Bachand told his constituents last month that he would not seek election as a member of the new party. On Tuesday, he confirmed that decision and signalled the end of his political career.

Paul Martin is expected to call an election within months. Until then, Mr. Bachand joins fellow ex-Tories Joe Clark and John Herron, now sitting as Independents. Also expected to join their ranks is former Alliance MP Keith Martin, who sources say will run as a Liberal in the next election.

Mr. Bachand said that he could understand why some MPs had decided to cross the floor, joining different parties as the Canadian political landscape has been shaken up. He said that he could not.

?I could not represent the electorate of Richmond-Athabaska under a banner that is actually against my objectives,? he told reporters in Victoriaville, Que., speaking in French.

Mr. Bachand, 42, was elected in 1997 to represent the rural riding. There had been speculation that he would join the Liberals, as did former Tory Scott Brison.

?Over the course of the past four weeks, I have had to mourn the death of the Progressive Conservative Party,? he said later, in English. ?I have accepted the death of my party.?

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In the history of the world, there have been 10 terrible and tragic events that changed the world irrevocably. The death of the PC Party was not one of them.

But for those of us who stuck with the party through the lean years, the betrayal by Peter Mackay was unforgiveable, and.... OK, enough whining.