Maverick MP Garth Turner, who was booted from Conservative party ranks last fall, has found a new political home with the Liberal party.
"As an Independent, I found a freedom that did not exist with the Conservative party," Turner told a news conference in Ottawa on Tuesday.
However, he said he found that being an Independent had its drawbacks. For example, he couldn't sit on parliamentary committees or issue tax receipts for donors.
Turner went on to describe himself as a "Progressive Conservative my entire life," dedicated to being fiscally conservative and socially progressive.
"Today, the Liberal party is as close to my PC roots as I'm going to get," he said, explaining why he joined the Liberals.
Stephane Dion, the Liberals' new leader, praised Turner as being dedicated to both fiscal discipline and environmental issues.
"Mr. Dion is welcoming me even knowing that I was a pain," Turner joked. "Even worse, that I was a journalist." Continued...
