Member of Parliament
In December 2005, after having been ejected from the Provincial Progressive Conservative caucus, Manning resigned his seat on the Legislature to pursue a seat in the Canadian House of Commons. Avalon had previously been represented by John Efford, a Liberal cabinet minister, who had been elected by a wide margin in 2004. Without the powerful incumbent, however, Manning was able to take the seat for the federal Conservatives in the 2006 federal election with 51.55% of the vote.
Manning spoke in favour of the federal government's 2007 budget, saying, "Our government has kept its commitment to honor and respect the Atlantic Accord." The provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador and Premier Danny Williams in particular have opposed the budget which contains revisions to a previously agreed upon equalization formula.
In late August 2007, he attacked the Liberal environmental plan as making the Hebron offshore oil megaproject "dead on arrival." Scott Simms, a Liberal MP from central Newfoundland, rejected Manning's accusations, insisting that the Hebron project would not be cancelled. He also suggested that Manning's comments had more to do with attempting to increase support for Stephen Harper (who was in a dispute with Premier Danny Williams), and reviving support for the Conservative party, which had dipped to only 17% of voters.
As part of the Conservative caucus, he was a member of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, Chair of Atlantic Caucus and the Standing Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament.
Manning ran for re-election in Avalon in the October 2008 election and was defeated by Liberal Scott Andrews.
Read more about this topic: Fabian Manning
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