Unless I get arrested tomorrow, this is the last time I expect to be touching on the Milton Santa Claus parade.

My mother-in-law called from the city today to say she was concerned for my safety. “I read it in the Toronto Star,” she said. “They’re after you.” Of course, that was a maternal dramatization of reality. What the story in the Star did say (a story I did not give an interview for) was this, about my flip comments a few days ago that I’d walk in the parade with my dog instead of in a car: But Milton residents remain steadfast in their decision and are prepared for any contingency should Turner show up, with or without his dog. We have a plan, but I would rather not say what we’ve prepared,” Riker said.

That plan, I am told by a committee member, is to have the Halton Regional Police apprehend me. Imagine that. Do you think there’s a political agenda at play here?

By the way, the cute little Star generic reference to “Milton residents remaining steadfast” is a journalistic technique. It’s called lying. The few hotheads with Tory connections behind this escapade do not speak for the people of my town.

The residents of Milton, except for a few, are great people - hardworking families who epitomize the middle-class Canadian dream. Every day I am in my constituency they treat me with respect and, more importantly, as a friend. From the Main Street merchants to the GO commuters to the local bikers I ride with, there is a connection and bond which tethers me here when I’m doing my job in the House of Commons.

But it’s an unfortunate feature of the partisan world we live in, and the seething anger of many Conservatives, that a few tiny Tories in this town have developed an unhealthy Garth fixation. I think they need help.

I mean, what do they think the point is of putting pictures of my house on their anti-Garth web site? Why send me emails threatening my dog if I take him to the event tomorrow? What was the point of yelling from a car at the guests coming to the Ralph Goodale event in my home Thursday night? Why send letters to the editor of the local paper ridiculing a typo on this blog? And why hint darkly in the Toronto Star at ‘what we’ve prepared’ for me on Sunday afternoon?

Do these juvenile minds actually think they’re frightening me, or influencing me, dissuading me from running in the next election, scaring my wife, or doing anything other than making me more determined?

I may not be the most pliant politician who served this community. I may express my views too plainly for some and too loudly for others. I may have refused to lie down and surrender before any party machine or control-seeking leader, and I may end up having my butt handed to me by the voters for being too independent.

But no shadow-hugging thugs who hide behind emails, defame on anonymous web sites, cruise in darkened minivans, hurl invective on this blog or poison innocuous community groups will ever intimidate me. This is Canada, where freedom trumps fear.

If you have any doubts, visit me Sunday.

A few weeks ago my constituency helper contacted the organizers of the four Christmas parades in Halton – a normal thing – to get details for my schedule. The Milton parade committee, at least the person speaking for it, said politicians would be banned this year, save the mayor.

Strange, I thought, until I was told by others on the parade committee that some Conservative supporters there were hoping to keep me sidelined. No problem with that, but the concern lingered that thousands of constituents on the parade route might think I didn’t care enough to show up.

So, I asked why. The answer: the parade is too long, and politicians make it longer.

No problem, I thought. Ditch the convertible and the driver. I’ll walk.

My office sent this note: “Mr. Turner understands your goal to reduce the length of the parade, respects the challenges you face, and applauds your dedication as a volunteer body. However, he also feels that just as it is important for the people of Milton to be able to interact with their Mayor, it is equally important for them to interact with the member of Parliament. He does not understand how walking in the parade will add to its length, and therefore hopes you will understand he will be there November 25th.”

Compromise, I thought. No signs. No banners. No politics. No car.

This was the response: “It appears to me that Mr. Turner has his own agenda and is not cognisant about what other groups or organizations feel or decide… We have decided as a committee that the only politician that will be in the parade is Mayor Krantz for a number of reasons… At this point if Mr. Turner shows up and walks the parade it puts us, as a committee, in a very difficult situation and our credibility will be extremely jeoporadized … Mr. Turner’s appearance in the parade may damage our credibility to the point that I know, myself, and I am sure many others on the committee, will have to look very seriously at themselves and strongly consider whether they will be involved in the parade next year. I would hate to see Mr. Turner responsible for cancellation of the Milton Santa Claus Parade 2008 which is considered by many as one of the best parades in the area but his actions may warrant that decision.”

Well, one thing was becoming clear: This had nothing to do with the length of the parade.

In a day or two, the local Milton papers had run stories on ParadeGate, and since this is a small town, it made the front page.

Well, I thought, when I saw the clippings in Ottawa, that sure was overblown.

Then one night last week the Milton parade committee met, and the person responsible for chastising me for wanting to walk, told his colleagues he intends to call the Halton Regional Police and have me arrested if I show up on the parade route. Since then at least one of the committee members has indicated this is starting to go way over the top. Obviously he needs more exposure to Conservatives.

Since then, the story made the front page of the National Post, along with the talk radio circuit in Toronto, and I spent too long today fending off media calls from all over everywhere. My local paper this weekend has three letters about it, two of them wishing my private bits would be consumed by African fire ants.

Meanwhile I have arranged for a community open house at my constit office, which is on the parade route, and made it clear I have no interest in enraging anyone about an issue of hugely little importance. All I wanted to make clear from the outset was that when community leaders are excluded from community events, there needs to be a valid reason. In this case, one has yet to be given. If the organizers want to shield young eyes from local politicians, then they’d better expect fewer people in the future actually wanting to stand for office.

I mean, how much fun can anyone endure?

Maybe there’s a moral here (sure hope so, or I have wasted another 17 minutes on this crap): If you want to make the front page of newspapers, and you’re not Paris Hilton, then speak passionately about things that affect no one. Works for me.

Notice that Mayor Krantz is allowed to participate….

Two observations: If you’re going to tell Carr, Chudleigh and Turner they cannot participate, then Krantz shouldn’t either. I don’t care if the parade is closing down Milton’s streets or how much Krantz’s office has donated. Treat all of the politicians the same way. The second observation: Perhaps Mayor Krantz should have offered not to participate either in a show of support to the parade committee (not that it would have deterred Turner). If people are accusing Mr. Turner of grandstanding, surely Mayor Krantz is as well, taking full advantage of his chance to participate.

Again, love or hate Garth Turner, I appreciate the fact that he stands up for what he believes in, and doesn’t just submit to the powers that be. Isn’t that what you ultimately want from your elected officials, to stand up and fight for what they feel is right and believe in? I’m sorry, but in today’s shady political climate, he’s been a breath of fresh air.

Of course our elected officials are not the most important part of a Santa Claus parade, but they do deserve the right to participate and be accessible at the event and seen by the people. Turner is a man of the people and he obviously is very passionate about this while the others don’t seem to care very much - that to me is more worrisome.

Mike Ricker and the parade committee: if you arrest Mr. Turner today, it’s going to make not only him look bad, but also yourselves and the Town of Milton as a whole, which isn’t good for anybody. If Mr. Turner feels this strongly like he wants to participate and walk in the parade, then I feel Mr. Ricker and the parade committee should respect that. Again, one person walking or three cars carrying our elected officials would make such an insignificant increase in the length of this parade that all this has done is draw unnecessary attention and suspicion to Mr. Ricker and the parade committee. As much as Mr. Turner is being painted as a ‘grandstander’, people are also going to start wondering about Mike Ricker and the committee’s possible political leanings and motives that may or may not be behind this decision….

As I said earlier, this isn’t good for anyone.