"I'm not upset, I'm not angry, I'm not bitter, I'm not dejected," the outspoken MP told The Canadian Press after being ditched Wednesday. "My colleagues are free to do whatever they want, but by the same token, I'm a member of Parliament and I'm free to do what I want.

"I believe the highest authority are the voters and I will continue to give voice to them."

Conservative caucus chairman Rahim Jaffer said that there had been a long series of complaints about Turner's alleged breaches of caucus confidentiality when speaking to reporters or on his online blog.

The move to suspend him came from the party's Ontario caucus, and was agreed to by the larger group with no objections or debate.

"The theme of confidentiality was not being respected in their opinion and it restricted the ability for members to operate in a confidential way," Jaffer said. More...