In 1998, Emerson was appointed president and chief executive officer of Canfor Corporation, a leading integrated forest products company and Canada's largest producer of softwood lumber.
With 8,100 workers and annual revenues of $3.2 billion servicing 10% of the U.S. market, Canfor operates pulp and paper mills as well as 19 sawmills across British Columbia, two in Alberta and one in Quebec.
Emerson's directorships included: Terasen Inc; Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Company of Canada; vice-chairman of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives; Chair, British Columbia Ferry Services Inc.; and chairman and director of Genus Resource Management Technologies Inc. Bypassing the nomination process, Paul Martin appointed David Emerson as the Liberal candidate in Vancouver Kingsway for the 2004 election.
Emerson attracted some media attention in December 2005 with a comment that NDP leader Jack Layton had a "boiled dog's head smile".
While the term is translated from the common and mild Cantonese insult "烚熟狗頭", Emerson said that he believed it to be a humorous phrase indicating a person with an "overextended grin".
[1] According to Emerson, British Columbia Conservative campaign coordinator John Reynolds called him the day after the election to ask if he was interested in having a conversation with Harper.
[4] In any case, Emerson's decision was kept secret from his Liberal colleagues, the press, and even most Conservatives until February 6, 2006, when he arrived at Rideau Hall, the official residence of the Governor General, for the swearing-in of the new government.
He was ranked third in Cabinet in the order of precedence, behind Harper and House Leader Rob Nicholson, by virtue of his appointment to the Privy Council in 2004.
As a Cabinet minister he had been featured prominently in Liberal TV ads in British Columbia promoting that party as the best choice for voters.
Emerson told CTV that he runs his riding office on a nonpartisan basis, and that his first priority was the interests of the people of Vancouver Kingsway.
Liberal National President Mike Eizenga said that Emerson knew "if he was running in that riding as a Conservative, he wouldn't have a chance" and has demanded his resignation.
[10] However, MacKay told CTV's Mike Duffy Live that Emerson wanted to continue and finish the work he already started as Minister of Industry under Martin on a multibillion-dollar softwood lumber deal with the United States—a deal that could potentially bring a huge windfall to Canada and particularly Emerson's major lumber producing province, British Columbia.
As Minister of International Trade, Emerson will have key influence on matters relevant to constituents of Vancouver-Kingsway particularly as The Greater Vancouver Area prepares for the 2010 Olympics.
In a letter dated Monday February 6, the Vancouver Kingsway Liberal riding association requested that Emerson repay $97,000 spent during his re-election campaign.
[11] Emerson has stated that he does not intend to repay any expenses, arguing that he has raised large sums for the Liberal party from his corporate connections.
Speaking on Vancouver radio station CKNW, Emerson said he would be glad to discuss the bill in Parliament: "I'll participate in that debate, I may even vote for it, and I will certainly abide by it."
At times the tightly packed crowd stretched out over five blocks along one lane of Kingsway as the march proceeded along the 2 kilometre route past Emerson's constituency office to the rally.
This was in reference to the fact that David Emerson had remained low key and made few public appearances in the riding for the months of February and March.
Ipsos Reid in mid-February 2006 conducted a poll of British Columbians and found that even in staunchly Conservative areas of the province, respondents were 75% in favour of a by-election being called.
On March 3, 2006, Ethics Commissioner Bernard Shapiro announced that he was launching a preliminary inquiry into conflict-of-interest allegations against Emerson and Harper.
[17][18] On March 20, 2006, Shapiro stated that he was "satisfied that no special inducement was offered by Mr. Harper to convince Mr. Emerson to join his cabinet and his party".
Working closely with Minister Emerson and Canadian ambassador to the U.S. Michael Wilson, this landmark agreement resolved a dispute disrupting Canada–U.S.