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Liberals to Find New Leader
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By PETER ZIMONJIC and CHRISTINA SPENCER, SUN MEDIA
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OTTAWA - What kind of leader can rescue the Liberals from the electoral rubbish bin into which Canadian voters have dumped them?
Further, how can the party avoid a divisive leadership race of the kind Liberal titans Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae might set off?
While the party’s potential leadership hopefuls were coy yesterday about their intentions, they were open about the party’s challenges.
“There isn’t anything, I think, that is at the point where we want it to be, whether its membership or fundraising or the connection the party has with its grassroots,” Gerard Kennedy, MP for Parkdale-High Park, said bluntly. “We have some excellent volunteers, individuals and teams out there but we have not been able to mesh it all together.”
“We have got to renew the membership of the party … We’ve got to renew the finances of the party,” Toronto Centre MP Bob Rae said in a CTV interview.
“We need to increase our fundraising effort (so) that we organize more efficiently,” echoed Brampton-Springdale MP Ruby Dhalla.
Party finances were a major theme of leader Stephane Dion’s resignation statement. While saying “I fully accept my share of the responsibility” for the Liberals’ flatlining result Oct. 14, Dion repeatedly argued the party didn’t have enough money to fight Conservative “propaganda.”
Political scientist Jonathan Malloy of Carleton University said the party faces ‘”serious financial problems.” But he also stressed it needs to offer fresh policies and ideas. “Where does the party really want to go?”
Luc Juillet of University of Ottawa concurred, adding it will be a “difficult dance” finding a new leader at the same time as the party is trying to develop new strategies.
The other fear is that the leadership ambitions of Rae and Ignatieff could ignite another bitter feud of the type that eventually saw a third candidate – Dion – scurry up the middle to win.
“These tensions, I would suspect, have not gone away,” Juillet said.
University of Toronto political scientist Stephen Clarkson said he wished Rae and Ignatieff would “get together and flip a coin.”
Another battle between them could leave the party wounded, he warned. “It would be tough for the new leader to make peace.”
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| DigiNut |
All I know is that if they pick Justin, we'll be looking at a Conservative majority next election.
Personally, I think Bob Rae would be a disaster too. I know they think that they'll curry favour with NDP voters, but they'll also lose a lot of moderate voters.
Problem with Ignatieff is that he's too much of an academic. The political situation in Canada now is not so much a battle of ideas, as much as some people would like it to be, it's a contest for strong competent leadership and practical results. They need to find someone who's charismatic but who also has lots of practical experience and isn't such an idealist.
Fresh policies and ideas, yes, sure, those are nice, but more than anything else they need a leader. I genuinely hope they do find someone because a strong moderate-to-left party would force Harper to take a few more risks with his own career. |
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| ChemEnhanced |
Justin doesn't have the experience yet to take on the leadership role...if he becomes leader its just for names sake. Maybe in another 10-15 years.
Between Rae and Ignatieff...Ignatieff would be my choice....although a part of me would still like to see Ken Dryden throw his name in there...although he is a very dull speaker. |
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| Sly_Guy |
| This would have been the election for economist paul martin. Really, it would have been... |
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| DigiNut |
You know, just going back over the list of past prime ministers - Harper, Martin, Chretien, Mulroney, Trudeau... Canadian leadership has been almost catastrophic for the past 30 or so years.
I know it's naively optimistic to the point of absurdity, but I really wish that since the Liberals have nothing to lose anyway, that they would take their time searching and try to find another leader like Pearson, who defined peacekeeping as something other than pacifism and spoke out against Quebec separatism.
At the very least, they could broaden their search outside of Quebec. , last time they had an "English" candidate was - yep - Pearson.
Between Rae and Ignatieff, I guess I'd have to go with Ignatieff too, but they're both terrible choices.
| quote: | Originally posted by Sly_Guy
This would have been the election for economist paul martin. Really, it would have been... |
Um, yeah, if you had one of those fancy memory-erasers to make every Canadian forget about 12 years of scandal and the Quebec Power Corporation. |
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| MarkT |
Ignatieff was my choice over Dion in the last leadership race (thanks Gerrard Kennedy!) but he probably lacks widespread appeal and notoriety across the country at this point.
if he is chosen, the Liberals really need to introduce him to Canadians since many may be unfamiliar with him and the credentials he brings, outside of not being the most experienced politician (which isn't such a bad thing, IMHO). |
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| Ania_xox |
I know Dion is goofy in his appearance and his apparent disregard for the direct needs of the Canadian populace, not to mention the fact that he came flying through the liberal party as the dark horse and somehow made it straight to the top, but I think resigning was a huge mistake.
Martin has admitted to regret his decision of stepping down and I think Dion is going to do the same. If he stopped drilling the carbon tax hobbyhorse and developed a bit more charisma, I think he would stand a solid chance next time around.
Lest we forget - the tories won a mere minority. |
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| exstasie |
| quote: | Originally posted by Ania_xox
I know Dion is goofy in his appearance and his apparent disregard for the direct needs of the Canadian populace, not to mention the fact that he came flying through the liberal party as the dark horse and somehow made it straight to the top, but I think resigning was a huge mistake.
Martin has admitted to regret his decision of stepping down and I think Dion is going to do the same. If he stopped drilling the carbon tax hobbyhorse and developed a bit more charisma, I think he would stand a solid chance next time around.
Lest we forget - the tories won a mere minority. |
Weird, but you were in my dream last night lol. I just remembered now when I saw your name. We were at Glendon...haha
Anyway, I don't think they Liberals could do any worse then they did with Dion. Personally I think any liberal leader would be a better candidate than Dion...
But whatever. Hopefully next election the rest of Canada (aka Quebec lol) will smarten up and see that it might be wise to give the CPC a majority. What's the worst that could happen? :D
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| Yohan |
| quote: | Originally posted by exstasie
Weird, but you were in my dream last night lol. I just remembered now when I saw your name. We were at Glendon...hah
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creepy! lol
| quote: | Originally posted by Ania_xox
Lest we forget - the tories won a mere minority. |
A `mere` minority with votes spread apart among the opposition making it hard for anyone to take on the Cons by themselves |
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| smuncky |
| quote: | Originally posted by exstasie
Weird, but you were in my dream last night lol. I just remembered now when I saw your name. We were at Glendon...haha
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what happened next? |
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| Moral Hazard |
| quote: | Originally posted by DigiNut
At the very least, they could broaden their search outside of Quebec. , last time they had an "English" candidate was - yep - Pearson.
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Um... what about Turner? |
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