Stephane Dion. Stephane Dion. I have to repeat the name because I’m still getting used to the idea that he is the leader of the Liberal Party.
I was wrong in my take on the race. While, I calculated correctly that in the end Liberals would reject the “shooting star” candidacy of Michael Ignatieff, that led me to the conclusion that either Gerard Kennedy or Bob Rae would win. Wrong.
As author of the Clarity Act, I thought---and still think---that Dion has problems with a very large number of Quebecers. As a former minister of the environment, during a time when the Liberals were doing nothing useful to clean up the environment, I thought---and still think---Dion had baggage. As a former member of the Chretien cabinet, I thought---and still think---that Dion would be the recipient from Stephen Harper of cheap shots at him as a passenger in a vehicle powered by corruption. As a rather scratchy guy, I wondered---and still wonder---how Dion would do in Ontario as Liberal leader.
In the end, it was Michael Ignatieff who did himself in. His missteps on too many issues convinced people that he was not ready to lead a political party. Where he will be in three or four years, no one knows, but he’ll never be Liberal leader. Neither will Bob Rae, who made a better run of it than I thought he would when he announced his candidacy. Rae comes out of the campaign with honour. He enriched the dialogue and he still has much to contribute. Gerard Kennedy may well have done the right thing in going over to Dion at the critical moment. He will have to play a large role in the next election campaign in Ontario and the West if the Liberals are to win.
I’m warily optimistic about the road ahead. The issue in the next campaign will be Stephen Harper and his record. For Dion to win, Harper will have to shoot himself in the foot. And he’s been doing that on a host of issues. While I give him credit for his action on Income Trusts and on Quebec as a nation in Canada (whatever his motives), on childcare, the Kelowna aboriginal development agreement, Afghanistan and the environment, he has been dead wrong.
A cleaned up Liberal Party running on a progressive platform can defeat Harper. And hopefully Jack Layton will add to the progressive momentum by making the Conservatives the target next time out, rather than trying to sink Dion. (Jack’s comment at the last NDP convention that Dion was a man of principle and that for that reason he was highly unlikely to be chosen Liberal leader, will make an all out assault a little more difficult.)
Elizabeth May and the Greens can also contribute to the progressive momentum.
I was wrong in my take on the race. While, I calculated correctly that in the end Liberals would reject the “shooting star” candidacy of Michael Ignatieff, that led me to the conclusion that either Gerard Kennedy or Bob Rae would win. Wrong.
As author of the Clarity Act, I thought---and still think---that Dion has problems with a very large number of Quebecers. As a former minister of the environment, during a time when the Liberals were doing nothing useful to clean up the environment, I thought---and still think---Dion had baggage. As a former member of the Chretien cabinet, I thought---and still think---that Dion would be the recipient from Stephen Harper of cheap shots at him as a passenger in a vehicle powered by corruption. As a rather scratchy guy, I wondered---and still wonder---how Dion would do in Ontario as Liberal leader.
In the end, it was Michael Ignatieff who did himself in. His missteps on too many issues convinced people that he was not ready to lead a political party. Where he will be in three or four years, no one knows, but he’ll never be Liberal leader. Neither will Bob Rae, who made a better run of it than I thought he would when he announced his candidacy. Rae comes out of the campaign with honour. He enriched the dialogue and he still has much to contribute. Gerard Kennedy may well have done the right thing in going over to Dion at the critical moment. He will have to play a large role in the next election campaign in Ontario and the West if the Liberals are to win.
I’m warily optimistic about the road ahead. The issue in the next campaign will be Stephen Harper and his record. For Dion to win, Harper will have to shoot himself in the foot. And he’s been doing that on a host of issues. While I give him credit for his action on Income Trusts and on Quebec as a nation in Canada (whatever his motives), on childcare, the Kelowna aboriginal development agreement, Afghanistan and the environment, he has been dead wrong.
A cleaned up Liberal Party running on a progressive platform can defeat Harper. And hopefully Jack Layton will add to the progressive momentum by making the Conservatives the target next time out, rather than trying to sink Dion. (Jack’s comment at the last NDP convention that Dion was a man of principle and that for that reason he was highly unlikely to be chosen Liberal leader, will make an all out assault a little more difficult.)
Elizabeth May and the Greens can also contribute to the progressive momentum.
5 comments:
I agree completely. I think he should be given a chance to see how he does in the coming weeks and months.
As a progressive, I liked a lot of what is in his platform. I also like that he is seen as a man of honesty and integrity.
I think it would be a bit rich for Layton to carry out an assault on Dion after what he said about him.
Furthermore, as you have written before, Harper is the most ideologically right-wing PM ever, and he is who we unreservedly need to have our sights set on.
I agree Stephen, as long as, the liberals don't start down their forever route of "telling people not to vote NDP because it is a waste of vote." Liberals don't have a problem bashing the NDP anytime they can get, but heaven forbid that the NDP show back.
Personally, I think the Liberals and the NDP should work together, if not unite. I do think, however, that Harper must be defeated, and the Liberals stand the best chance of doing that.
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