Before I start, I want to
apologize to our readers. Yes, once again I'll talk about an event that
doesn't exist: the Liberal leadership race. In order to create some
interest, the so-called "gentry" of the once powerful and once governing
Liberal Party, has even approached former UN Commissioner on Human Right and
former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour urging her to run. Arbour was
also the chief prosecutor of the War Crimes before the International
Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia in The Hague. It
appears as if the answer was not very encouraging, and it also indicates the
desperation the "gentry" who not happy with the present list of potential
candidates.Frank McKenna, Brian Tobin, John Manley and Allan Rock all got
out while the getting was good and the Liberals know they¹re almost at a
dead end with their new idol, newly-elected Liberal MP Michael Ignatieff.
They tried to compare him to Pierre Trudeau, but they were rebuked by those
who knew him.
"If anything," a close adviser to the former prime minister told The Hill
Times, "he had a Canadian address."
As well, it seems there are some Liberals who wouldn't mind seeing former
foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy debate Ignatieff on what the future
of Canada¹s foreign policy should be.
The Grit "gentry" has also realized that there are problems. So, they
keep working for the let¹s-pretend-he-is-Trudeau candidate but, at the same
time, are looking for another name to be used under a "Plan B" scenario.
The Toronto Star, the same newspaper that has in the past supported
Ignatieff, recently reported that there are other names ready to jump into a
race that still doesn't exist, like Robert Pritchard and Gerard Kennedy.
The first is the president and CEO of The Toronto Star but, listen to
this, Pritchard, the Star wrote, couldn't be reached for a comment (of
course leaks to the Star are more effective when coming from the premier of
Ontario office, then from within).
The second, Gerard Kennedy, is the Ontario minister of Education, a
potential candidate "that the only support he will get," says an Ontario
Liberal strategist, "is from his caucus colleagues who really would like to
see him in Ottawa...rather than in Toronto." This confirms the rocky
relationship between the provincial and the federal Liberals.
Some were looking at star Liberal MP Scott Brison, but the RCMP, again,
got involved. Some are speculating that there is a movement to weed out from
the Liberal Party the latecomers. Who's next? Belinda Stronach and Bob Rae?
Speaking of the former NDP premier, according to some, if he runs he will
get the support from the Stephen Harper Conservatives: "This way, it might
be the only opportunity we have to win Ontario in the next election," said
one.
Yes, there are of course other potential candidates like Quebec Liberal
MP Stéphane Dion, who has loads of credibility but no organization, and
Quebec Liberal MP Denis Coderre, who has organization, but not the support
from the "gentry." There¹s also Liberal MPs John Godfrey and Carolyn Bennett
whose chances are greatly reduced because of the rumours of Kennedy's
candidacy. They all fish on the left side of the same pond.
Then there are so many Italian Canadian Liberal MPs ready to throw their
names into the race that I'm thinking about doing exactly the same myself.
I know that the two who have more potential are Liberal MPs Joe Volpe and
Maurizio Bevilacqua. I've have to admit that their credentials would be
significantly better if they would change their names to Joe Fox and Maurice
Drinkwater. If I ran, I¹d change my name in Angie Persikillier.
Enough of Liberal leadership race. However, I have some justifications on
my side for not talking about the other political organizations.
In fact, the Bloc Québecois party is acting like a patient under
anesthetic treatment after undergoing surgery on Jan. 23 and the NDP looks
like a butterfly searching a flower to land and stage a photo op.
Then there¹s the Conservatives. They¹re still enjoying the toy they've
got, but are looking for the batteries to make it work. The only comment I
can add is that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has fallen face first into the
trap prepared by Ethics Commissioner Bernard Shapiro. Challenging his
action, the Prime Minister gave it credibility. The sooner he stops, the
better for him and his government. Shapiro's initiative has no port to land
in so why anyone would like to take the responsibility of sinking it?
