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Monday July 3 2006 |
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An
Interview with Bob Rae
by Angelo Persichilli
THE HILL TIMES
Liberal leadership
contender Bob Rae says Canadians should consider a two-party political
system.
The former NDP premier of Ontario, turned official Liberal a few
months ago, is also accusing Conservatives of having a “Nixonian tendency “
and the NDP of “total opportunism. “ Mr. Rae said he also plans on talking
to CAW boss Buzz Hargrove, who has expressed concerns about the split of
votes between the NDP and Liberals, ultimately favouring the Conservatives.
And he stressed the need for a united federal Liberal Party and the need for
an experience political leader like himself at the helm during the party’s
difficult time.
When did
you make the final decision to run for the Liberal leadership?
“I made it during the Air India Inquiry. When I was named to do
the Air India Inquiry by the Prime Minister before the election, I had
anticipated that that would be what I would be doing. After the election was
called and during the election campaign, Stephen Harper made a speech in
Toronto that he would appoint a full judicial inquiry, so I said we have to
see what happens. After the election, I was contacted by the Clerk of the
Privy Council and he said that Mr. Harper had made this commitment. He hoped
that I would understand and, of course I did, I said that it is up to him.
He also said that the government had not made the final decision so they
asked me to continue to cooperate. I said fine, but at that point I was
really in limbo. After Mr. Martin resigned there was speculation about who
was running; as other people started dropping out of the race, Mr. McKenna,
Mr. Manley, Mr. Tobin and Mr. Rock, people started approaching me. I told
them that I was in a critical position because of the Air India Inquiry and
I couldn’t make a decision until the government had made its decision.”
So, what
happened next?
“Well,
when the government made its decision about Air India, I started considering
it much more closely, I started talking with people across the country, I
spoke to people about it. “
What was the reaction like?
“There were people telling me that I hadn’t been a Liberal long enough.
Others were mentioning that the ‘Ontario issue’ will always be there and
that you can’t win. Others were more favourable. So, I said what’s the worst
that can happen is we go to the convention, it’s eight months of effort and,
ultimately, it doesn’t succeed. That’s not the end of the world, it’s an
important exercise for the people to make a choice. I believe I have
something to offer to the public and to the party. I have a lot of
experience in public policy. I know politics well, and I believe I have
something to give to the country. Bringing all those things together, I
decided to give it a shot. I had a lot of encouragement. I had people
phoning me from different parts of the country, from different sections of
the party encouraging me to run.”
Which
phone call or conversation made you decide?
“It
wasn’t a phone call. It has to come from within you. I believe that both,
Greg Sorbara and George Smitherman were so strong and unequivocal in their
views that I had the necessary ability and experience to make it. They said
that they were prepared to go the distance for me and I said, ‘If you are
prepared to do that, so am I’.”
Why do
you believe so many people, considered front-runners, as you mentioned
yourself McKenna, Tobin and others, decided to drop off, and you went the
other way?
“I
don’t know. People make decisions for different reasons. I’ve been out of
politics for 10 years, I’m 57 years old and, if I’m successful, it will be a
job that will carry me to the end of my public service. It is a decision on
my part and to lead a national political party that will stand up and defeat
Stephen Harper and the Conservatives. Is this a cause worth fighting for? My
answer is yes, it is. Others made a decision for different reasons. They
have their own, I have mine.”
You
mentioned the ‘Ontario issue.’ Do you believe it exists, or are media making
it up?
“I
believe it is exaggerated. Of course, in our business, perception is
reality. People tell me ‘I don’t have that perception,’ but others people
tell me that they do. So, you have to deal with the perception.”
Enough
of Bob Rae and let’s talk about the national political system. Do you
believe that Canada is going towards a two-party system?
“It’s
too early to tell. I do believe that it is something that Canadians have to
consider as we go forward and what form of realignment will take [place].
Clearly, the Conservative realignment is a significant event. It also
happened in the United States where the Republicans have become much more
ideological and right wing. And we have seen a similar development in Canada
and the risk is that we will be divided and the right wing will win. That’s
a risk that, frankly, we cannot afford to take. How the people will respond
to that, only time will tell.”
What
about the NDP, then?
“I
certainly believe that there are elements in the NDP who are diehards and
who are not going to move. But I think that most of the NDP voters are very,
very concerned about the prospects of a Tory majority government. I think it
is something of deep concern for them and I believe that it will affect
voting patterns.”
Did you
talk to Buzz Hargrove?
“No.”
Do you
share the concerns on the same subject expressed by him?
“Absolutely. I talked about it in Ontario in 1995. It seems to me that in
Ontario the Harris victory was one that should have caused everybody to be
concerned. It was clearly a realignment under way and that is going to have
an impact on party structures all across the board.”
Do you
believe that Buzz Hargrove will be involved in this leadership campaign
supporting one of you?
“I don’t know.”
Are you
going to talk to him?
“I certainly plan on talking to him, but we haven’t had a chat.
I plan to talk to him like I plan to talk to many other people.”
Which is
the major issue the Liberal Party has to overcome in order to go back to the
government?
“The
first issue is not even a policy, it’s clearing the air within the party
about who we are, making sure that the party is united, then be clear about
what the policies are and the party has to show that we are ready to govern.
The party has to establish itself and come to terms with what has happened.
It has to go back to its roots, talk to its people and offer them a
platform.”
On which
issue or issues do you differentiate yourself from other candidates?
“I
don’t believe there is one issue that differentiates anybody. However, I
don’t believe that there is any other candidate who has my range of
experience both in my political career in Ontario, in running a government,
and then in the range of public policy issues which I have been addressing
over the last several years. I also think that there are other very talented
people in the race. I think that all the candidates are talking about a
range of issues, on the economy with an emphasis on education and human
resources and making sure that we will make the necessary investment in
people. We all talk about an economy that will be internationally
competitive, we all talk about sustainability and the importance of getting
the message through and taking the steps to integrate sustainability within
the economy. I believe, however, there are a couple of issues that I talk
more about; the issue of poverty in Canada, we can’t pretend to believe that
it is not a fact of life. The Liberal Party needs to focus on that and I
don’t believe it is enough to just go back to the old programs because a lot
of them are broken.”
What about the
second one?
“It is
foreign policy. I have a lot of experience on that, but my views are a
little different and that will become clear. I believe it is very important
for the Liberal Party to develop a very clear sense about what the policies
are in a way that it is true to its own voice, its own understanding of who
we are.”
Do you
believe there is enough money out there to sustain the leadership race for
all of you? Do you believe in the new law, C-2?
“Well, it hasn’t passed yet. Of course there are issues in the
new rules. I believe that changing the funding rules in the middle of the
leadership race is wrong and clearly vindictive on the part of the NDP and
the Conservatives. It’s a sign of a kind of Nixonian tendency on the
part of the government. The new rules should be in place in the new year,
and it’s a total act of opportunism on the part of the NDP. The new law
should be in place in the new year, after the race. We will survive through
all of this. The campaign will be less expensive and less elaborate. You
can’t have a lot of paid staffers, a lot of organizers on the ground with a
paid salary.”
Is the
party still affected by the Martin- Chrétien dispute, or is it behind it?
“I
believe that it has to be recognized that the party has to be united in
order to succeed. As long as it is divided it is going to be difficult to
win. Sure, it was a real factor, it is smaller now, but it has to be behind
us if we want to win. It was a negative factor in the last while, and
clearly it was very negative in the final years of Mr. Chrétien’s mandate.
It had an impact and I believe that we have to overcome it and we are
overcoming it.”
Which
are the major issues the country is facing?
“The
first one is the unity. It is partly about Quebec but is also about the need
to keep reinforcing the ties that hold the country together. We have to find
a balance of give and take with mutual respect recognizing different points
of view. As long as you have a political movement in one province that is
committed to breaking up the country, and that movement has some level of
support within the population, you’ve got a problem. You have a separatist
movement in Quebec that has a strong level of support and that clearly poses
a challenge to the future of Canada. The second issue is the disconnection
between the economy and our society. I think we can’t take our prosperity
for granted, we have to work hard and we have to make sure that our
prosperity is more widespread.”
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