Criticism is mounting inside the Liberal Party of Canada against federal
Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion and his credibility could be further
damaged depending on the results of this week’s three Quebec federal
byelections.
“His position is the position of whoever the last person who spoke with
him,” one Liberal strategist told
The Hill Times
recently, referring to Dion’s style.
His advisers have sensed this uneasiness as well as the dangers
of possibly losing a relatively safe Liberal seat in the Outremont,
Que., byelection. All three byelections will be held on Sept. 17. Last
week, Liberals sent an email out to fellow Liberals, addressed, “Dear
Liberal Colleagues,” which reads more like an SOS than a simple request
for help.
“The byelection in Outremont next Monday,” stated the email, “is going
to be a tough fight, and we’re trying to gather as many E-day volunteers
from Ottawa as possible. The NDP is throwing in all the resources they
can to win a Quebec seat, and we need to call on as many Liberals as we
can to band together and keep this riding red.” The federal Liberals are
coordinating, carpooling, and offering all kind of transportation “to
help out our Liberal brothers and sisters in the Outremont campaign,”
according to the email obtained by
The Hill Times.
Some Liberals are also questioning why the Quebec co-chair
of Dion’s national election readiness committee Lucie Santoro went on a
Canada-Israel Committee trip to Israel earlier in September. And there’s
other bad news. Marc Lavigne, Dion’s chief Quebec organizer on his
leadership campaign, resigned as deputy national director of the party.
NDPers are, meanwhile, fighting hard to get former Quebec provincial
environment minister Thomas Mulcair elected in Outremont.
Of course, it is not just problems in Outremont that are creating
difficulties for Dion’s leadership. The new leader, who was elected as a
second choice of everybody, was given the opportunity to become the
first choice, but failed.
Liberals in Montreal at last December’s leadership convention voted to
have a leader able to build a bridge between the past and the future, a
leader capable of getting rid of the people of the previous “regime,”
and a leader who is able to re-evaluate most of the economic and social
policies of the past, and prepare a plan for the future.
Unfortunately, Dion fell into the hands of people who have continued
with the same attitude of the past. He failed to form a team and has
based his policies on a raucous criticism of the present government
without being able to present credible alternative. The most
controversial and childish position is the support he has lent to the
premier of Newfoundland and Labrador Danny Williams on the offshore
resources and the equalization formula.
“The Government of Canada,” wrote Dion when he was
minister of environment, “believes it would be ill-advised to grant such
special treatment to Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, or any other province.
First, it is wrong to attribute to equalization a disincentive or
paralysing effect on economic development. And second, it is essential
to maintain equitable treatment of all the provinces within the
equalization framework.” Has he now changed positions? If so, why is he
accusing Prime Minster Stephen Harper of flip-flopping? And if not, has
he told Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams that his
position is just like Harper’s? With his stand on Newfoundland he has
upset most of his MPs in Ontario.
And, what about the environment? He has tried to sell himself as “Mr.
Green” with schizophrenic initiatives and an alliance with the leader of
the Green Party but, at the end of the day, the NDP is still the party
most trusted when it comes to the environment. In fact, the Liberals’
record, is pitiful in this sector: the only thing they did was sign the
Kyoto agreement. Then they forgot about it.
Then there’s Afghanistan. I can understand the position
of the NDP, even though not necessarily agreeing with it, but it makes
sense: we want the soldiers out now. After sending our troops into
Afghanistan now they want them out by the end of the mandate. Even if
this is the case, you don’t give to the enemies’ information like this.
It’s like telling the Taliban, “Just hang on for another few months, and
then you do whatever you want.” The list of these frantic behaviours
could go on and on and still this is not the worst of it. What is of
concern to most Liberal strategists is that the situation, instead of
improving, is deteriorating.
Now the new strategists around Dion are trying to raise
their voice, when the House resumes in October challenging the
Conservatives to go to the polls. Can you imagine that? They’ll have
difficulties winning Outremont, a Liberal stronghold, and they are
challenging the other parties in the country? Some might ask which side
they’re on.