CTV is reporting:
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion is expected to resign Monday and Liberal MP Dominic LeBlanc has dropped out of the leadership race and will support rival Michael Ignatieff.
My view -- there won't be a convention and Ignatieff will be Leader by Christmas... .
6 comments:
Highly democratic that.
I've been a card carrying Liberal for almost three decades. I was disgusted by the way Martin became leader. Anyone with even a glimpse of inside knowledge knows what I'm talking about. Now the party brass is doing the same thing. I'm going to quit if it truly is happening again.
I'm not going to be all huffy like the Anon above and say I'll quit ('cause I won't) but I'll find it pretty distasteful if a leader in permanently installed without the pre-approval of the grassroots.
Seriously, we need to cut that shit out and reorganize the party for the 21st century not do some smokey backroom highjinx that does an endrun around the membership towards some sleepy ratification vote.
Make a new interim leader if you must (I have no objection) but let the race continue.
''...not do some smokey backroom highjinx that does an endrun around the...''
Sounds familiar, oh yah, the coalition was done the same way.
We here in Western Canada feel your pain.
So, to what extent do the agreements, accords and letters which put the coalition in place apply to the successors of the signatories?
If Dion is out, I would expect that the Accord is dead and, consequently, the coalition is dead. This is particularly true if Iggy is successful in taking the leadership of the Liberal Party. After all, Mr. Lukewarm has done nothing to give the GG any assurance that he is fully committed to this "coup de graceless".
Consider, he only reluctantly stepped before the microphones with the other two aspirants to say he was in. Never has he shared the stage with Layton or Duceppe, let alone Dion, on this crucial matter. Never has he given a "come hell or high water" quote ... and he always has a good quote.
Now, if Iggy is willing to align the Liberals with the NDP and Bloc once again, Ms Jean may have something to think about. Clearly, the new Liberal leader will have to go through the hand-shaking, accord-signing ritual with his socialist and separatist friends to make the GG take even a passing glance at an alternative government.
I am confident, however, that Iggy recognizes the folly that this represents for the already tarnished Liberal brand and will let this thing die.
Bottom line - if there is a successful non-confidence vote in January, we will be going to the polls. With no alternative drooling at her front gate, the GG will have to proceed with disolution and a trip to the polls.
Get your campaigns ready, folks!
JC Kelan
There seems to me to be a need to name an interim (or fully-mandated) leader before January 26. We can't have a convention as contemplated in the the Party's constitution prior to that date.
Hence, if Dion is to depart prior to then, what is the plan? It seems to me the party needs one, and that speculation/discussion as to the means of choosing the interim leader (constitutionally a prerogative of the National Executive in (mere) consultation with the National Caucus) is both necessary and appropriate.
As members without a vote on either of those bodies, we need to advocate for as far reaching a consultation as possible, and the question of whether that includes a straw poll of members, or of constituency associations and Commissions, is something that we ought to be expressing our opinions on, to those who have a vote in the formal process.
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