A friend, a diehard Liberal, has two beliefs about politics today.
The first is that it is difficult to use the word “honourable” before politicians’ names because there is so little of it among them. The second is that Canadian political parties have so lost their way while appealing to the common denominator, it’s impossible to distinguish their core values. Both those opinions played out in Sudbury this month.
What should have been a sleepy byelection set off a provincial and national firestorm because of backroom wheeling and dealing we suspected went on, but of which we now have proof.
Former Sudbury Liberal candidate Andrew Olivier was intending to seek his party’s nomination to run in a byelection to replace New Democrat MPP Joe Cimino. The former city councillor stunned us last month by resigning 5½ months into a four-year term.
On Dec. 15, Olivier revealed he wouldn’t be seeking the nod after being asked not to by three members of the Liberal brass. He didn’t do it quietly.
A man he called a Liberal “king-maker” first asked Olivier to withdraw so a “choice” candidate could be appointed. Premier Kathleen Wynne then called, asking him to step aside. A key aide to Wynne did the same.
Olivier says there were suggestions he should ask for a job or political appointment quid pro quo. All three prominent Liberals deny it. They say they told Olivier if he remained a good Liberal, he could have a bright future with the party.
The real bombshell came the next day when Sudbury New Democrat MP Glenn Thibeault announced Wynne had appointed him the Liberal candidate in that byelection. Wynne told the Sudbury Star that “electoral urgency” — the need to get the best possible candidate appointed quickly — prompted her to bypass the democratic process of a nomination meeting. Only a small cadre of people knew the appointment was coming.
So secret was Thibeault’s defection, he didn’t hint of it to Tom Mulcair when the federal NDP leader called him two days earlier to discuss strategy in 2015. Mulcair would hear about Thibeault’s defection in an e-mail after a Toronto newspaper broke the story.
Wynne came to Sudbury on Friday to sell her new candidate to the people and try to smooth the waters with a riding association executive who resigned for being kept out of the loop. Wynne said the executive will stay on until Thibeault is elected. The association president says they will only remain until Thibeault has his “team” in place after an annual general meeting.
Thibeault admitted Friday politics is a blood sport, that he was doing the best for his community and family, and spoke of how difficult his decision has been. Wynne backed her star candidate on that. Never once did Thibeault apologize to people who felt betrayed, nor did Wynne really. History is rife with politicians who have crossed the floor or left one level of government for another, seldom while sitting members though.
When asked if appointing Thibeault was so important it justified upsetting so many people, Wynne said yes. It “obviously” wasn’t her intent to hurt them, but it was vital a candidate with Thibeault’s strengths be appointed. There was the suggestion Liberal members wouldn’t have got it right had they been left to choose.
The premier now wants us all to hold hands, sing Kumbaya and get on with the important work of getting Thibeault elected. She insists no cabinet position was promised Thibeault, nor did he ask for one.
One would like to accept the premier at her word. But if we’ve all learned one thing in the last two weeks, it’s that in politics, people might not be lying, but it doesn’t mean they’re telling the truth.
Wynne hits new political low in Sudbury antics | Brantford Expositor
The first is that it is difficult to use the word “honourable” before politicians’ names because there is so little of it among them. The second is that Canadian political parties have so lost their way while appealing to the common denominator, it’s impossible to distinguish their core values. Both those opinions played out in Sudbury this month.
What should have been a sleepy byelection set off a provincial and national firestorm because of backroom wheeling and dealing we suspected went on, but of which we now have proof.
Former Sudbury Liberal candidate Andrew Olivier was intending to seek his party’s nomination to run in a byelection to replace New Democrat MPP Joe Cimino. The former city councillor stunned us last month by resigning 5½ months into a four-year term.
On Dec. 15, Olivier revealed he wouldn’t be seeking the nod after being asked not to by three members of the Liberal brass. He didn’t do it quietly.
A man he called a Liberal “king-maker” first asked Olivier to withdraw so a “choice” candidate could be appointed. Premier Kathleen Wynne then called, asking him to step aside. A key aide to Wynne did the same.
Olivier says there were suggestions he should ask for a job or political appointment quid pro quo. All three prominent Liberals deny it. They say they told Olivier if he remained a good Liberal, he could have a bright future with the party.
The real bombshell came the next day when Sudbury New Democrat MP Glenn Thibeault announced Wynne had appointed him the Liberal candidate in that byelection. Wynne told the Sudbury Star that “electoral urgency” — the need to get the best possible candidate appointed quickly — prompted her to bypass the democratic process of a nomination meeting. Only a small cadre of people knew the appointment was coming.
So secret was Thibeault’s defection, he didn’t hint of it to Tom Mulcair when the federal NDP leader called him two days earlier to discuss strategy in 2015. Mulcair would hear about Thibeault’s defection in an e-mail after a Toronto newspaper broke the story.
Wynne came to Sudbury on Friday to sell her new candidate to the people and try to smooth the waters with a riding association executive who resigned for being kept out of the loop. Wynne said the executive will stay on until Thibeault is elected. The association president says they will only remain until Thibeault has his “team” in place after an annual general meeting.
Thibeault admitted Friday politics is a blood sport, that he was doing the best for his community and family, and spoke of how difficult his decision has been. Wynne backed her star candidate on that. Never once did Thibeault apologize to people who felt betrayed, nor did Wynne really. History is rife with politicians who have crossed the floor or left one level of government for another, seldom while sitting members though.
When asked if appointing Thibeault was so important it justified upsetting so many people, Wynne said yes. It “obviously” wasn’t her intent to hurt them, but it was vital a candidate with Thibeault’s strengths be appointed. There was the suggestion Liberal members wouldn’t have got it right had they been left to choose.
The premier now wants us all to hold hands, sing Kumbaya and get on with the important work of getting Thibeault elected. She insists no cabinet position was promised Thibeault, nor did he ask for one.
One would like to accept the premier at her word. But if we’ve all learned one thing in the last two weeks, it’s that in politics, people might not be lying, but it doesn’t mean they’re telling the truth.
Wynne hits new political low in Sudbury antics | Brantford Expositor
