If Dion steps aside who should replace him and why?
- Thread starter CBC News
- Start date
Yep
When we get the final cost of Afghanistan, is going to surpass the $25Billion on a $5Billion initial commitment plus the lose of life and by then some higher number of casualties..then the current 98 dead Canadian men and women. War Sucks......................
Goodale, McCallum considered as interim Liberal leader
Juliet O'Neill, Canwest News Service
Published: Sunday, October 19, 2008
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=044321b7-828b-40d2-a178-59e303214191
OTTAWA - Saskatchewan MP Ralph Goodale and Toronto MP John McCallum are both being courted by MPs to stand as interim Liberal leader after Stephane Dion steps down as expected Monday.
A senior Liberal source said Sunday that Goodale, a former finance minister and a master of righteous indignation in the House of Commons, has the support of MPs from all regions of Canada and from past and potential leadership contestants.
Goodale, a parliamentary veteran, can ask questions in the House of Commons in French but would have difficulty in scrums with reporters.
Competition for the job emerged as MPs began preparing for a transition even before Dion signalled whether he would step aside immediately in the aftermath of Tuesday's election or seek to remain official Opposition leader until the party elects a successor in a few months.
Another source said McCallum, a feisty economist and MP for Markham-Unionville, is the probable choice. Liberal finance critic when Parliament was dissolved, McCallum has the advantage of being bilingual.
Goodale, a parliamentary veteran, can ask questions in the House of Commons in French but would have difficulty in scrums with reporters.
Competition for the job emerged as MPs began preparing for a transition even before Dion signalled whether he would step aside immediately in the aftermath of Tuesday's election or seek to remain official Opposition leader until the party elects a successor in a few months.
Dion, a 53-year-old Montreal MP, has been pressed to step aside because of the 19 seats the Liberals lost in the election, the small 26 per cent of the popular vote they won and internal unhappiness with the Green Shift, the carbon tax proposal that was at the heart of the Liberal campaign platform.
Neither man would comment publicly on the matter Sunday out of respect for Dion, but both are telling colleagues they would be willing to accept the job. Dion himself may recommend an interim leader.
An interim Liberal leader is not expected to be announced officially until Thursday, when the full Liberal caucus is scheduled to meet. Caucus groups are set to meet in advance Wednesday.
A number of party strategists were doing the political talk show circuit Sunday, including Susan Smith, who said she expects Dion to announce Monday he will make a decision based on what's best for the country and his party.
"Dion will put the party first and ensure that there is an orderly transition," Smith told Canwest News Service.
Under the party's constitution, when a leader resigns, the national Liberal executive, in consultation with caucus, appoints an interim leader until a new leader is chosen within six months. In practical terms, caucus makes the decision.
The Liberals have an automatic postelection leadership review scheduled for a policy convention in early May in Vancouver and that now is expected to become a leadership vote. The convention date may be moved ahead.
McCallum, a former senior vice-president and chief economist of the Royal Bank of Canada and university professor, served as the Liberal party's finance critic prior to the election.
He was first elected in November 2000 and won re-election in 2004, 2006 and 2008.
Goodale became the Opposition House leader when the Conservatives defeated Paul Martin's Liberal government in 2006. It was his sixth federal election victory. He was re-elected Tuesday as the MP for the riding of Wascana.
First elected in 1974 as MP for the Assiniboia riding, he led the Saskatchewan Liberal Party in the 1980s and sat as a member of the provincial legislature until returning to the Commons in the 1993 election.
Goodale has held the ministerial posts of agriculture, natural resources, public works and finance. McCallum has served as minister of defence, veterans affairs and national revenue.
McCallum and his wife, Nancy Lim, have three children. Goodale and his wife Pamela live in Regina.
-With files from Glenn Johnson
War DOES suck, but we have a commitment to NATO, (thanks to the cretin) and we can't just sit around and do nothing. Wake up!
Hey Risus why would you call a guy that is not interested in killing people a wimp.......
Brian Tobin.
Yet.....
Well read...
Former Liberal cabinet minister Brian Tobin appears in studio during CTV's Election2006 coverage.
Tobin won't be running for Liberal leadership
Updated Wed. Feb. 1 2006 6:31 AM ET
CTV.ca News
Another Liberal leadership prospect has dropped out of the early race to replace Paul Martin, with Brian Tobin announcing he will not be putting his name forward.
Tobin, a former federal cabinet minister and premier of Newfoundland, was considered the last strong candidate for the job.
Tobin's announcement came Tuesday.
Former CBC chair Carole Taylor, whose name had been bandied about by some as a possible candidate, also ruled herself out Tuesday.
Taylor admitted some people approached her to consider a leadership run, but the current minister of finance in the Liberal provincial government of Premier Gordon Campbell said she's very happy to be at the centre of decision-making in B.C.
The announcements by Tobin and Taylor follow on the heels of a Monday announcement that Frank McKenna, Canada's envoy to Washington, would also not be running for the position. John Manley, a former deputy prime minister and finance minister, announced his intention not to run last week.
Had they entered, Tobin, McKenna and Manley would have been considered the frontrunners in a broad field that might eventually include Liberal newcomers like Belinda Stronach, Michael Ignatieff and Scott Brison. No one has officially declared their interest yet.
Outgoing Prime Minister Paul Martin triggered a leadership race when he announced his intention to resign as Liberal Party leader as he conceded defeat to the Conservatives' Stephen Harper in last week's federal election.
At Wednesday's Liberal caucus meeting, pundits say outgoing Defence Minister Bill Graham will be named the party's interim leader.
One senior Liberal said the withdrawals are not necessarily a bad thing for the party. Rather, it leaves room for new blood and new life to be breathed into the party.
"I think it's a good thing we're getting people's intentions out," said Steve MacKinnon, national director of the Liberal Party on CTV's Mike Duffy Live. "I think it's a good thing we're having people come forward now and cite their reasons for running or not running. I think what we're seeing is a lot of interest."
Tobin echoed that "new blood" theme in an interview with Canadian Press: "I think it's time for new blood and I think it's time for new players and I think this is an opportunity for the Liberal party to renew itself and, in the process, to heal itself a little bit as well."
Conservative strategist Goldy Hyder suggested candidates are wary of running for the leadership and having to defend the "tarnished" Liberal brand.
"It can't be a good day for them when you keep losing your tier one candidates," said Conservative strategist Goldy Hyder.
"I suggest there is a lack of interest in coming to defend the brand, and that is the real challenge. the brand is tarnished. The brand is not strong enough to form a vigorous opposition."
I'll change that to Jean Charest.
Premier's Biography
Member for Sherbrooke
Premier
Québec Liberal Party
Born in Sherbrooke on June 24, 1958
Education
Secondary studies, Montcalm School, Sherbrooke
College studies, Sherbrooke Seminary
Law degree, Sherbrooke University (1980)
Québec Bar (1981)
Professional experience
- Articling student, legal aid programme (1980-1981)
- Lawyer with Beauchemin, Dussault, Sherbrooke (1981-1984)
Elected to the House of Commons, Ottawa, as MP for Sherbrooke in the general election held on September 4, 1984
- Assistant Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, September 18, 1984
to June 29, 1986 - Minister of State for Youth, Ottawa, June 30, 1986 to January 20, 1988
- Minister of State for Fitness and Amateur Sport, April 30, 1988 to January 20, 1990
- Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Ottawa
- Chair, Special Committee to Study the Proposed Companion Resolution to the Meech Lake Accord, 1990
- Minister of the Environment, April 21, 1991 to June 24, 1993
- Member, Cabinet Committee on Priorities and Planning and Committee on Canadian Unity and Constitutional Negotiations
- Leadership candidate, Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, Ottawa, 1993
- Deputy Prime Minister, June 25 to October 26, 1993
- Minister of Industry and Science, June 25 to October 26, 1993
- Minister responsible for the Federal Office of Regional Development - Québec, June 25 to October 26, 1993
- Leader, Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, December 14, 1993
to April 30, 1998 - Vice-chair, National Committee of Quebecers for the NO side, June
to November 1, 1995
- Leader of the Québec Liberal Party since April 30, 1998
- Leader of the Official Opposition, December 15, 1998 to April 29, 2003
- Official Opposition critic for youth matters, January 19, 1999 to April 29, 2003
- Premier of Québec since April 29, 2003
- Minister responsible for Youth Issues since April 29, 2003
- Chair, Comité des priorités, April 29, 2003 to June 13, 2003 and again since February 18, 2005
- Premier of Québec since April 18, 2007
- Minister responsible for Youth Issues since April 18, 2007
- Responsible for the Capitale-Nationale region since June 25, 2008
- Chair of the Comité des priorités since June 25, 2008
Last edited:
After dicking around, pulling off a Mats Sundin, and looking like the idiot he is, I see dion is staying on until the liberal convention nest may. I bet he has a lot of liberals ticked off, especially those who are already in-fighting, vying for his job, lol.
I doubt that you would ever be able to do what he has done. In an election you have a winner and a loser. One really carries no more weight than the other.
Just an observation.
Your podium, Sir.
Admirable? He went into debt over it and wouldn't listen to advisors. His 'Green shift plan' did him in.
True.
But he had foresight. What he proposed is coming faster than you realize.
Bookmark this for future reference.
regards,
scratch
Well...if Mr. Dion had stepped down today, I had some predictions that just went out the window.
I "was" going to predict that:
1) If McCallum was picked as interim Leader, then Ignatieff would have been picked as Party leader in May...
2) If Goodale was picked as interim Leader, then Rae would have been picked as Party leader in May...
With Mr. Dion's anouncement today, I've got nothing...
I "was" going to predict that:
1) If McCallum was picked as interim Leader, then Ignatieff would have been picked as Party leader in May...
2) If Goodale was picked as interim Leader, then Rae would have been picked as Party leader in May...
With Mr. Dion's anouncement today, I've got nothing...
Good on Dion to stay on until a proper party leader is picked…………..
The Liberals will be back……………….Not like the last election……….
The Liberals will be back……………….Not like the last election……….
Rae or Ignateiff, one just loves power and the other's mostly yankee. There is no choice, the bankers will win the leadership. Canadian politics is corrupt, there is only one party same as everywhere in the western industrialized countries.
Rae can't be trusted, and he would make a mess of Canada like he did with Ontario...