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Image:dennismills.JPG|'''[[Dennis Mills]]''' [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060211.LIBERAL11/TPStory/National &loz;]<hr>Toronto, ON<br>([[Toronto—Danforth]])<br>Defeated in 2004<hr>&bull; Backbencher for 16 years under Turner, Chrétien and Martin.
Image:dennismills.JPG|'''[[Dennis Mills]]''' [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060211.LIBERAL11/TPStory/National &loz;]<hr>Toronto, ON<br>([[Toronto—Danforth]])<br>Defeated in 2004<hr>&bull; Backbencher for 16 years under Turner, Chrétien and Martin.


Image:EdwardBlake.jpg|'''[[Edward Blake]]''' [http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/key/bio.asp?Language=E&query=2652&s=M &loz;]<hr>Durham, ON<br>([[Durham West]])<br>Retired in 1887<hr>&bull; Former [[Premier of Ontario]]<br>&bull; Former MP for [[Durham West]]
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Revision as of 17:39, 17 April 2006

Template:Future election

2006 Liberal leadership election
File:Lib-can.png
DateNovember 29 - December 3 2006
ConventionMontreal, Quebec
Resigning leaderPaul Martin
Won byongoing campaign
Candidates7 (declared)
Entrance FeeC$50,000
Spending limitC$3.4 million
Liberal leadership elections
1919 · 1948 · 1958 · 1968 · 1980 · 1984 · 1990 · 2003 · 2006 · 2009 · 2013

Following the defeat of his Liberal government in the 2006 federal election, Paul Martin announced that he would "not lead the party into another election," prompting a Liberal leadership convention to replace him. The convention has been scheduled to occur from November 29 to December 3 2006 in Montreal at the Palais des congrès, with voting occurring on the latter days. The victor will likely front the Liberal campaign during the next federal election as its presumptive candidate for the post of Prime Minister of Canada.

The party constitution lays out a process by which the party leader is chosen by several thousand delegates, who in turn are elected from electoral district associations and special electorates in proportion to the choices of their general membership. The party constitution further stipulates that the selection of delegates for the convention must occur 35 to 59 days prior to the convention itself and that only Liberals who joined the party 90 days before the delegate-selection meetings can vote for delegates or become delegates themselves. The early months of the leadership race are expected to be dominated by competing drives to sign up members likely to back various candidacies.

The convention will come approximately three years after the 2003 convention, which saw Paul Martin selected after a turbulent few years of conflict between his faction of the party and that of outgoing Prime Minister Jean Chretien.

Parliamentary leadership until the convention

On February 1, 2006, Paul Martin announced that he would continue as leader of the Liberal Party until his successor was chosen but he would not serve as Leader of the Opposition. [2]

Later that day, the Liberal caucus selected Bill Graham, MP for Toronto Centre and outgoing Minister of National Defence, to fill that role as its interim parliamentary leader and Leader of the Opposition, heading the 103-member Liberal caucus. (The caucus was reduced to 102 members shortly thereafter when David Emerson crossed the floor) in the House of Commons. Graham named Lucienne Robillard, MP for Westmount—Ville-Marie and outgoing Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, as his deputy leader.[3] Alberta Senator Dan Hays, that chamber's outgoing speaker, has been tapped as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.

Though Martin initially intended to remain the official leader until the party chose his permanent replacement, he announced on March 16, 2006 that his resignation would take effect the following weekend; once the Liberal Party executive set the date of the convention. According to media reports, Martin made his decision to end speculation that he may lead the Liberals into the next election should the Harper government fall in the next few months.[4]

Bill Graham was given the role of fully fledged interim leader (rather than just interim parliamentary leader) by the National Executive on March 18, 2006. Interim leaders are traditionally expected be neutral in leadership races and are typically individuals who are not expected to be candidates themselves. Nevertheless, Susan Riley of the Ottawa Citizen has speculated that despite the understanding that one foregoes entering a leadership contest when one becomes interim leader, the lack of strong candidates will result in a "Draft Bill Graham" movement to make him the permanent leader.[5] However, Graham has vowed not to run.[6]

Professor Gilles Paquet of the University of Ottawa said in an interview that he believes that there will be so much infighting in the contest that, in the end, Graham will be acclaimed as leader.[7]

Endorsements

See Endorsements in the Liberal Leadership Race, 2006.

Rules

The date and rules of the convention was decided upon by the Liberal Party National Executive during its meeting on March 18 - March 19, 2006.[8]

The party constitution required that a convention be held within a year of the leader's resignation and that the party's biennial convention be held by March 2007. The leadership convention will also serve the function of the party's regular policy convention meaning there will be debate and voting on policy resolutions and an election for the party's executive.

Selection of delegates by riding associations and party clubs will occur on the weekend of September 29 to October 1. Only those who have purchased or renewed their party membership by July 1, 2006 will be eligible to vote. There are expected to be approximately 850 ex-officio delegates who automatically gain the right to attend the convention by virtue of being a Liberal Member of Parliament, recent candidate, Senator, etc. The Liberal Aboriginal Peoples’ Commission will be entitled to send a delegation that is in proportion to the percentage of the Canadian population that is Aboriginal. All delegates except those with ex-officio status and those who gain election as independent delegates are bound to a particular candidate on the first ballot, however all delegates are free to move about as candidates drop off over ensuing rounds of voting.

Each candidate must pay $50,000 to enter the contest (down from $75,000 at the previous convention). The spending limit for each campaign has been set at $3.4 million, down from $4 million. All of the first $500,000 raised by each candidate will be kept by the candidate's campaign while any amount raised above that figure will be subject to a 20% levy by the party. In contrast to the previous race when the sale of party memberships was severely restricted, the executive decided to allow party membership to be purchased online.

The Convention Organization Committee, and the convention proceedings will be co-chaired by Dominic LeBlanc and Tanya Kappo. Steven MacKinnon, National Director of the party, will be the General Secretary of the convention.[9]

The deadline for candidates to enter the race is September 30.[10].

Analysis

As the possibility of a 2006 Liberal leadership race emerged during the midpoint of the election campaign, most media speculation focussed on the surfeit of potential candidates poised to replace Martin. Some optimistically billed this convention as being most likely to provide a broad field of skilled contenders not seen since the 1968 race that included Pierre Trudeau, Robert Winters, Paul Martin, Sr., John Turner, Joe Greene, Mitchell Sharp and Allan MacEachen. Such speculation seemed rooted in the assumption that high profile members of the Chrétien cabinet that had elected not to challenge the Martin juggernaught in 2003—most commonly enumerated as John Manley, Allan Rock, Brian Tobin, and Martin Cauchon—would return to federal politics, along with 2003 runner-up Sheila Copps and Martin's own presumptive heir Frank McKenna, prompting a balanced matchup between multiple household names.

Instead, most of the above-mentioned would-be candidates have indicated they are not interested in the race. Some commentators have stated that this is because of a prevailing view that the Liberal Party will spend an extended period in Opposition meaning that winning the party leadership comes with no certainty of becoming Prime Minister. Also some say that the reported party debt might also have something to do with them backing down.[11]

There is also the toll politics may take on one's personal life. In his decision not to run, Frank McKenna cited the fact that the prime ministership twenty four hour a day, seven day a week job that leaves little time for anything else. [12]

While some view the withdrawal of prominent candidates as indicating that the Liberal leadership is undesirable, others have heralded the potential for a "wide open" leadership race that is free from the baggage of the past which might do much to heal the lingering rifts in the party. [13] [14] [15]

In the field of declared and undeclared contenders, the first tier of potential winners (the "big six") is most commonly cited as consisting of Scott Brison, Stephane Dion, Ken Dryden, Michael Ignatieff, Gerard Kennedy and Bob Rae. [16][17] In terms of organization, it is thought that Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae possess the most powerful professional political machines.

Registered candidates

Individuals may officially register as candidates for the leadership beginning on April 7 2006. Candidates will be listed in this section once they have done so.

Declared candidates

Clifford Blais

Clifford Blais is a family physician in Montreal, Quebec and a former member of the Parti Québécois. He announced his intention to run on April 3. "I'm not expecting to win," he told the Canadian Press. Blais says he seeks to advocate for policy positions including a larger role for the private sector in health care delivery, and for respect for provincial jurisdiction that he believed might win Quebec sovereigntists over to the Liberal party. [18] [19]

Stéphane Dion

File:Stephanedion.jpg

Stéphane Dion was Intergovernmental Affairs minister under Chrétien, Environment minister under Martin. Before entering federal politics by his 1996 appointment to cabinet followed shortly by his election to parliament from Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, Dion was a professor of political science and noted federalist commentator. Dion is noted for his vocal opposition to Quebec sovereigntism and his support for such measures as the Clarity Act. He was considered a Chrétien loyalist who nonetheless worked well with the Martin camp. Dion announced his candidacy on April 7. [20] Former Liberal House Leader Don Boudria is his campaign chair. [21]

Martha Hall Findlay

File:Marthahallfindlay.PNG

Martha Hall Findlay, a Toronto lawyer, was the first candidate to officially declare she would run for the leadership when she did so on February 8, 2006 [22]. She has previously run as a Liberal candidate in the 2004 election, losing narrowly to Belinda Stronach in the district of Newmarket—Aurora. When Stronach crossed the floor in 2005, Hall Findlay ceded her Liberal nomination for the riding to Stronach. Hall Findlay, 45, is fluently bilingual and presently works as the principal of her own management and legal consultancy organization, The General Counsel Group, which works primarily in the high-tech and telecommunications fields in Canada and Europe.

Michael Ignatieff

File:M ignatieff 056.jpg

Michael Ignatieff is a public intellectual with an international reputation. A former director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University, he was elected to the House of Commons as MP for Etobicoke—Lakeshore in the 2006 election. [23] Ignatieff is supported by Senator David Smith, a powerful Chretien organizer, Ian Davey (son of Senator Keith Davey), Alfred Apps, a Toronto lawyer and Martin fundraiser and Paul Lalonde, a Toronto lawyer and son of Marc Lalonde, are heading up his campaign.[1] David Peterson will be Ignatieff's honorary campaign co-chair along with former Trudeau cabinet minister Marc Lalonde. Jim Peterson will serve as Ignatieff's Ontario campaign co-chair with Aileen Carroll. Rodger Cuzner will be the Atlantic Canada campaign chair while Pablo Rodriguez, former president of the Liberal Party's federal Quebec wing, will be national campaign co-chair.[24]

Gerard Kennedy

File:GKennedy.jpg

Gerard Kennedy was until April 5, 2006 the Minister of Eduation in the Ontario provincial government of Dalton McGuinty. He resigned from cabinet on April 5 in order to enter this leadership race. [25] He was the runner up in the 1996 Ontario Liberal leadership race, having finished in first place on the first four ballots, he was defeated by McGuinty on the fifth and final ballot. Kennedy is backed by Senator Terry Mercer, former national director of the federal Liberal Party.

Ashley MacIsaac

File:Ashley1.jpg

Ashley MacIsaac is a professional fiddler and Juno Award winner from Cape Breton best known for his controversial personality. The Halifax Daily News reports that MacIsaac announced to them on March 19th that he intends to run for the Liberal leadership due to his concerns about Quebec separatism. He says he will finance his bid by selling some art he owns and intends to learn "all things French". MacIsaac considered entering politics in 2003 by running as an independent candidate in Dartmouth during the 2004 federal election, but later changed his mind. [26] Columnist Jane Taber described MacIsaac's announcement as "more a joke than a serious intent to run," [27], but MacIsaac has insisted he is serious. [28]

Myron Wolf Child

File:Myronwolfchild.jpg

Myron Wolf Child, sometimes reported as Myron Wolfchild, is a 23 year old youth activist from the Kainai Nation in southern Alberta. Wolf Child founded the Aboriginal Peoples Party of Canada in 2005. That party appears either to have run its course, or merged into the First Peoples National Party of Canada, which ran five candidates in the 2006 federal election. In that election, Wolf Child himself ran as an independent candidate in the riding of Macleod, winning 1,055 votes (2.12%). According to a Lethbridge Herald report of April 1, he expected to know whether he could raise the $50,000 and the signatures required to register within 45 days. [29] Under the username nextprimeminister, a poster identifying themself as Wolf Child, and a Liberal leadership candidate, has posted to Ashley MacIsaac's Internet forum, congratulating MacIsaac and inviting him to an official summit [30] [31].

Withdrawn candidates

John Godfrey

File:JohnGodfrey.jpg

John Godfrey has represented the Toronto riding of Don Valley West since 1993. He served as Parliamentary Secretary to the PM under Chretien, and in 2004 was named to Martin's second cabinet as Minister of State for Infrastructure and Communities. In that capacity he spearheaded Martin's "New Deal" for Canadian cities. Godfrey is seen as being on the left of the party, and had previously worked in academia and served as editor of the Financial Post. His interest in seeking the leadership was broken by Don Newman on Politics on February 3, and he publically declared his candidacy on CPAC's Goldhawk Live on the evening of March 19, shortly after the rules were announced and in an interview with the Toronto Star[32]. [33] On April 12, 2006, Godfrey announced his withdrawal from the race owing to poor health. [34]

Potential candidates

The following individuals have been mentioned in one or more media reports (denoted with a ◊) as possible candidates for the leadership and have not publicly stated they will not run:

Current Liberal Members of Parliament

Former Liberal Members of Parliament

Never Liberal MPs

Indicated they will not run for leadership

The following high profile Liberals have indicated they do not wish to run for the leadership at this time:

Timeline

  • January 23 2006 - Surprising many, once the result of 2006 federal election indicated his government would fall to Stephen Harper's Conservatives, in the early hours of the morning after the election, Prime Minister Paul Martin announced his intention to resign as Liberal party leader. He stated: "I will continue to represent with pride the people of LaSalle—Émard, but I will not take our party into another election as leader".
  • January 24 2006 - ^ Industry minister David Emerson quashes speculation he might seek the leadership, stating that at 60, he's "too old." He adds that the party should pick "somebody who will hit their maximum appeal probably five years from today, not somebody who's maximum appeal was two years ago or maybe a year from now." [54] On February 6, 2006, Emerson crossed the floor to take a position in Stephen Harper's government.
  • January 25 2006:
    • John Manley ^ informs the media that he will not seek the party leadership, stating "While I hope to play a role in the renewal, healing and unification of the Liberal party, I have decided for personal reasons that I will not be a leadership candidate" [55]. On election night Manley appeared on CBC television's coverage of the election, and immediately after Prime Minister Paul Martin's announcement was asked whether he might seek the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada. Manley's response at that time was to poke fun at himself saying: "Some may want a dynamic, charismatic leader. Some others may support me."
    • Former Premier of New Brunswick Frank McKenna announces his resignation as Canada's ambassador to the United States. Although submitted in the context of giving Harper the opportunity to appoint an Ambassador who will support Harper's vision of U.S. - Canada relations, it is widely speculated that he is lining up for a run at the federal Liberal leadership.
  • January 30 2006 - ^ Surprising many pundits, Frank McKenna announces he will not run for the leadership. Prior to this, McKenna had been tipped and widely reported as the race's frontrunner. [56]. While recognizing the significance of the leadership McKenna acknowledged: "You’ve got pretty good odds of being the prime minister if you’re leader of the Liberal party." [57] However, he put an end to his association with the 2006 Liberal Party leadership race, explaining that he did not want "his life to become consumed by politics." [58] as he had allowed it to become when he was premier of New Brunswick. He also said his decision was in part because: "I reminded myself of my vow upon leaving office that, having escaped the trap, I wouldn’t go back for the cheese." [59]
  • January 31 2006 - ^ Brian Tobin announces he will not seek the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada. [60] Mr. Tobin rationalized his stepping out of the running as an opportunity for the Liberal Party to heal, revitalize and rejuvinate itself. In his words: "...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." and that: “I think that I've had my opportunity and I made my contribution. I enjoyed it enormously,” (both quotes)[61]
  • February 1 2006 - ^ Martin announces that he will remain leader of the Liberal Party until his successor is chosen but will not take on the position of leader of the opposition, allowing caucus to chose a parliamentary leader. Later that day the Liberal caucus chooses Bill Graham for that position, and Lucienne Robillard is named as his deputy. [62] Martin subsequently moved up the date his resignation became effective to March 19, 2006.
  • February 3 2006 - ^ Both Lloyd Axworthy and Allan Rock announce they will not run for the leadership of the Liberal party. [63] Axworthy floats the names of Irwin Cotler and John Godfrey as potential candidates he'd like to see in the race.
  • February 8 2006 - ^ Martha Hall Findlay becomes first to declare candidacy for the leadership. [64]
  • February 15 2006 - ^ Jane Stewart, who had been mentioned by some as a potential leadership candidate, accepts a position as chief of staff to Opposition Leader Bill Graham, thus ruling herself out as a possible candidate. [65]
  • March 1 2006 - ^ The Toronto Star reports that Gerard Kennedy is seriously considering a leadership bid and that he is backed by Senator Terry Mercer, former national director of the Liberal Party of Canada. [66]
  • March 9 2006 - ^ Scott Brison is revealed to have sent an email to an investment banker in November 2005 prior to the Martin government's change of policy on income trusts. It is also revealed that the RCMP had interviewed Brison as part of its investigation on an alleged leak of information on the policy shift and related claims of "insider trading". Though Brison insists he was only passing on public information, his judgement in the matter has raised questions about his suitability as a candidate for the party's leadership.[67]
  • March 13 2006 - ^ Bob Rae gives a speech to the Canadian Club in Winnipeg outlining his views of the problems facing the country. He says he'll make up his mind on whether he'll run for the Liberal leadership in the next few days.[68]
  • March 14 2006 - Mark Marissen, Martin's chief organizer in British Columbia, reportedly commits to manage the Dion leadership campaign. Such a move bolsters Dion's appeal beyond his "Chretienite" base, and likely confirms Marissen's wife Christy Clark is not considering a run at the leadership herself. [69]
  • March 16 2006 - Martin announces he has sent a letter to the party executive officially informing them of his resignation as leader effective on the weekend at the "formal call of the convention".[70]
  • March 18 2006:
    • The federal Liberal Party's national executive holds the first of two days of meetings to decide on the date of the leadership convention as well as the preliminary rules for the contest.
    • Paul Martin's resignation as leader is formally accepted. Bill Graham is appointed interim leader of the party until the convention.
  • March 19 2006:
    • Convention rules and spending limits are finalized.
    • A press conference is held at 3pm, during which the date and location of the convention, the entrance fee for candidates, spending limits and other details of the process for selecting the new leader are announced. [71]
    • ^ Don Valley West MP John Godfrey becomes the second declared candidate for the leadership. "I intend to run [...] I just don't think this thing, in the end, is going to be won by money." [72]
  • March 20, 2006 - ^ Ashley MacIsaac becomes the third declared candidate. [73]
  • March 21 2006 - ^ A Canadian Press report indicates Martin Cauchon will announce later in the week that he won't enter the race, as he wants to spend time with his children, who are all under 8. [74]
  • March 23 2006 - At the King Edward Hotel in Toronto, Paul Zed and Dennis Mills host a cocktail reception honouring Sheila Copps for thirty years in public life. The event is attended by virtually every declared or rumoured leadership hopeful, and is viewed by most as the public launch of the leadership race.
  • March 29 2006 - ^ Vaughan MP Maurizio Bevliacqua confirms in a television interview that he is a candidate.
  • April 5 2006
  • April 6 2006:
    • Belinda Stronach announced she wouldn't join the race citing the way the contest is structured. Sources close to Stronach also cite her lack of French as a factor. [77]
    • ^ The Globe and Mail reports that despite entreaties from both Allan Rock and Ujjal Dosanjh, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour has indicated privately that she will not enter the race. [78]
  • April 7 2006
    • The leadership campaign formally starts on this date, the first in which candidates can officially register and the date from which time window for the selection of delegates and party membership is counted.[79]
    • Michael Ignatieff officially declares his candidacy.[[80]
    • Stéphane Dion joined the race. His stated priorities include economic and social development, environmental sustainability and a better public health services. [81]
  • April 8, 2006:
  • June 10 2006 - The first formal leadership debate of the campaign will occur in Winnipeg. [85]
  • June 17 2006 - Moncton hosts the campaign's second formal debate. [86]

Notes

^ Riley's response as a member of the CBC's political panel when asked who was the frontrunner in the race to succeed Martin was to mention Bill Graham's name (and no others) and speculate on a possible "Draft Graham" movement developing, CBC News Morning: The Weekend Edition, March 18 2006

See also

  1. ^ [87]
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