Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday February 5, 2020
Peter MacKay is becoming his own biggest obstacle to winning the Conservative leadership
Peter MacKay Cartoon Gallery
It seems increasingly that the greatest threat to Peter MacKay’s leadership bid is Peter MacKay.
The presumed front-runner in the campaign to replace Andrew Scheer as Conservative leader has stumbled more than once in recent days.
Peter MacKay’s team tried to portray their man in a sympathetic light, inviting CTV into a child advocacy centre that helps victims of abuse – an organization the candidate co-chairs.
MacKay talked about the new level of understanding, compassion and civility he has divined since leaving politics. “I’d like to do politics a little differently,” he said.
The reporter asked him if he felt that a tweet sent out by his account at the weekend, which criticized Justin Trudeau for using $875 in Liberal party donations for yoga sessions, was evidence of a new civility. He agreed it was not and said he had not had the opportunity to vet the tweet before it was sent out, at which point his media handlers shut down the interview while the cameras were still rolling.
It turned a good news story into a bad one and pointed to a lack of leadership. MacKay has more experience than anyone on his team and should have insisted on finishing the interview, even if the heat was rising.
The missteps add propellant to the smouldering anyone-but-MacKay campaign that is building inside the party. I have spoken to a number of influential and vocal Conservatives who offer a variation of the following – MacKay is a good guy but he cannot be leader; he is not that competent, not that bright and he doesn’t do the work. (National Post)