leadership

Thursday October 18, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday October 18, 2012

Draft McGuinty Movement Underway

Dalton McGuinty pushes draft campaign to distract from prorogation

Less than a day after Dalton McGuinty made the shock announcement he was quitting as Ontario Premier, a campaign is building to send the Ottawa South MPP to Parliament Hill.

With Monday’s resignation McGuinty is suddenly free to run for the federal Liberal leadership, and if he does, he’ll have a ready-made campaign team all set to go.

For the past month, a draft campaign has been in the works to persuade McGuinty to jump into the federal fray.

Some of his closest campaign advisers have been involved, including brother Brendan McGuinty — who was on hand for McGuinty’s news conference Monday — and Don Guy, campaign director for each of McGuinty’s three winning provincial campaigns.

Deputy chief of staff Dave Gene, former chief of staff Chris Morley and former operations director Charlie Angelakos are also part of the group.

Sources say a leadership campaign road map has already been sketched out.

“The core nucleus of the team that he’s been able to build around him, that took him through three election campaigns, is a proven team … It would be a ready-made team that would be able to focus on this (leadership) as well,” said one insider close to McGuinty.

McGuinty has not yet decided whether to take the plunge, those close to him insist, but he is feeling the pressure.

“I don’t think he’s changed his mind yet,” said one close associate. “But I can tell you that some of this is getting to him.” (Source: National Post) 

 

Friday September 28, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Friday September 28, 2012

Justinmania raises prospect others will drop out

Federal Liberals are facing the prospect of a short list of candidates for their upcoming leadership race following confirmation Wednesday that Justin Trudeau will throw his hat in the ring.

Many Liberals have been practically giddy over the dream of Trudeau’s name being on the leadership ballot — a dream that will become reality when the 40-year-old MP officially announces his candidacy at an event in Montreal next Tuesday.

But it is also no secret a number of other prospective contenders have been waiting for him to lay his cards on the table before deciding whether they would pony up the $75,000 entry fee and challenge him for the job.

The question now is how many will opt to save their money and quietly fade out of the leadership conversation rather than face the celebrity star power that threatens to unleash a second iteration of Trudeaumania.

Trudeau, clearly enjoying the attention and excitement revelations of his pending candidacy had generated, refused to confirm the upcoming announcement when confronted by a horde of waiting journalists Wednesday morning.

“Thank you very much for all your interest,” he said at one point as he left a weekly meeting of Liberal MPs and senators.

“I’m pleased to hear all the buzz and all the interest in the Liberal Party’s fortunes, but I have nothing to announce today. I will let you know when I have something to announce.”

Fellow Liberal MP Denis Coderre, who will announce whether he will run for the leadership on Nov. 9, said he welcomed Trudeau’s entrance into the race. (Source: National Post) 

 

Tuesday September 18, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday September 18, 2012

Canadian parliament resumes

Battle of the Budget — the sequel — takes shape Monday when a bitterly divided Parliament resumes after its summer break.

Opposition MPs, who staged a 23-hour voting marathon in a vain attempt to derail the Harper government’s agenda last spring, will be readying for another showdown when the Conservatives table a second massive budget implementation bill.

As well, there will be fierce debate over environmental protection and the government’s much-disputed plan to expand Internet surveillance. And the New Democrats — with an eye on the next election — will for the first time be consciously auditioning for prime time

Canadians still reeling from the wide-ranging impact of the 425-page budget legislation brought in by Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government earlier this year should brace for more shocks when the second bill is tabled in a month or so.

The first bill to implement the March 29 budget contained a wide array of what opposition MPs considered nasty surprises. The next piece of so-called omnibus legislation is expected to be in the 400-page range as well. Opposition MPs aren’t sure what it will contain and the government is keeping the details under wraps.

“The last experience with one of these omnibus bills was not just terrible for Parliament, it was bad for the country,” NDP House Leader Nathan Cullen said in an interview. (Source: Toronto Star) 

 

Thursday June 14, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Thursday June 14, 2012

Bob Rae bows out of Liberal leadership race

Bob Rae, 63, who has been interim head of the Liberals since Michael Ignatieff resigned after the 2011 election, stunned his colleagues Wednesday by revealing he would step aside.

“It hasn’t been an easy decision,” said Rae, who promised last year when accepting the interim leader’s post that he would forgo a bid for permanent leader.

“As time went on, more and more people started saying, ‘Well, are you interested in the permanent job?’” the former Ontario premier explained.

“I therefore have naturally been thinking about this question and been wrestling with it,” he said. “I’ve reached the conclusion that the way in which I can serve the party best is by not running for the permanent leadership.”

Since last summer, Rae provided his party with dynamic leadership in Parliament and most observers expected him to try to keep the job on a long-term basis. But some Liberals said privately Rae was hit with an unexpectedly negative backlash from within his own party after CBC-TV ran a story last week saying he was going to join the leadership race.

“What was clearly a trial balloon — leaking this stuff last week — clearly, the trial balloon did its job,” said one former Liberal MP. “The response was not, shall we say, what Bob was hoping for.”

The idea that Rae would go back on his pledge not to seek the permanent leadership angered some Liberals, insiders said.

Rae acknowledged the importance of this issue Wednesday, telling reporters: “For me, the foremost question was the reality that in accepting the interim leadership, I did it with the public expectations that I would not run for the permanent leadership. (Source: Toronto Star)