While we’re engrossed in leadership challenges for the next twenty four hours or so, I might as well point to one in Canada where the opposition Liberal Party has just concluded its leadership convention.
The Liberals are the natural governing party of Canada, and the winner of all but one of these conventions have gone on to become Prime Minister, with the Conservatives usually playing the part of seat warmer between generally short periods of voter discontent.
Held over a couple of days, the convention was a runoff ballot with the weakest link at the final of each round voted off the island and the five thousand delegates throwing their support behind the next guy depending on what prior deals have been made, it’s great fun.
No real need to know who all the candidates were, but it is important to note that one of them (the favourite) was former Harvard Professor, public intellectual and genuine blueblood, Michael Ignatieff.
Had I a vote he would have been my choice, naturally he didn’t win, and as with all wide open contests, the last guy you would think of came through to surprise everyone and himself. Some men seek out greatness, others sneak right up the middle.
The next Prime Minister of Canada is someone you’ve probably never heard of Stéphane Dion.
Lessons to be learned here? Probably none with the possible exception of Dion’s very green credentials, seen through his involvement in the Kyoto Protocol while environment minister in the Martin Government. Heck, his dog is named Kyoto – so I think we know where Canada is heading on that front. Being obviously green is no longer a political liability, and involvement in the multinational initiative that is Kyoto also not a liability no matter what the conservative spinmeisters would like you to believe.
From the acceptance speech (actually a very good one with quite a few noticeable Australian parallels).
A Prime Minister who tore up our Climate Change Plan, Project Green, which would have allowed us to honour our international Kyoto Commitments. Instead, he’s put forward an inept Clean Air Act, which is nothing more than an excuse not to act, a smokescreen.
A Prime Minister who is virtually pulling us out of Kyoto. Remember that a year ago, here in the Montreal Convention Center, in the name of the name Canada, I presided over a United Nations conference which brought the world together, 182 nations, for a joint action plan against the greatest ecological threat facing humanity: climate change.
And this year, at the same Conference in Nairobi, this Conservative government has shamefully failed the world and tarnished Canada’s international reputation. What a disgraceful way to govern.
I helped bring the world together to fight Climate Change. Since then, Stephen Harper has wedged the world apart. Well, my fellow liberals, the world needs Canada. Under my leadership, Canada will not fail the world.
The green vote will become more important over time and Dion’s history and speech clearly represents that sentiment. The new Labor leadership team of Rudd and Gillard (yes, I’m being pre-emptive) would do well to articulate the green thing hard and reiterate their intention to sign onto Kyoto, with Peter Garrett is on the front bench working in that capacity.
Scott Brison could have been the world’s openly gay leader of a country.
Don’t you mean Bob Rae, Bob?
I am happy that Dion has got up, because he is from the Left faction (unlike Iggy), and over the past decade the LPC has been drifting inexorably rightwards, at least on economic issues especially under Martin. However, whether he can capture the suburban vote is the real picture. North Americans are sharply divided betweeen urban and rural; the Conservatives made no ground in any of the three major cities.
The real trouble is that Canada has the 1ppp voting system and there is only one party on the right while on the centre-left you have the NDP (the REAL left party), the Liberals and the Greens, all of which will leech votes off each other.
However, I am hopeful that when I visit Canada next northern summer they will have a change of regime.
No relation I hope.
Thanks for the post, Phil.
Any tips on how the free vote in Parliament on repealing same sex marriages Harper is bringing on will go?
FDB when I clicked on that link I got a severe warning from my virus software. It said I had attempted to open a dangerous site, I definitely shouldn’t and I should close down my browser window.
The dangerous site had a different url though. Curious!
Phil I’ve got a sister who lives in Mississauga. She occasionally delivers an opinion on the politics there but it makes me realise that Canada is largely off the radar for our MSM.
It is interesting to know how the Left is doing in diverse places. There have been some disappointments recently eg The Netherlands where Labour was a cert but got done over by a conservative party that used unusually (for The Netherlands) negative tactics. BTW immigration, Muslin dress codes etc were NOT issues in the campaign. Or so they kept saying.
“a year ago … I presided over a United Nations conference which brought the world together, 182 nations, for a joint action plan against the greatest ecological threat facing humanity: climate change.”
Well, yes, he presided. And Canada had done, and continued to do, pretty much nothing about it.
Alright, I’m being a bit snarky. Dion seems like a decent chap, even if he should never use the word ‘humble’ of himself when speaking in English (it just doesn’t fit the stereotype for his accent). And it was a pretty cool upset, esp since he was almost the only federal party insider but had very little support from any part of the party machine.
Phil: luckily for me I was in Australia during Rick Mercer’s interview with Bob Rae. Whew! And no mention of Ken Dryden, the former Montreal Canadien’s goalie and sporting god (who seemed to me to do a very good job on the speeches front)? Of course, would have been a disgrace for Australia if Canada had a sporting superstar as PM and Australia didn’t.
http://www.thesuperficial.com/images/2006/05/celine-breaks-ears.jpg
Hmm, that’s odd Brian. Still, you weren’t missing much.
Christine…your comment is
flipping racist. Nice couching though.
Mark…it was a sham and it flopped. Canada endorses SSM. Harper played to his base, it was soundly defeated, he now wipes his hands of it all.
May Soy…what is 1ppp voting, sorry I’m missing the jargon. You are correct in stating that Canada, today only has one party right of centre, the problem is it is far right. We used to have right of centre, left of centre, those day’s are gone.
Truth is, Canada is progressive. This PM, in a minority government, does not enjoy acceptance.
Elections are around the corner.
How great to find a blog in Oz. I love your country (I have been there) and would move there in a second, if Harper is re-elected to a majority and I could afford it.