The Liberal Party of Canada-Ontario (LPCO) executive meets at a Mississauga hotel this weekend to talk about a variety of matters and on Sunday, I'm told, they'll get a chance to hear the first pitches from the three declared leadership candidates – Dominic Leblanc, Michael Ignatieff, and Bob Rae.
Now the LPCO executive is not a small group. The executive includes the president of each Ontario riding association (or designate) as well as every Ontario Liberal MP. That's a big bunch and, if you're Bob Rae, an important bunch. I'm told that about 150 are expected for the weekend meeting.
Rae is popular among Liberals in many parts of the country but in Ontario, there are LIberals who worry his tenure as the NDP premier who had the misfortune of presiding over a rough recession that left a big hole in the provincial treasury will not be remembered fondly by Ontario voters. Sunday's meeting will be Rae's first chance in this relatively short leadership contest to convince his Ontario colleagues that his name can indeed win more seats for Liberal brand in Ontario.