Tag: justin trudeau

Liberals: You're electing a "third party" leader – and there's nothing wrong with that

There is much in Andrew Coyne’s latest column to commend. For example,

Liberals, do not delude yourselves. You are not, whatever you may say to each other, electing “the next prime minister of Canada” here. If your checklist for assessing the candidates includes “ability to win the next election,” strike it now.

And then he develops the thesis:

… you are not choosing a prime minister, and if you allow considerations of that kind to cloud your judgement, you are unlikely to choose well. Rather, you are choosing a leader for a third party. And in that role it is quite possible to see any one of a number of the candidates. I say this with the greatest respect, for there is nothing wrong with being the third party. Get used to thinking of yourselves as one, and you can do much good, both for your party and your country.

Put it this way: that is your only chance of survival — as a forceful, effective third party, the kind that inspires a determined, loyal following. Harden up the brand, persuade even 20% of the electorate that you are their party through and through, and you can build towards the day when you might contend for power once again. Neglect that task, and you will be eaten alive by the other two parties.

Put your third-party status to work for you. See it for the advantage it is: for it frees you to take risks that those closer to power will not.

I tend to agree with this and, as Coyne has primed my cranial pump, let me gush forth some more:

Continue reading Liberals: You're electing a "third party" leader – and there's nothing wrong with that

English, French media differ in coverage of Trudeau's big day

Justin Trudeau announced his decision to run for the Liberal leadership in Montreal Tuesday evening. The media reaction to the news was, interestingly enough, quite different in English Canada than it was in French Canada. Remember: He’s running to be the leader of the third party in Parliament. With a little help from Storify, here’s the breakdown: Continue reading English, French media differ in coverage of Trudeau's big day

Pollster Coletto, Liberal partisan Kinsella on Trudeau as saviour of the Liberal Party

The CEO of polling firm Abacus Data, David Coletto, reports that the Liberal Party of Canada would be tied in popularity (this week at least) with the Conservatives and the NDP would be well back in third place if Justin Trudeau were the party’s leader. I put it to Trudeau fan Warren Kinsella that this may be the last thing Liberals should be told, that somewhere out there there is a messiah who can lead Liberals back to the promised land after a decade of decline at the polls:

Continue reading Pollster Coletto, Liberal partisan Kinsella on Trudeau as saviour of the Liberal Party

Ray Heard argues: NDP merger issue may be most divisive for Liberals

Ray Heard was John Turner’s communications director. He’s been around for a while, watching lots of internal Liberal Party of Canada fights — and participating in almost all of them. He says that the big issue in the nascent Liberal leadership race will be whether or not to merge with the New Democrats and that that issue will be more divisive than the Martin/Chretien or Chretien/Turner fights.  I talked to Ray about that tonight on my program with Zach Churchill, a Liberal MLA in Nova Scotia. (Zach, incidentally, was born in the same year – 1984 — that Turner was, briefly, prime minister):

Continue reading Ray Heard argues: NDP merger issue may be most divisive for Liberals

Oliver on Trudeau and his "fear gene"; Pellerin on the fight

Of all of the 300 or so members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery, I can think of no reporter who knew Pierre Elliott Trudeau, our 15th prime minister, better than CTV’s Craig Oliver. On his television program Question Period, Craig had this to say about the performance Saturday night in which Pierre’s son Justin knocked the stuffing out of Conservative Senator Patrick Brazeau: Continue reading Oliver on Trudeau and his "fear gene"; Pellerin on the fight