The Choice of a Light Bridgade

As a result of Stephane Dion's sudden resignation and the impending non-confidence vote on the January 26 budget, the next Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada will be chosen by about 800 of its members. On the one hand, this page wishes that Grits could get their act together so that their Coalition with New Democrat MPs would actually work, on the other, the confusion and blowback is pretty much what they deserve for clinging to the archaic process of using a delegated convention to choose their leaders. Why is anybody alarmed about Dion's second-class performance as Leader of the Opposition when he was far from the Liberals' first choice in 2006? Mr. Green Shift only ended up on top thanks to the backing of Gerard Kennedy, which allowed him to split through the Rae - Ignatieff animus which still fractures the Natural Governing Party (tm).

Choosing a Leader from among the Liberals' Parliamentary Caucus would not make for the best optics. The problem for the Liberals, is that none of the other processes under consideration pass the smell test either. A riding-by-riding fistfight between Rae and Ignatieff supporters at nomination meetings while busloads of Instant Liberals are dropped off isn't going to impress the voting public. A caucus decision is also more democratic than the hybrid 'consultation' process being driven by the Party Executive to pick their interim leader. The Liberal Members of Parliament have a mandate that extends outside of the Party and into the voting public, i.e. the people you're trying to sell a Coalition government to.

The smart thing to do would be to have the Caucus pick the Leader, and drop the Convention in favour of the One Member One Vote process that the Conservatives and New Democrats use. The Liberals need a Leader now and transparency soon. Having the Executive straw poll a handful of members then designate Rae or Ignatieff as their heir apparent gives them neither.