Ignatieff’S Free Ride

The injustice is that candidate Bob Rae’s less than stellar performance as a provincial premier is a matter of open discussion and becomes his baggage. Rae has been candid about his time as premier and his failings. Ignatieff on the other hand has been consistently evasive regarding his political activities in the US and the media has not asked him the hard questions. Ignatieff is far from being a political virgin. To put Rae’s baggage in perspective it is worth comparing his premiership with that of another NDP premier, Allan Blakeney, and even conservative premier Ralph Klein. Allan Blakeney was premier in Saskatchewan from 1971 to 1982 when he lost to the Devine conservatives. During his tenure that province was blessed with good economic times. His government was also well managed such that it was getting rave reviews on Wall Street as one of the best run state/provincial economies in North America. Blakeney was only bounced from office as his government was seen as becoming too pervasive. Where his government administered well the Devine government was a disaster leaving the province deeply in debt and 14 cabinet minister facing criminal charges and it survived two terms. Ralph Klein has been the untouchable premier as he presides over a province endowed with great wealth. The NDP and Liberal oppositions have fought many a losing battle in that province simply because voters are not going to argue with success or the prosperity bonuses. What Blakeney and Klein have in common is that they both presided in prosperous times and this is a huge inducement to political longevity. Rae on the other hand came into office during recession and this was surely a big factor in his one-term premiership. There is no doubt that Ignatieff has a special status in this race as he is clearly the candidate of the backroom boys parachuted into a safe riding where two other potential candidates were unceremoniously blocked from running. If Ignatieff is such a stellar candidate it would have been wise to have let him earn the riding candidacy just as mere earthlings must do-in an open contest. The Liberal party talks about renewal but still pulls the same old tiresome disingenuous shenanigans! It is also remarkable that his sponsors did not bring to bear greater scrutiny on his US activities. Candidates for public office are usually scrutinized for blemishes from their past that might ultimately prove politically embarrassing. Ignatieff’s sponsors turned a blind eye to what should be politically volatile. Where Ignatieff’s academic peers have been vocal about his activities in the US our national media remains speechless. UBC professor of Canadian politics, Denis Smith, has taken the unusual step of writing a book that targets Ignatieff’s leadership bid, Ignatieff’s World, A Liberal leader for the 21st century?. The book ends with the warning: For the sake of the party, for the sake of the country, the Liberal convention should not choose Michael Ignatieff as leader in December 2006. Smith obviously felt compelled to warn Canadians about Ignatieff’s time spent away from home. He may have also anticipated that Ignatieff would be getting a free ride. His book can also be seen as enforcing a scrutiny neither party insiders or the media were willing to bring to bear. John Ibbitson, columnist for the Globe and Mail, was quick off the mark to trash Smith’s book. Ibbitson however, chooses to ignore the fact Smith’s views on Ignatieff are shared by many distinguished academics not only in Canada, but the US and abroad. Where Rae’s failed premiership has provided him with lessons learned and possibly the steel to succeed as Liberal leader Ignatieff’s American experience betrays him as having an erratic moral and political compass. This leadership race is the first critical step toward Liberal party renewal. If it is not conducted on a level playing field, if it is skewed in favor of one candidate by the party or by the media the spirit of renewal falls flat on its face. Circumstances surrounding Ignatieff’s candidacy already suggest there is no real drive for genuine renewal. The Liberal party must realize it is a party in foreclosure. It now faces a united and well funded conservative opposition. Unless the party is willing to move left and offer Canadians a clear and genuine alternative to the conservatives it is in redundancy. If it elects a right leaning pseudo-Liberal like Ignatieff it will drive votes to the Green party and the NDP. If the Liberals are to defeat the Harper conservatives they must seek coalition with both these parties. A win by Ignatieff will alienate them. If the Liberal party really wants to win the next election and signal its determination for genuine renewal Ignatieff becomes the sacrificial lamb. His candidacy is already tainted by backroom mischief. Liberal senators and MPs who hold ex-officio votes may well decide who is the new leader. They will send a strong signal by their vote as to whether they are truly committed to renewal or just shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic. The race is now between three candidates: Dion, Ignatieff and Rae. All others should vacate the field such that voters and delegates can scrutinize these three. Much has been made of Ignatieff’s precocious intelligence. This in itself is not a leadership quality. Dion is also an academic from a distinguished Quebec family. Rae is a Rhodes Scholar. May the best man win and may the Liberal party show genuine reform.