Dion expected to announce resignation Monday

[jdobbin]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/politics/home

Stéphane Dion is to expected to announce Monday that he will step aside as Liberal Leader.

Mr. Dion has not spoken in public since Tuesday night after the election results in which his party lost 19 seats and polled its lowest level of popular support since Confederation.

Liberal party officials said today Mr. Dion will speak Monday about his plans.

It is expected, according to sources, that he will say he is stepping aside and that there will be a leadership convention in May. It is not clear, however, whether he will remain as the interim leader.

Looks like there is a lot of interest in the leadership thus far.

I think McCallum or Goodale should be the interim leader. A consistent performer is what is needed.

[fellowtraveller]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/politics/home

Looks like there is a lot of interest in the leadership thus far.

I think McCallum or Goodale should be the interim leader. A consistent performer is what is needed.

The interim leaders first order of business may be to establish a much less costly leadership election process.

Either that, or somehow find a bank willing to fund their debt.

I reckon Ralph Goodale would be a respected contender for leader, but his French is poor(I think). Good choice as interim leader.

FRank McKenna may be a very strong contender, but only if he is sure he has solid support. He wants to be wooed for the job, not involved in a costly dogfight.

[na85]

Good. I can't stand Dion and I'll be glad to see him fade into obscurity.

[Mad_Michael]

I think McCallum or Goodale should be the interim leader. A consistent performer is what is needed.

Yes, either one would be a good choice for interim leader.

Dion can't get out of town fast enough for me. I freaked out the day they chose him and correctly predicted that he'd be slaughtered at the first opportunity at the polls. No surprise at all.

The idiots who put him over the top at the leadership convention are the real ones to blame here. And I'd say that Gerard Kennedy was the chief Dion-booster at the convention.

Kennedy shall have my undying enmity for that foolishness (though I wasn't inclined to like him at all - I have a very low opinion of his term running the DBF - he unionized it).

[mjp]

someone that can clearly communicate and looks good

[Oleg Bach]

Dion has brought out the warm and fuzzy liberal in all of us - we all feel sorry for him - see - conservatives do have hearts - but they also have judgement. I don't want to sound like a bully or a prick but nature give attributes to some that can be transcribes and described as leadership qualities..that being a manlyness. Or a powerful woman's matriarcle persona...Dion was just the weak kitten in the litter. BUT liberals were attempting to convince us that the weaker ones can rule and it is not neccesary to be a strong man...or a real man for that matter - apparently Canada is not that liberal as estimated..we are still a nation of men and woman - and we are by nature traditional as all humans are...you have to be strong to lead...This buisness of exaulting the weak and conspiring to destroy the strong - by over whelming real men with sheer numbers of girly men did not work - one tough intelligent man can symbolically or literally punch out twenty light weights - the liberal committed the classic crime against nature - buy trying to install Dion as the head of our family...I want a real dad - not some jerk with the persona of a semi-gay liberal social worker.

[betsy]

Hold your horses.....there's speculation too that Dion may not give his resignation, but instead insist to stay on for a few months. There are rumours that his wife wants him to stay.

[kengs333]

I'd laugh if he announces a coalition government... buh-bye Steve!

[Bryan]

I'd laugh if he announces a coalition government... buh-bye Steve!

With the Bloc? NDP doesn't have enough seats to make a difference.

[Topaz]

Everyone is saying Libs needs to have a "new face" and not Rae or Iggy. What about Ken Dryden? He's a former lawyer and he's a good communicator. Yes or no? Can he speak French? What about a woman leader?

[kengs333]

Everyone is saying Libs needs to have a "new face" and not Rae or Iggy. What about Ken Dryden? He's a former lawyer and he's a good communicator. Yes or no? Can he speak French? What about a woman leader?

Dryden's Grosskanada platform didn't go over all that well...

[kengs333]

With the Bloc? NDP doesn't have enough seats to make a difference.

Sure, why not?

[nothinarian]

Everyone is saying Libs needs to have a "new face" and not Rae or Iggy. What about Ken Dryden? He's a former lawyer and he's a good communicator. Yes or no? Can he speak French? What about a woman leader?

Have you seen Ken Dryden speak ?- he flows like molasses in winter and never gained a working knowledge of french although having spent years in MTL

No stage presence or charisma and you can't be taught charisma

[jdobbin]

The interim leaders first order of business may be to establish a much less costly leadership election process.

Either that, or somehow find a bank willing to fund their debt.

I'm wondering if the problem is the delegate model of selecting a leader. It means many expensive battles in 308 ridings. It might be cheaper to have one vote per member. The only thing I worry about is mischief makers who might join the party just to influence the outcome negatively.

I reckon Ralph Goodale would be a respected contender for leader, but his French is poor(I think). Good choice as interim leader.

I agree. Solid in questions but a bilingual interim leader might be essential.

FRank McKenna may be a very strong contender, but only if he is sure he has solid support. He wants to be wooed for the job, not involved in a costly dogfight.

Seems to be a lot of feelers out from all sides.

[fellowtraveller]

I'd laugh if he announces a coalition government... buh-bye Steve!

That would be the most foolish thing the Lioberals have done in recent memory.

They'd be utterly obliterated at the next election(which would be soon) if they allied themselves formally with a separatist party, and would of course be obliged to give the nationbusters a few seats in Cabinet.

[jdobbin]

Hold your horses.....there's speculation too that Dion may not give his resignation, but instead insist to stay on for a few months. There are rumours that his wife wants him to stay.

Citation? Or what this on MDuffy?

[jdobbin]

Yes, either one would be a good choice for interim leader.

Dion can't get out of town fast enough for me. I freaked out the day they chose him and correctly predicted that he'd be slaughtered at the first opportunity at the polls. No surprise at all.

By all accounts, he seems to be ready to announce he is leaving the leadership. Whether it is leaving politics altogether is unknown. There is speculation that he might stay as interim leader. I don't agree that he can. There has to be a change on the front bench and that requires someone else.

From the beginning, I said that Dion would have difficulties overcoming Francophone feelings over his part in embarrassing Bouchard in debate and his part in the Clarity Act. Beyond that, I didn't know enough about him aside from a few things from his ministerial duties.

I felt the same way about all of the Liberal leadership candidates. I sat on the sidelines. The main candidates were all outsiders whom I could not say for certain would have the chops in the House of Commons. I also felt many came with baggage that would put them on their heels from the start.

The idiots who put him over the top at the leadership convention are the real ones to blame here. And I'd say that Gerard Kennedy was the chief Dion-booster at the convention.

There is certainly some focus now on Kennedy his role in this. Is it a crippling one? I don't know. What is crippling is that it has taken 2 plus years to get into the Commons.

I think the blame is the delegate convention. I was of the opinion that it was more cinematic for the TV audience and potential voters to see momentum for a candidate build. It also ensured that actual Liberal members were taking part in the selection. Essentially, it puts the party in Liberal party.

Unfortunately, the delegate process can be undermined by horsetrading and "anything but" campaigns at the most brutal level. We saw that at the PC convention and the Liberal convention. For those committed PCs, the last delegate leadership race ended their party. For the Liberals, it meant choosing a leader in an "anything but" campaign.

Dion from the start didn't have the support from the membership.

Kennedy shall have my undying enmity for that foolishness (though I wasn't inclined to like him at all - I have a very low opinion of his term running the DBF - he unionized it).

He seems to have a lot of supporters still. I didn't know enough about him other than I thought he was likable. I felt his lack of French was the real handicap.

I had no idea that Dion's language skills would be equally questioned. I felt his language problem had to do with not knowing how to stump. Pearson was particularly bad at that until he had many years in. It is said that he learned the art of the stump speech when he was being pelted with peas in a campaign speech in the west.

Whoever the Liberals choose has interim leader has to have the full support. Harper could call a snap election or set the bar so low for triggering an election that there may in fact be one before six months are over. I know people are saying it is impossible but if Harper plays at brinkmanship on every single vote and doesn't compromise, it is he who wants the election. In past minorities, it was the money bills that were the triggers. However, if Harper wants to make a crime bill or his environment bill, the trigger, it is his choice.

The Liberals can't continue to let the NDP and Bloc vote no with impunity to everything or let the Conservatives call confidence on everything all the while calling the Liberals cowards. A tough leader would make it clear who is forcing an election.

[kengs333]

That would be the most foolish thing the Lioberals have done in recent memory.

They'd be utterly obliterated at the next election(which would be soon) if they allied themselves formally with a separatist party, and would of course be obliged to give the nationbusters a few seats in Cabinet.

No, actually, because they have the majority, the election would be in 2012. Also, you could start appointing members of the Bloc to the senate so that Quebec would be better represented there, too.

[kengs333]

Citation? Or what this on MDuffy?

It's just as likely that he's consulting with some of his loyal followers to see if they should cross the floor to the Greens after he steps down.

[Mr.Canada]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/politics/home

Looks like there is a lot of interest in the leadership thus far.

I think McCallum or Goodale should be the interim leader. A consistent performer is what is needed.

I hope Dion is going to pay off his debts. He still owes $300,000 from his leadership race 2 years ago.

The Liberals cannot raise any cash at all which I find hilarious. No money = no election win. Simple as that.

So he still hasn't paid of his leadership debt from 2 years ago and he is questioning the integrity of the RH Stephan Harper.

Hilarious.

Edited October 18, 2008 by Mr.Canada

[jdobbin]

It's just as likely that he's consulting with some of his loyal followers to see if they should cross the floor to the Greens after he steps down.

I hadn't heard that. I guess anything is possible.

I suspect the deal to step down is contingent on the Liberals paying his debt. It make sense. It is fair.

I don't know that moving to the Green is an option. First, would May be able to pay off his debt? Would she want a failed Liberal leader being in her party just to gain a seat? Does Dion have that many followers who would follow him to the Green party? I don't know the answer to those questions but the odds seem kind of long.

[Topaz]

I hope Dion is going to pay off his debts. He still owes $300,000 from his leadership race 2 years ago.

The Liberals cannot raise any cash at all which I find hilarious. No money = no election win. Simple as that.

So he still hasn't paid of his leadership debt from 2 years ago and he is questioning the integrity of the RH Stephan Harper.

Hilarious.

I believe everyone should do one good deed per day for another person and IF I win the lottery big time, I'll pay his debts! I don't think people running for PM should get so far in debt for it.

[Mr.Canada]

I believe everyone should do one good deed per day for another person and IF I win the lottery big time, I'll pay his debts! I don't think people running for PM should get so far in debt for it.

If it was the RH Stephan Harper who was in debt you'd be calling for his departure from politics, again hilarious.

[jdobbin]

I hope Dion is going to pay off his debts. He still owes $300,000 from his leadership race 2 years ago.

He can declare bankruptcy if all else fails.

I suspect the deal is to pay off his debt in exchange for stepping down.

The Liberals cannot raise any cash at all which I find hilarious. No money = no election win. Simple as that.

Some Liberals have been good at raising cash. Rae is paid up. Ignatieff is nearly there.

The rule change down to $1000 has hurt the party but if Harper decides to call an election within six months which he might want to before the Liberals have a new leader, it isn't like the party won't run.

So...no money...still win run.

It was patently clear that Dion was not up on running the Liberal organization or finances. Neither was Trudeau for the most part. He brought in the best people to do that.

My guess that whoever becomes the new leader will have to focus on the organization and the finances.

It would be a mistake to think that an election might not happen in a minority situation. As I have said many times, Harper will call it if he feels it is the time to beat the Opposition.

So he still hasn't paid of his leadership debt from 2 years ago and he is questioning the integrity of the RH Stephan Harper.

Hilarious.

As has been pointed out, the old Alliance and PCs had outstanding debt that had to receive extensions to pay back as well.

Harper's own campaign had to make adjustments after they tried to make claims about convention expenses that were not allowed.

We also still haven't heard the last of the in and out funding of candidates.

[Mr.Canada]

It's unfortunate that Liberal supporters have little money and most likely never donate to their cause. Let's face it the Liberals have all the welfare moms and the professionally unemployed, see OCAP.

I personally feel that neither Rae or Ignatieff will win the leadership race. Ignatieff is a Dion clone, an intellectual with little substance. Bob Rae is well Bob Rae, his own record will crush him. Tax and spend. Lead Ontario into the biggest deficits of all time. He will never be PM.

The RH Stephan Harper cannot call the next election, the public will crucify him for it. Please stop saying this. Harper may force a party to vote him to non confidence but he himself will not dissolve government.