Liberal Party Rebuilding

[Newfoundlander]

After their huge loss at the polls in May's election the Liberals acted for a while like they were finally ready to do something about their screwed up organization, then nothing happened. For the last number of months the party seemed like they were back to their old selves and were just going to wait for Canadians to turn on the Conservatives and the NDP and come back to them. In Victoria this weekend however interim leader Bob Rae seems to be saying all the right things, and it seems like they may actually be ready for change.

Liberal feuding has hurt party, Rae says

The Liberal Party needs to stop its internal feuding and open its doors to a wide array of potential supporters, or it won't have the heft to run a truly national campaign during the next federal election, interim leader Bob Rae says.

Rae used a blunt speech to party members Saturday in Victoria to dress down the Liberals' woes in the wake of their historic flop in last May's general election. The party fell to a record low of 34 seats and dropped below second place for the first time in its history.

He said Liberals "have allowed competing ambitions and warring factions" to undermine trust within the party, and suggested local riding associations have become "controlled by small cliques," according the prepared text of his remarks.

Instead, the party needs to think big and envision how it can get back into power, Rae said. It must not satisfy itself with playing a boutique role in government as a small but comfortable group that takes on "tiny projects."

That means opening up sometimes tight-fisted controls on its memberships, sharing resources — and cash — between riding associations and outfitting itself with the latest fundraising technology, Rae said. If the Liberals can't double their funding every year between now and 2015 they'll be significantly hampered in that year's federal election, he said.

Rae's speech is aimed at sparking an intense debate among the Liberal grassroots as it prepares for a mid-January convention aimed at rebuilding the shattered party.

He said he also wants to simplify the party's constitution and its structure, and added that the global Occupy movement is evidence that the middle class around the world feels abandoned by government.

Source

Bob Rae, Interim Liberal Party Leader, Calls For End Of Feuding and Open Membership For Grits

OTTAWA - Bob Rae is calling on federal Liberals to end decades-old turf wars and leadership feuds and throw open the doors of their party to all comers.

The interim leader used blunt talk Saturday in a bid to spark an intense debate among grassroots Liberals as they prepare for a mid-January convention aimed at rebuilding their shattered party.

The self-styled natural governing party was reduced to a third party rump with only 34 seats in last May's election.

Rae kicked off the debate with a frank assessment of the party's failings. But he also had some suggestions about how Liberals can pick themselves up off the mat and become contenders for power once again, including allowing the "broader electorate," not just party members, to choose the next leader and candidates for the next election.

"A successful political party is not a debating society or a social club," Rae told Liberals at a convention of the party's British Columbia wing in Victoria.

He reminded Liberals that the purpose of their party is to elect enough MPs to form a government.

"That might seem trite and obvious but there are still many people around who seem to be satisfied with a party that is small and comfortable or a group who seek some psychological urge to be in charge of a tiny project."

In a text of his remarks, made available in Ottawa, Rae said Liberals have allowed "competing ambitions and warring factions" to erode the trust and confidence upon which successful organizations are built. He said some progress has been made on that front since May but urged Liberals to work at "reinforcing the good humour and personal respect that are the hallmarks of good health."

Rae said the party must broaden its membership base, starting with taking membership forms out of the hands of riding presidents and the party's provincial wings.

"Ridings should not be controlled by small cliques or by people who try to keep people out because they're afraid of losing control."

Rae's speech is to be followed shortly by a discussion paper issued by the Liberal national executive, presenting some of the best ideas for rebuilding the party gleaned from months of grassroots consultations.

The paper is expected to include proposals for adopting a sort of U.S.-style primary system, wherein anyone who registers as a party supporter gets to vote in leadership and nomination contests.

Rae indicated his own support for allowing "all Canadians who have signalled some broad support for our party" — not just militant, card-carrying Liberals — to be able to choose future leaders and candidates.

"If we speak for a movement, we need to build a movement," he said. "Other parties have chosen a more restrictive route. We have a chance to take a more exciting approach."

Rae also called for simplification of the party's lengthy, complicated constitution, which he said "seems to be based on a culture where mistrust is big so everything has to be written down."

And he said the party's dire financial straits requires simplification of its complicated structure — with riding associations, provincial and territorial associations (PTAs), various commissions and national headquarters all competing for donations — as well.

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If the party actually starts to do what Rae is proposing there is no reason why the party cannot transform themselves, and once again become a force in Canadian politics. Opening up the way they select their next leader could be huge for them. They need to create a system of selecting a leader whereby the "Herman Cain's" or the "Barrack Obama's" can come out of virtually nowhere, capture the attention of Canadians, and actually have a legitimate chance of winning the leadership.

I guess we will wait and see if any of this actually happens at their January convention, when they select new key people and discuss the leadership. I think the party should be very careful when selecting their next President, Sheila Copps may be very well known and have lots of experience but it does not mean she is what the party needs moving forward.

[Handsome Rob]

I never understood how they could place trust in somebody that has turned his back and walked away from another group of very similar stripe. Don't they ever wonder when he's going to about face and walk back, especially with the NDP's recent success?

Just one opinion, but the Liberals give the appearance of 'do whatever is necessary to get elected, regardless.' I may not care for what the Conservatives or NDP are doing/want to do, but at least they mostly stick to their principals.

And if that interpretation is flawed, the Liberals need to find out who the marketing guy is for both the other parties, and hire him, because I don't think I'm alone.

[Newfoundlander]

I never understood how they could place trust in somebody that has turned his back and walked away from another group of very similar stripe. Don't they ever wonder when he's going to about face and walk back, especially with the NDP's recent success?

Just one opinion, but the Liberals give the appearance of 'do whatever is necessary to get elected, regardless.' I may not care for what the Conservatives or NDP are doing/want to do, but at least they mostly stick to their principals.

And if that interpretation is flawed, the Liberals need to find out who the marketing guy is for both the other parties, and hire him, because I don't think I'm alone.

There have been a number of people who have gone from being Liberal to Conservative, Conservative to Liberal, NDP to Liberal, Liberal to NDP, NDP to Conservative and I think you get the point. Bob Rae's not the only person to ever leave a political party for another one, both Harper and Turmel did it, and while I neither like or dislike the man he's obviously committed to the Liberal Party if he was willing to take on the undesirable job of interim leader of the third party.

[Handsome Rob]

There have been a number of people who have gone from being Liberal to Conservative, Conservative to Liberal, NDP to Liberal, Liberal to NDP, NDP to Conservative and I think you get the point. Bob Rae's not the only person to ever leave a political party for another one, both Harper and Turmel did it, and while I neither like or dislike the man he's obviously committed to the Liberal Party if he was willing to take on the undesirable job of interim leader of the third party.

I quite agree many have crossed, although a merger is not quite the same. What does it speak of principles though?

[August1991]

I started a thread on this topic sometime ago: How federal Liberals can defeat Harper without joining the NDP

The gist of my argument is that the Liberals must 1) learn how to use the Internet/credit cards/mail solicitation to fund raise and 2) poll endlessly to know who and where their potential voters are.

I happen to think that many, many ordinary Canadians, French and English speaking, in Alberta, Quebec and Newfoundland - not just southern Ontario - would click and give $20 to the federal Liberal Party.

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I can understand Rae's point/frustration in the links above. But these internal issues are irrelevant to the survival of the federal Liberal Party. To survive, it needs money and voters.

As I posted in the link above:

In simple terms, there are millions of Canadians willing to give $50 to the federal Liberal Party and vote Liberal in the next election. In the next four years, the Liberal Party has to find out who these people are.

Edited November 6, 2011 by August1991

[Evening Star]

I never understood how they could place trust in somebody that has turned his back and walked away from another group of very similar stripe. Don't they ever wonder when he's going to about face and walk back, especially with the NDP's recent success?

Rae has always said that he left the NDP over policy disagreements, i.e. over principle, and I believe him: http://sites.google.com/site/thegospelaccordingtosaintlefty/why-did-bob-rae-leave-the-ndp

Just one opinion, but the Liberals give the appearance of 'do whatever is necessary to get elected, regardless.' I may not care for what the Conservatives or NDP are doing/want to do, but at least they mostly stick to their principals.

Yup, and this is why I don't expect them to rebound by much.

[Smallc]

In the last quarter, the Liberals got more donations than the NDP.

[Evening Star]

I guess a fundamental issue is that I just don't think the Liberals and NDP are 'of very similar stripe.'

[Smallc]

I guess a fundamental issue is that I just don't think the Liberals and NDP are 'of very similar stripe.'

I agree. The Liberals, generally, should be where the Conservatives are now...because the Conservatives are now, for the most part, where the PCs were before. They are very interchangeable parties, and IMO, that isn't a bad thing.

[August1991]

The Liberals, generally, should be where the Conservatives are now...because the Conservatives are now, for the most part, where the PCs were before. They are very interchangeable parties, and IMO, that isn't a bad thing.

If I understand you, you think that Harper's Conservatives are now like the federal Liberals?

I disagree.

[Smallc]

If I understand you, you think that Harper's Conservatives are now like the federal Liberals?

I disagree.

Disagree all you want. It's very much what they've become.

[August1991]

Disagree all you want. It's very much what they've become.

Tommy Douglas (the NDP) claimed that the federal Liberals and Tories/PCs were two mice of different colours. Smallc, I guess that you're a Tommy Douglas New Democrat/CCF/socialist.

IMV, federal Liberals are fundamentally different from Progressive Conservatives or Harper's Conservatives.

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As I always argue here, federal politics are issues of region - not ideology.

Edited November 6, 2011 by August1991

[Smallc]

It doesn't really matter what you argue. The Liberals and the Conservatives traditionally both fight for the very centre of Canadian politics. The Liberals may be a bit lost right now (and I would argue that in some ways, Bob Rae has fixed that, but not all of it), but they and the Conservatives are both fighting for the same place.

Edited November 6, 2011 by Smallc

[Evening Star]

In the last quarter, the Liberals got more donations than the NDP.

Wow. Maybe I'm way off then.

(You basically seem to be right about everything else on this thread btw.)

[Smallc]

Wow. Maybe I'm way off then.

(You basically seem to be right about everything else on this thread btw.)

Well, not the part where I said that Liberals were the same as Liberals .

I heard about the donations when I watching PnP yesterday. It's nice to have days off during the week rather than on the weekend.

[August1991]

It doesn't really matter what you argue. The Liberals and the Conservatives traditionally both fight for the very centre of Canadian politics.

Centre? What is the religion or language of Canada's "centre"?

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Smallc, Canada has no "centre" - as you imagine it. Imagine.

Edited November 6, 2011 by August1991

[Smallc]

Centre? What is the religion or language of Canada's "centre"?

----

Smallc, Canada has no "centre". Imagine.

Canada does have a centre.

Regionalism in many ways is in Canadian's heads. Someone in Montreal shares more in common with someone in Vancouver or even Calgary than they do with someone in rural Quebec (other than French culture). The Liberals and Conservatives are fighting for that urban Canada, even if the Conservatives pretend their rural.

I mean really, the Conservative governments and the the Conservative majority were delivered by the same suburban voters that delivered the Liberal majorities of the 1990s.

[August1991]

Canada does have a centre.

I fundamentally disagree. But I'll grant your opinion.

Smallc, where is the "centre of Canada"?

Winnipeg?

Regionalism in many ways is in Canadian's heads.

No, it is Canada. Edited November 6, 2011 by August1991

[Smallc]

I fundamentally disagree. But I'll grant your opinion.

Smallc, where is the "centre of Canada"?

Winnipeg?

No...roughly translated, the centre of Canada is in the suburbs of Canada's 15 largest cities.

[August1991]

No...roughly translated, the centre of Canada is in the suburbs of Canada's 15 largest cities.

I disagree. To rebuild, the federal Liberal Party has broad appeal. To succeed, I have two pieces of advice: 1. Raise money. 2. Know who/where your voters are.

But what do I know....

[Smallc]

I'm saying that the votes are in Canada's big cities for the most part...and that the Liberals finally seem to be raising money.

\

[August1991]

I'm saying that the votes are in Canada's big cities for the most part...

You say?

Federal Liberals must poll, to know.

Edited November 6, 2011 by August1991

[punked]

In the last quarter, the Liberals got more donations than the NDP.

But had less Donors. That has always been the NDPs key strength their average donation per person is on the average of 180 bucks a person less the that of the Liberals average donors yet they always stay close. They also get a higher volunteer value which is why their riding associations file reports faster then even the Conservatives. Comparing raw dollars has never worked with the NDP in the picture because they have a different model then the Conservatives or Liberals for how to win elections.

BTW the numbers for last quarter were the ones for the election months, the Liberals raised more because no one thought the NDP were going to have a break through. Now the NDP hold more seats it will be harder for them to fund raise.

Lets compare apples to apples.

Edited November 6, 2011 by punked

[Newfoundlander]

They should open up the candidate selection process for Toronto-Danforth, and then quietly work their butts off to win.

[punked]

They should open up the candidate selection process for Toronto-Danforth, and then quietly work their butts off to win.

Brain Topp is going win that seat. Wont even be a contest, I think the Liberals have already gone with the loser from the last two elections.

Edited November 6, 2011 by punked