Neal.F. Posted December 16, 2003 Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 It's a brand new ball game now. Quebec is going to be in play. After the "breaking news item, i've pasted something I heard yesterday, but decided not to pass on at that point... The realy important thing has happened. there will be a hotly contested race, and no matter which one wins, they will steal Martin's thunder for the next 3 months. I'm sure the invisible hand of eminence grise , the Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney is behind this. This changes everything. ------------------- EXCLUSIVE: LORD SET TO RUN Bourque has learned that NB Premier Bernard Lord is all but set to launch his bid for the leadership of the new Conservative Party of Canada. Maritime sources tell Bourque under condition of anonymity that Lord will spend this weekend in a final contemplation about whther he will move to Ottawa. But, as on insider put it, "Pierre, even Bernard's wife is onside this time, she vetoed his move last time." That would pitch Lord against CA leader Stephen Harper and Calgary lawyer Jim Prentice, who is backed by former PC national director Susan Elliott. Final armtwisting is promised by politico Goldie Hyder, in New Brunswick tomorrow to meet with the Premier. If, as expected, Lord moves to Ottawa, Brad Green, the Min. of Justice, has apparently been tapped as interim leader, and Elvy Robichaud, the Min. of Health is the odds on fav. to win a leadership. Developing. --------------- Dec 14/03 "BERNIE.....IT'S NOW OR NEVER" From the National Capital Conservative..... A powerful presentation will be made today to convince Bernard Lord to run for the Leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada. An influential group is approaching Mr. Lord to offer him a campaign team, money, policy experts, and volunteers and are demanding that he make up his mind once and for all. This influential group includes people like Ralph Klein, Pat Binns, Mike Harris and John Hamm, who will all offer their endorsement of a Lord candidacy via teleconference during the presentation. For the past few days, Senior organizers have been approaching other high-profile party faithful to ask them to contribute their name to the presentation. It is believed that this list is a 'who's who' of Canadian conservatives and one that any leadership candidate would have a tough time turning away. This effort stems from the fact that many believe a new party needs a new leader. It is expected the presentation will be the final push that Lord needs to enter the race, and it is believed that Lord realizes he can do more for New Brunswickers as Prime Minister that he can as Premier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnsfurlan Posted December 16, 2003 Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 I agree that this completely changes the complexion of the new party. But is Quebec still in play even if Lord loses? I fear that if people think its not, that the pressure to have him as leader would perhaps skew the race towards him. And you know that Lord is going to be the establishment pick for leader (ie. media, talking heads, etc, etc) The challenge for Harper all of a sudden becomes large. At least now there's some excitment around the new party again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal.F. Posted December 16, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 And excitement is just what the Doctor ordered. As iron Sharpens iron, so man sharpens his fellow man..... so the Proverb goes. If Harper wins, he'll deserve it, and will have earned his stripes, and lord, vice versa. Note Klein & Harris were among the delegation that beat a path through the snow to a certain Fredricton doorstep. As for Quebec, If Lord runs a strong high profile campaign, win or lose, the party will have credibility in Quebec. A Lord victory means more seats, but even a respectable defeat will pay dividends long term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RT_1984 Posted December 16, 2003 Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 The more competitive this race is, the better. Most of Lord's credentials are fueled by the media. Anyone Tory holding office is not different than a central Canadian Liberals. Look at the economics of the place. You don't get elected unless you're a champion of welfare, EI, Equalization etc. And Lord is no different. He may have made a few incremental changes but would do no more for Canada than Paul Martin. We must remember that people in the Maratimes generally vote for mostly partisan reasons. More so than the rest of the country. Lord has been a Tory since he was a boy. Big deal. Harper is a real conservative: fiscally. And he will be better able to balance the party rather than alienate either half. In the end, this is supposed to be all about ideas. NOt about just winning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameron Posted December 16, 2003 Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 Oh the glory! May he win and bring this country into the light of a new government and bring redemption back to calling ourselves Canadian's.... Go for it Mr. Lord! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnsfurlan Posted December 16, 2003 Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 Little doubt to me that Harper's challenge got that much more tougher with Lord in the race. Almost all of the PR momentun will start shifting towards Lord, since the common perception is that Haprer is a CA guy and not very popular with the public yet. Maybe now we get a chance to see just what Harper is made of. But I do get the sense that the wind will start blowing in Mr. Lord's sails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameron Posted December 16, 2003 Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 But I do get the sense that the wind will start blowing in Mr. Lord's sails. Hope so... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnsfurlan Posted December 16, 2003 Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 Oh the glory! May he win and bring this country into the light of a new government and bring redemption back to Canada....Go for it Mr. Lord! Hey, easy there now. There's a leaderhsip race yet to be run, and a man by the name of Stephen Harper who might have a desire to kibosh your celebration there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lost in Manitoba Posted December 16, 2003 Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 This just may change everything. With Lord running, it will force Martin to act decisively and quickly. We'll get to see if there is anything to him, and if his promises of change are more than the typical Liberal lies. Lord, depending on what he steps up with would probably secure many many votes. Interesting debates to follow within the Cons. Does Harper have the smarts? Probably. Does he have the charisma? No. A poll here would be intersting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal.F. Posted December 16, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 The key thing is that there is going to be a race, not a coronation. A real race, not a sham. This is going to be the biggest excitement in Canadian politics since the race to succeed Mulroney, or even CA race #1. There will be serious media attention. I wonder if Bernie Lord might be enough to convince Mssrs. Bachand and Herron to reconsider. It should.. But to hell with Brison, let him sink with the HMS Rednose. He should NEVER be welcomed back. Not even if he says "pretty please". The Bloc must be having a collective heart attack. Bernard Lord does not have superhero staus in Quebec, yet, but things can change quickly there... The Bloc is imploding, and there are many voters that are looking for an alternative to the Fiberals. So Why not Lord? Remember in July '84, Turner was supposed to keep the Liberal dynasty going, and he had 74 of 75 seats in the province, But the night of Sept. 4th , 58 seats sent Conservatives off to Ottawa. Could well happen again, especially with a Francophone leader, especially someone not part of the Desmarais extended family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galahad Posted December 16, 2003 Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 Bernard Lord does not have superhero staus in Quebec, yet, but things can change quickly there... The Bloc is imploding, and there are many voters that are looking for an alternative to the Fiberals. So Why not Lord?Remember in July '84, Turner was supposed to keep the Liberal dynasty going, and he had 74 of 75 seats in the province, But the night of Sept. 4th , 58 seats sent Conservatives off to Ottawa. Could well happen again, especially with a Francophone leader, especially someone not part of the Desmarais extended family. Now if only Super Mario (Mario Dumont) also entered the race we'd have a REAL doozy of a contest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnsfurlan Posted December 16, 2003 Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 Now if only Super Mario (Mario Dumont) also entered the race we'd have a REAL doozy of a contest. Is there ANY possibility of Super Mario entering this race. If there was, you would think the rumours would have swirled by now. If somehow he were to enter this race, the profile of this party in Quebec would be enhanced exponentially. It would have to start turning some heads in La Belle Province. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alliance Fanatic Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 It would be an interesting race if more people ran, but I think that I will go for Stephen since he has experience, is intelligent, and has a strategic mind. We should not quickly elect a person involved only in provincial politics, due to the fact that provincial and federal politics are completely different, a perfect example is Stockwell Day, who should consider running for the leadership. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal.F. Posted December 17, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 Some big endorsements coming.... According to Bourque Ne:wswatch Lord To Count On Support of Alberta's Ralph Klein, ex-PM Brian Mulroney, &, yes, Quebec Lib Premier Jean Charest. Developing ... -------- Should this bear out, Martin can no longer count on growth in Quebec. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lost in Manitoba Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 You figure Harpy has experience that Lord doesn't? Interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLarkin Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 I should disclose up front that I'm not a supporter of the Conservative party. I lived in NB up until a few months ago, so I've been around for the two elections Lord won. I didn't vote for him, but let me tell you, I respect the man as a politician. He swept in with a HUGE majority in his first term over a Liberal party that had an extremely large and lenghty foothold in the province. Granted, it was a time when McKenna was gone and the provincial liberals had no real platform or vision -- and Lord made them pay. He came in with his 'list' of promises to the NB people, and swore if he didn't live up to them, he would resign as Premier. And he did it. He came in, said this is what I'll do, if I dont - you can hold me to it, and i'll resign. Simple politics. I think they have a better shot with Lord at the helm than Harper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 I think they have a better shot with Lord at the helm than Harper. Definitely. But they have to decide first if they're a Conservative party or a western separatist party. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal.F. Posted December 17, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 As opposed to what the Liberals are, a Central elitist party devoted to the colonization and exploitation of the west and east?????? As far as separatists go, I'd wager that there are more of them in the Liberal party than the Conseervative... I believe Yvon Charbonneau & Denis Coderre voted yes in 1980. correct me if I'm wrong. Liza Frulla has always been "Quebec first", and any firewalls accusations can be as easily applied to her as to Harper. Then there's Lucienne Robillard, ON RECORD as having voted to have the Canadian flag removed from the Quebec national Assembly. And what about Paul MArtin's new friend, Jacques Lanctot? And what about his old friend who he's thinking about brining back: Jean Lapierre? I'm sure there are others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnsfurlan Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 Some big endorsements coming.... According to Bourque Ne:wswatchLord To Count On Support of Alberta's Ralph Klein, ex-PM Brian Mulroney, &, yes, Quebec Lib Premier Jean Charest. Developing ... If this does materialize, then don't Harper's chances become severely handicapped? However, before wel all go ga-ga over Mr. Super Moderate, shouldn't we remind ourselves that: - He is a premier from a small province who almost got the boot last time 'round. - Has short amount of time to build a national organization. - Has no federal experience. - And is probably over-rated because he slaps the label "moderate" in front of his name. Hey, Bernard Lord may be more of a liberal than Paul Martin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal.F. Posted December 17, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 Apparently the wise men who followed the star to a Premier's mansion in Fredricton came bearing gifts... in the form of serious money, advisers, and a seasoned NATIONAL campaign organization to be placed at his disposal. The important thing now, is to establish a viable government alternative. Otherwise we risk a perpetual one-party-rule situation. Everybody's going to have to take some water in their wine. The more right wing elements in the party will have to, publicly anyway, move a shade toward center, and the more "moderate" ones will have to stand for more conservative positions. It will not be Reform, nor will it be the Joe Clark Red tory party. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnsfurlan Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 Neal, The way I see it Paul Martin may well be to the right of Bernard Lord. And I get the feeling that we're going down the same path as before by rallying around a leader who talks more like a liberal than as a conservative - throwing around the word "moderate" as an excuse to articulate some bold initiatives. I think his entry into the race is great. However, making this a truly new party has to work both ways. On the one hand, this should not be an Alliance takeover. On the other hand, this should not be a re-hash of the same kind of Progressive Conservatism that led to perpetual Liberal rule in the first place. If Canadians want parties who wrap themselves up in the"moderate" label, they already have the Liberals. You can attract unaligned voters without being a wishy-washy moderate. I think BOTH Harper and Lord need to work at building coalitions that represent a new party with new hopes for this country - none of this double-standard and one-way-street kind of stuff that already seems to be developing. If Harper wins, its an Alliance takeover. If Lord wins, somehow, its not a PC takeover. Lets get a grip here, folks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal.F. Posted December 17, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 I am not at all decided as to whom I would support in the race.... Now, as to the "moderate" label being tagged on Lord, I wonder if those who peg him as one realize that he opposes abortion. (Most in NB do, by an overhelming margin. Even the lone NDP MP , Yvon Godin , acadie-Bathurst, is said to be pro-life, as is Claudette Bradshaw. The only firmly pro-abortion MP in NB is Domenic LeBlanc) Lord fought constantly with Alan Rock as the latter tried to force NB to pay for abortions out of tax dollars as other provinces do. He certainly is no champion for same sex marriage either. The Reform/CA element of the new party has been unfairly painted by the Liberals as right wing extremist. If you look at what they actually stand for they were a mainstream centrist party that leans to the right. Sure there were some members who helped create the image (ie: Darrell and Myron in their 10 gallon hats) but you tell me how are these men considered extremists while Hedy Fry a left-wing radical is not? Yes, I totally agree that Lord's entry into the race is great news. It lends a credibility to the process taht just was not there for the last PC contest, and dare i say, even the last CA one. I hope that Preston Manning and Stock Day get into the race too, and maybe a few others. Then there's no way the liberal media will be able to ignore it. We need a nail biter. That way, in addition to the publicity that will dimninish Martin's stature greatly, the eventual winner, whoever that will be, will have earned it, and there will be some high profile names up there being seriously talked about as cabinet material. (which implies that achieving government status has become an acknowledged possibility) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLarkin Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 Say it's Harper, Prentice and Lord as the front runners... It's a wash when Lord and Prentice split the PC vote, right? Wouldn't it be best for the Tories to send only one man through? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnsfurlan Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 It's a wash when Lord and Prentice split the PC vote, right? Wouldn't it be best for the Tories to send only one man through? The splitting could end up happening in a number of ways. Prentice, being from Calgary, could take votes away from Harper. And if Stockwell Day enters the race who knows what happens. Ontario will be the key. Lord will have support in the Atlantic, and will probably lead in Quebec. Harper probably takes the West, depending. And, if you believe Ontarians are obsessed with Quebec, Lord probably has the heads up in that province too. If Harper wants to win this, he's going to have to show what he's really made of - no more policiy development or party building. What kind of national leader can you be for Canadians. So far, he's been weak in this area, and would have needed to make the case against Martin anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westcoast99 Posted December 17, 2003 Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 (edited) The only place I've heard this is Bourque, and it's not the most reliable source for news.When I hear a Canadian Press report on it, I'll believe it. Edited August 12, 2015 by Gugsy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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