NationStates Jolt Archive

Greetings, NSers. And to all my fellow Canadians, well - I called it. Last week I posted a thread/poll called "Pick the Pony - Which Grit is the Ticket to Ride?" wherein I said Paul Martin would resign the same night his party lost the election - and whaddaya know, I was right on the money. I went on to ask people who they thought would best serve the Grits as new party leader, and put together a poll.

Thing is, I kinda messed up on the accompanying poll (someone had mentioned Ben Mulroney, ex-PM Brian's eldest son, and I inadvertently included his name in the poll when I'd meant to include Pierre Pettigrew). Now that election night has come and gone, so has Mr. Pettigrew's seat in Papineau.

So here's the deal: a new poll, without Ben Mulroney or Pierre Pettigrew. Who'll make the best official Opposition leader, folks?

Bumped.

Why not tell others what your alternate choice is? I'm seeing people choose option 9 but not saying who their preferred choice for party leader. What gives?

This unit acknowledges the McKennatron.

Greetings, NSers. And to all my fellow Canadians, well - I called it. Last week I posted a thread/poll called "Pick the Pony - Which Grit is the Ticket to Ride?" wherein I said Paul Martin would resign the same night his party lost the election - and whaddaya know, I was right on the money. I went on to ask people who they thought would best serve the Grits as new party leader, and put together a poll.

Thing is, I kinda messed up on the accompanying poll (someone had mentioned Ben Mulroney, ex-PM Brian's eldest son, and I inadvertently included his name in the poll when I'd meant to include Pierre Pettigrew). Now that election night has come and gone, so has Mr. Pettigrew's seat in Papineau.

So here's the deal: a new poll, without Ben Mulroney or Pierre Pettigrew. Who'll make the best official Opposition leader, folks?

I have a biased opinion because I want them to pick the worst person for the job, so I have picked a back bencher.

Paul Steckle, MP for Huron-Bruce

Won this election by less than 1000 votes.

John Manley is the man. He's smart, good, and his hair is nice - what more could you want?

I dunno... saw him on CBC as one of their election night panelists, and he looks weird without his glasses. Like someone who's worn glasses all his life but now either wears contacts or has had corrective surgery - he looks, well... myopic is probably the nicest way to put it.

I've heard rumblings this morning that the McKennanator is primed to abandon his ambassadorial post in Washington - like anyone can blame him. What a thankless task that turned out to be.

I've heard rumblings this morning that the McKennanator is primed to abandon his ambassadorial post in Washington - like anyone can blame him. What a thankless task that turned out to be.

It must have been like being an Ambassador to an earthquake. Not listening, barely tangible, and doing whatever it wants anyway.

Another point for McKenna, and this will ring true with those who loathed Chretien for his longevity, he stepped down promptly after his tenth year as New Brunswick's leader, saying that ten years was certainly enough for one man to be in charge.

Maybe someone can confirm or refute this rumour I heard about Frankie.

Apparently, the first time he ran as leader of the provincial Liberals in New Brunswick, he shut out the Tories to the extent that in the entire provincial legislature, there was not one Tory seat. In fact, he was somewhat embarrassed by his incredible feat, and offered the provincial Tories one of his backbenchers' seats as an olive branch.

Baloney or what?

Maybe someone can confirm or refute this rumour I heard about Frankie.

Apparently, the first time he ran as leader of the provincial Liberals in New Brunswick, he shut out the Tories to the extent that in the entire provincial legislature, there was not one Tory seat. In fact, he was somewhat embarrassed by his incredible feat, and offered the provincial Tories one of his backbenchers' seats as an olive branch.

Baloney or what?

Truth.
The McKenna Liberals won EVERY seat in the legislative assembly in 1987. Not sure about the olive branch bit, but he did indeed sweep the assembly.

Well, whaddaya know - I went to sign into my LaunchCast station on Yahoo and this article (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060125/wl_canada_nm/canada_politics_liberals_col) was looking me right in the face.

...but for those of you too lazy to click, here's the article:

Canada's US envoy quits, return to politics seen

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's ambassador to the United States, regarded as one of the front-runners in the race to replace outgoing Liberal Party leader Paul Martin, submitted his letter of resignation on Wednesday, officials said.

Frank McKenna did not give any reason for wanting to quit but the move had been widely expected. Martin, whose Liberals lost Monday's national election to the Conservatives, has already announced he plans to step down soon.

After Martin leaves, the Liberal party will elect an interim leader from its parliamentary caucus before launching a leadership race later this year.

McKenna, a former Liberal premier of the Atlantic province of New Brunswick, took up his Washington post in March 2005.

Liberal Party president Mike Eizenga said earlier in the day that the new leader would elected within the next year.

The party's problem is that the Conservatives only won a fragile minority mandate. If the new government collapses quickly, the Liberals could be plunged into an election campaign while still absorbed by the hunt for a new leader.

"There are many things for us to balance. On the one hand we do have a relatively unstable minority government ... at the same time, I think it's important for us to take some time to rebuild and allow people to come forward with their ideas," Eizenga told CBC television.

Other heavyweights tipped to enter the race are Immigration Minister Joe Volpe and former Justice Minister Martin Cauchon while Harvard professor Michael Ignatieff and former Deputy Prime Minister John Manley could also be in the running.

One of the leading candidates to become interim leader is Defense Minister Bill Graham, a veteran legislator who is widely respected inside the party.

Eizenga also said party officials would look into Martin's stumbling election campaign, which he stressed had been run by advisers to the prime minister and not by Liberal officials.

Truth.
The McKenna Liberals won EVERY seat in the legislative assembly in 1987. Not sure about the olive branch bit, but he did indeed sweep the assembly.

Now that's the kind of guy the Grits need badly. Not over-anxious old men with entitlement issues.

Now that's the kind of guy the Grits need badly. Not over-anxious old men with entitlement issues.

Damn straight. Not to mention that he'd probably paint all of the maritimes Red aside from a couple of the NDP bastions. The man has powers, I tell ya.

Hard to believe I'd also heard Bob Rae's name kicked around in the press this morning as a possibility for Liberal head honcho.

I mean, I've met the guy, he's an amazing person actually - and really didn't deserve the whole 'raking over the coals' treatment he received while he was Premier of Ontario (IMO, of course)... but Big Business, the Cconservative press and a disconnected Labour movement left his public image in tatters, and his credibility shot all to Hell.

Could Bob Rae be an effective leader? Sure - but nobody'll let him. He's still the (unwarranted) boogeyman for too many people (even if it is mostly just people who work for the Toronto Sun, and all the poor dupes who read that vitriolic rag over lunch at Tim Horton's every day).

Hard to believe I'd also heard Bob Rae's name kicked around in the press this morning as a possibility for Liberal head honcho.

I mean, I've met the guy, he's an amazing person actually - and really didn't deserve the whole 'raking over the coals' treatment he received while he was Premier of Ontario (IMO, of course)... but Big Business, the Cconservative press and a disconnected Labour movement left his public image in tatters, and his credibility shot all to Hell.

Could Bob Rae be an effective leader? Sure - but nobody'll let him. He's still the (unwarranted) boogeyman for too many people (even if it is mostly just people who work for the Toronto Sun, and all the poor dupes who read that vitriolic rag over lunch at Tim Horton's every day).

Vitriolic rag?

Go fuck yourself

Vitriolic rag?

Go fuck yourself

Ahh, nothing like eloquence when confronted with a widely-held assertion, eh?

Allow me to reiterate: the Toronto Sun is a vitriolic rag designed expressly to help keep poor people in their place while persuading those same poor people to live in adoration of those who keep them there.

I won't parrot back your ill-tempered imperative. I'm better than that.

None of the above; see posts for details I have no idea who any of them are I am British

None of the above; see posts for details I have no idea who any of them are I am British
Which begs the question, 'why post, then?'

Thanks all the same...