The number of the Liberal leadership contenders has grown to eight, with another two expected to join as well and that is with one who has already dropped out. This is probably the largest crowd ever to join a leadership race. Will they all stay in the contest?
We should go through the list and note the relation/benefit they may have to Estonians.
1. Martha Hall-Finlay - The first to throw her hat in the ring. Her tenure as a Liberal is of only a few years. Hall-Finlay almost defeated Belinda Stronach in 2004 but when Stronach became a Liberal, she was asked to step down.
2. Stéphane Dion - As a former Minister of the Environment, he will need to hold the Québec/federalist flag up high.
3. Michael Ignatieff - A former Professor at Harvard, just elected on January 23 and thus returned to Toronto. He used to be an executive assistant to former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. "Count Iggy" has an impressive background in Imperial Tsarist Russia, which he details in one of his many books. A great-great-great grandfather had a role in Napoleon's defeat. A great-grandfather acquired Siberia for Russia. Hurrah! A grandfather, yet another Count, served as a minister in Nicholas II's court. He has angered the Ukrainians by referring to them as "little Russians" in one of his books. He speaks English, French and, of course, Russian.
4. Maurizio Bevilacqua - Born in Italy, reputed to be the most right wing of the slate. He held some junior ministries of no major note.
5. Dr. Carolyn Bennett - A former Minister of State for Public Health and family doctor, has been elected many times in Forest Hill area, which suits her well.
6. Scott Brison - Former Progressive Conservative leadership candidate, who lost narrowly to Peter MacKay, then became Liberal Minister of Public Works. Openly gay, only coincidentally to his political hopes.
7. Joe Volpe - As Minister of Citizenship and Immigration didn't do anything to scrap the proposed law where war criminals would be deported by order of cabinet (not the judiciary), in closed session, without cause being declared or appeal. This proposed legislation has been opposed vigorously by Liberal MP's Andrew Telegdi and Borys Wrzesnewskyj.
8. Bob Rae - Former NDP Premier of Ontario and MP who took the province over when it suffered the worst depression in decades. Rae's grandfather was Lithuanian (family took the Scottish name later) and he kept the connection by helping monitor the independent elections in Lithuania. Rae also gave $ 1.5 million (Ontario's money) to Estonia in the early years of regained independence when it was needed most.
9. Gerard Kennedy - Former head of Toronto's Daily Bread food bank for ten years, then shocked everybody by becoming a Liberal. He is, however, supported by Borys Wrzesnewskyj.
10. Ken Dryden - Parachuted into Art Eggleton's riding because of his name recognition in hockey. Former Minister of Social Development where he set up the Liberal child care system that was scrapped by the Conservatives. Dryden does not speak much French.
Other candidates that are being rumoured to join the fray are: Dr. Hedy Fry, John McCallum, Anne McLellan, Sen. Celine Hervieux-Payette, Dr. Ruby Dhalla and Maritime fiddler Ashley MacIsaac.
Any bets on running the slate up to twenty?
Liberal leadership race, phase III (2)
Archived Articles | 05 May 2006 | Adu RaudkiviEWR
Viimased kommentaarid
Kommentaarid on kirjutatud EWR lugejate poolt. Nende sisu ei pruugi ühtida EWR toimetuse seisukohtadega.
"We should go through the list and note the relation/benefit they may have to Estonians."
Thanks Adu. Now we can see that there's none whatsoever, apart from Bob Rae's donation of Ontario money to Estonia.
I wonder how Bob figured that he had the right to do that? If he becomes Prime Minister, do you think that he will do it again, maybe on a larger scale?
What do you think Adu? Should we thank the Lord for injustice if it works to our benefit?
Thanks Adu. Now we can see that there's none whatsoever, apart from Bob Rae's donation of Ontario money to Estonia.
I wonder how Bob figured that he had the right to do that? If he becomes Prime Minister, do you think that he will do it again, maybe on a larger scale?
What do you think Adu? Should we thank the Lord for injustice if it works to our benefit?
"Bob Rae - Former NDP Premier of Ontario and MP who took the province over when it suffered the worst depression in decades."
When Bob Rae ran Ontario, the population actually declined as people moved to other Provinces in search of work. As Premier, Rae was partially responsible for the economy and empowered to influence it, for the better and for the worse. Rae made the worst choices because he was a well-intentioned socialist who believed that business is inherently evil. He didn't even trust the civil service because it pre-dated the new NDP era where wishful thinking is supposed to trump grim reality. For advisors he drew from labour unions and universities -- places where wrong-headed thinking is common and often rewarded. The impact of his policies can be seen in comparative statistics between Ontario and other Provinces. Those show that Rae exacerbated a slump in the business cycle and turned it into a full-bloom depression.
I won't go into his socialist disposition to perfect mankind. I'll just remind you that he was the one who told civil servants not to wish anyone a merry Christmas -- one example from a substantial record of well-intentioned mischief.
That said, we should hold Bob Rae in high regard because he did something that we all should do, but very few can do. Before his term came to an end, he admitted that he was wrong.
So, do we want him as the head of the Liberals and, possibly, Prime Minister? Hard to say. He doesn't look bad among a group of very amitious politicians who are, almost by definition, ego-maniacs.
When Bob Rae ran Ontario, the population actually declined as people moved to other Provinces in search of work. As Premier, Rae was partially responsible for the economy and empowered to influence it, for the better and for the worse. Rae made the worst choices because he was a well-intentioned socialist who believed that business is inherently evil. He didn't even trust the civil service because it pre-dated the new NDP era where wishful thinking is supposed to trump grim reality. For advisors he drew from labour unions and universities -- places where wrong-headed thinking is common and often rewarded. The impact of his policies can be seen in comparative statistics between Ontario and other Provinces. Those show that Rae exacerbated a slump in the business cycle and turned it into a full-bloom depression.
I won't go into his socialist disposition to perfect mankind. I'll just remind you that he was the one who told civil servants not to wish anyone a merry Christmas -- one example from a substantial record of well-intentioned mischief.
That said, we should hold Bob Rae in high regard because he did something that we all should do, but very few can do. Before his term came to an end, he admitted that he was wrong.
So, do we want him as the head of the Liberals and, possibly, Prime Minister? Hard to say. He doesn't look bad among a group of very amitious politicians who are, almost by definition, ego-maniacs.
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