Two Options: Liberal Leadership Now, Or after 18 months

Those are the only options being given to Liberal Party members. You decide.

Where is LPC(O) President Howard Stevenson??? Anybody?

Liberal Party President Alfred Apps continues to hammer away at "I have the support of caucus, the National Executive, The PTAs and just about every Liberal in the country but 10". In his mass email yesterday, Alf states: These resolutions were adopted following extensive consultation with the Caucus leadership, riding Presidents, defeated candidates, Commission executives and other Liberals.

I am having trouble believing Alf because we have a PTA president here in Ontario that I have yet to receive a single email from during this whole sham of a process to undermine the Liberal Party Constitution. In fact, after attending close to a dozen meetings with "other Liberals", I can confirm that not one person I have spoken with - including as many as 22 Ontario riding Presidents - have heard from the provincial president. Not one.

Here in Ontario we have over 100 riding associations. I would think the provincial president would have expedited some sort of conference call amongst his riding presidents to determine what the mood was among Ontario Liberal members. Perhaps that's just forward thinking and wishful whisperings.

Never mind. Carry on.

I Will ^NOT Be Supporting the Amendments to the Liberal Constitution

It is ridiculous. They shall set a date? For a leadership vote? Which is not the same as the leadership vote will occur sometime between Nov 1, 2012 and February, 28,2013 That is to say, what stops them from saying in December 2012, "we set a date" of June, 2014? Good Gawd!!

PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

JUNE 18, 2011 EXTRAORDINARY CONVENTION

1. The members of the Party assembled in convention, as a Special Resolution, amend the Constitution to add as section 82(1) the following:

Notwithstanding anything else contained in this Constitution (including, but not limited to, section 54):

(a) the meeting of the National Board of Directors required by subsection 54(3) as a consequence of the resignation of the Leader in May 2011 shall be held at any time on or before October 1, 2012; and

(b) at the meeting referred to in Paragraph (a), the National Board of Directors, in consultation with the Caucus and the Council of Presidents and on five (5) months' notice to the Party, shall set a date for a Leadership Vote between November 1, 2012 and February 28, 2013.

This subsection (1) shall no longer be of force or effect on the later of the conclusion of the Leadership Vote contemplated by Paragraph (a) and February 28, 2013.

2. The members of the Party assembled in convention, as a Special Resolution, amend the Constitution to add as section 82(2) the following:

Notwithstanding anything else contained in this Constitution (including, but not limited to, section 65), the next biennial convention of the Party (which is the rescheduled biennial convention of the Party originally called for June 17, 2011) including the related in-person meeting of the Council of Presidents shall be held on January 13 to 15, 2012 at Ottawa, Ontario. This subsection (2) shall no longer be of force or effect on January 15, 2012

.

One Week Left to Call Liberal Leadership Convention

I wonder what the rules will be? What's the deposit? What is the maximum amount the contestants can spend? Where will it be? Who's the chairs of the big event? Can't wait to here all the details. Anybody have any guesses?

Section 54(3) In the circumstances set out in Subsection 54(1), if the Leader publicly announces an intention to resign or if the Leader delivers to the National President a written resignation or a written request to call a Leadership Vote, the National President must call a meeting of the National Board of Directors to be held within 27 days, and at that meeting the National Board of Directors must:

(a) in the circumstances set out in Subsection 54(1) or if the Leader so requests, in
consultation with the Caucus, appoint an “Interim Leader”;

(b) set a date for a Leadership Vote to be held within five months;

(c) fix a deposit, refundable or otherwise, to be paid by each leadership contestant

Well it's Sunday and We Still Have no "Details" About the Liberal "Extraordinary Convention"

No wording of the so-called amendments.

No solid dates for the so-called amendments.

Nada nada enchilada. I'm sure Alf Apps told everyone on the Council of Presidents call the other night that we would have more details by Sunday. It's Sunday.

That's a real cool logo on the Liberal website though.

Tell us all what say we will be getting exactly. Will every single delegate get an opportunity to talk? Tell us.

A Message from Jason Cherniak

Yes, Jason and I see eye to eye on this. It's one of the points I, and others, have been expressing and writing about for 3 weeks now. I'll take it a step further to include that the NEW LEADER'S legacy is one that includes the renewal of this now broken party and that the job does not fall onto an interim leader that will not lead us into the next election. Who should be in charge of the grassroots consultation? I would choose someone like an Axworthy.

The Interim Leader should not lead renewal
.by Jason Cherniak on Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 12:08pm.

I don’t know that I’m going to win many friends with this note, but I’m writing it anyway. My hope is that maybe there are enough people out there who agree with me that I can stimulate a proper discussion. Before reading the rest of this, please note that I expressed this view (at least in private) before we knew who would be interested in the job.

In short, I don’t want the interim leader of the Liberal Party to lead renewal. In my view, the very notion of a caucus member leading renewal is the antitheses of the grassroots rejuvenation we need. This is why I never liked the Change Commission, despite my great personal regard for Carolyn Bennett. Similarly, I was infuriated during the 2006 convention when Bill Graham, Senator Graham (no relation) and other caucus members got on stage to endorse the new Constitution that currently governs the Liberal Party. The job of caucus is to represent Canadians in Ottawa – it is not to reorganize the organization that put them there in the first place.

Let’s imagine that the interim leader really does lead the renewal process. What would that look like? Would the Interim Leader be traveling from riding to riding consulting members? That wouldn’t do much to get us headlines and keep us in the news. Would the Interim Leader appoint people to lead various renewal projects? That doesn’t sound very grassroots to me. Would you have to be a favourite of the interim leader to play a prominent role in the renewal? Surely that is not how you let the cream rise to the top.

Yes, the interim leader should be strong in Parliament. It should be a person who can hold Harper and Layton to account and show Canadians that the Liberal Party has something to contribute to the national debate. I personally think the interim leader should be a non-controversial Herb Grey or Bill Graham type, but I’m not willing to campaign one way or the other on that point because I’m not certain that I’m right.

What I am certain about is that the important Parliamentary and media role for the Interim Leader is not about rebuilding the Liberal Party. It is about allowing the Liberal Party to rebuild itself.

Liberal Leadership for Dummies

I am finding it fascinating to go through some of our Party's history.

How about some information about the length of some of the previous Liberal Leadership races?

•Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King announces his retirement on January 20, 1948 -- Liberal Leadership Convention takes place August 7, 1948 (less than 8 months)

•Prime Minister St. Laurent announces his retirement on September 5, 1957 -- Liberal Leadership Convention takes place January 16, 1958 (a little more than 4 months)

•Prime Minister Lester Pearson announced on December 14, 1967 -- Liberal Leadership Convention takes place April 6, 1968. (less than 4 months later (including Christmas Holidays))

•Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau announces his retirement February 29, 1984 -- Liberal Leadership Convention takes place June 16, 1984 (about 3.5 months)

•John Turner announces his retirement May 1989 -- Liberal Leadership Convention takes place June 23, 1990 (about one year)

•Jean Chretien announces his retirement October 2002 -- Liberal Leadership Convention takes place November 14, 2003 (a really long time!!!! So long, that we changed the constitution to prevent it from happening again!!!)

•Paul Martin announces his retirement March, 2006 -- Liberal Leadership Convention takes place December 2–3, 2006 (8-9 months)

•2009, Stephane Dion resigns -- Well we all know what happened after that. We still haven't had a leadership

A couple of other things:

When Lester Pearson ran during the 4 month, Leadership Campaign in 1958, there were :

•no (useful) computers
•no internet
•no Facebook, Twitter or text messaging
•no teleconferences
•no cell phones
•no tele-townhalls
•no live TV debates
•no live voice broadcasts
•largely propeller commercial airplane travel
•limited nation-wide television

So my questions are:

1.With all of the new advances in communication and travel, why have our leadership races gotten longer, instead of shorter?

2.With the changes in leadership finance legislation, why have leadership races gotten longer and not shorter?

3.With the obvious decline in the Liberal donor pool, why have leadership races gotten longer and not shorter?

4.With the need to focus on rebuilding the Party, why are we planning a longer leadership race and not a shorter one?

5.With Liberals already fractured and ready to split to other parties or out of politics entirely, why are we looking to have a longer and potentially further divisive leadership race and not a shorter race where candidates have less time to build up resentment and entrenched factions?

6.With the Constitution clearly requiring a convention no later than December 17th, why are we looking at potentially a Fall 2012 or spring 2013 leadership convention?

So tell me again why we need 12-24 months to have this leadership race?

Rapture

And Bob Rae Wins!!!

As I wrote last night, Bob Rae was going to hold the party hostage by demanding that he be interim leader for a minimum of 18 months before a leadership. Tonight he got his wish.

The funny thing is, the grassroots just might rise up and tell the Liberal National Executive and Caucus to go scr@w themselves and defeat their silly, ridiculous, illegitimate constitutional amendments.

18 to 22 months? Are you kidding me. 9 months almost killed us in 2006. Now you want 22 months? Geezus!

10 Days Until Alf Apps Sets a Date for October Leadership

...and the rules for said leadership....

Just saying.

Bob Rae Holding the Liberal Party Hostage?

Update: Here

Lost in translation over everyone's exuberance that Mr. Rae announced today that he is seeking the interim leader tag, is the fact that he did so well tying the hands of the members and the national executive. You see, in all the excitement, Bob has decided to set the timing for the next leadership himself. Alf Apps must be just livid tonight.

Other Liberals take Mr. Rae at his word and suggest the move was inevitable, given that rebuilding process is likely a decade long commitment. Mr. Rae told CBC’s Power and Politics that he is prepared to start that process, as long as the interim leadership is for an 18-24 month period.

So all of you that have been debating over long or short leadership, biennial back or forth can just stop now. Bob has spoken. Your move Mr. Apps.

I'd love to play chess with Bob some day, because I think he's got some interesting gambits.

18 Months of Long, Devisive Liberal Infighting! Awesome!

What a great way to start rebuilding. Fight for AT LEAST 18 months first. Beautiful. Great thinking.


A consensus appears to be developing that the decimated Liberal party should delay electing a new leader for 18 months.

Party president Alf Apps says the fall of 2012 is emerging as the favoured date for choosing a successor to Michael Ignatieff, who resigned after leading the once-mighty party to its worst ever electoral showing on May 2.

How Does the Liberal Party Rebuild When It Starts by Having Illegit Meeting?

The "Special Convention" : It's not Extraordinary. It's Unconstitutional.
par John J. Lennard, mardi 17 mai 2011, 10:55

http://www.facebook.com/notes/john-j-lennard/the-special-convention-its-not-extraordinary-its-unconstitutional/10150184826444141

There has been some talk over the past few days about the constitutionality of holding an "extraordinary convention" on June 18 to make certain changes to the Liberal Party of Canada's leadership selection process. I believe that the extraordinary convention is unconstitutional. I will try to explain my reasoning step by step so people can better understand the conclusion at which I, and many other Liberals, have arrived.

Section 61(2) of the party's constitution requires the National Board to call a biennial convention within 30 months of the previous biennial convention, and in any case, at least once every two calendar years. Liberals may recall that the last biennial convention began on April 30, 2009. That means that the next biennial convention technically has to happen in 2011, in theory no later than October 30. Accordingly, late last year the Liberal Party's National Board called the biennial for June 17, 2011 in order to meet this requirement.

Section 65(5) of the constitution allows the National Board to delay a scheduled biennial in the case of an an imminent or ongoing election for up to six months. Since the original biennial was scheduled to be held on June 17, and an election was called in the interim, the National Board decided to delay the convention pursuant to section 65(5). The latest they could possibly hold a delayed biennial convention is December 17, 2011. Alfred Apps, the President of the Liberal Party of Canada, publicly committed to respecting this requirement in a letter he sent to the party membership in early April announcing the delay.

Now here is where things get interesting. On May 3, 2011 Michael Ignatieff decided to resign as leader of the Liberal Party. His resignation triggered a series of rules with respect to the selection of an interim leader and a new permanent leader. The National Board, for a bunch of reasons (some of which I suspect they will not admit) want to delay a leadership vote, which the party constitution mandates must happen no later than October of this year, and change some other leadership rules. The only way for them to delay the vote and change the rules would be to modify the constitution through a party convention. However, since they previously decided to delay the next scheduled biennial convention to sometime in the fall (and in any event, no later than December 17), they fear they will not have enough time to change the rules as they would like to. As a result, they are relying on section 61(3) of the constitution, which allows the National Board to call an extraordinary convention in extraordinary circumstances, to get around this dilemma.

The Board decided to call this special convention for June 18, 2011. The special convention is to be held by teleconference, with thousands of delegates presumably debating and voting over the telephone on the amendments being suggested by the National Board. How the party proposes to ensure the integrity of this process is still up in the air. I am not convinced it can be done in a fair and transparent way, but that is a separate issue. The constitutional issue at play is section 61(3). This section is problematic for the National Board, because it states that extraordinary conventions are possible at any time "except within six months of a biennial". The National Board knows this. That is why, in addition to the leadership rule changes, they are proposing an amendment at this special convention to shift the biennial to January 13, 2012. However, the scheme cannot work because the special convention is itself unconstitutional: A biennial has been called for June 17, 2011, and while the delayed date has not yet been set, it could not, in any event, be held past December 17 of this year. No matter how you look at it, this special convention would come within six months of a biennial, and is thus unconstitutional.

Simply put, the National Board is trying to put off the calling and holding of a biennial convention to satisfy the holding of an extraordinary convention, one of whose stated purposes is to alter the constitution so as to move said biennial to a date which would satisfy the calling of the special convention to begin with! Pretty circular, isn't it?

Now people might say, "Wait a minute, John, that's just a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo. What's the big deal, anyway? What's wrong with holding a consultation of party members on an issue of such fundamental importance as a leadership race?" My response is sixfold:

1.What is being suggested is not a "consultation of party members". It is a delegated convention. Theoretically, delegates will be selected by their local riding association membership, but in practice, because of the timing and confusion of this whole process, they will more likely appointed on a first-come, first-served basis.
2.This delegated convention will be held by teleconference. That means that delegates will not be in each others physical presence. Debates, discussions and votes will presumably be held over the telephone, with upwards of 6,500 delegates lining up at a "virtual microphone" to have their say. How the party proposes to make this process work from a logistical perspective is anyone's guess. As I mentioned earlier, I seriously doubt that it can be done fairly and transparently, but I guess we will just have to trust the National Board when they tell us it is technically feasible.
3.The goal of this delegated convention is not to measure the opinion of party members with respect to when a leadership race should be held, and on what terms. The goal of this convention is to approve a number of pre-packaged amendments concocted by the National Board.
4.The National Board has not released their proposed amendments yet. But from what has been publicly reported, they will be suggesting that this special convention grant the next National Board the ability to call and hold a leadership race at any point between May 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013. In other words, rather than have a leadership selection process governed by the Constitution of the Liberal Party of Canada, we will have a leadership selection process governed by the National Board.
5.If this amendment passes, the game immediately shifts to who can control the next National Board, because the candidate who controls the Board controls the rules. That means that rather than spend the next two years participating in "rebuilding and renewing" the Liberal Party, leadership candidates will be jostling over control of the party apparatus, just as the candidates of the day did in the lead up to the 1990 and 2003 leadership races. If history has taught us anything, it is that party renewal almost always takes a back seat to leadership ambition.
6.In any event, by demonstrating through this farcical "extraordinary convention" process that the constitution is not worth the paper it is written on, this current Board is indicating that rules can be changed on a whim by the next Board. Who's to say there won't be some "extraordinary circumstance" that "forces" us to delay a leadership election beyond June 30, 2013?

My point, in this not-so-short note, is to raise some alarm bells in the minds of Liberal Party members. What appears to be an innocuous "consultation of party members" may, in fact, have far more serious ramifications for the party than one might think. Liberals should not, in the name of "rebuilding and renewal", overlook the fact that our party executive is deliberately playing around with the rules to try to force through a number of changes that could not otherwise be made--changes that may in fact lead to greater concentration of discretionary power in the hands of the very executive claiming to stand up for the membership.

Don't be fooled, Liberals. This "special convention" is not only extraordinary. It is unconstitutional.

par John J. Lennard, mardi 17 mai 2011, 10:55

http://www.facebook.com/notes/john-j-lennard/the-special-convention-its-not-extraordinary-its-unconstitutional/10150184826444141

Hey, Alf Apps, Here's Another Letter Calling for Your Resignation

The delusional Apps maintains only 8 or 10 people have called for his resignation. Well, I know different. So does he. But the truth never really mattered to Alf Apps.

Here's one from The Sun today

Dunn: Apps dooms Grits The inside story of the destruction of the Liberal Party
By Mark Dunn ,Parliamentary Bureau
First posted: Tuesday, May 17, 2011 2:00:26 EDT AM

The Liberal Party of Canada has an App for failure.


Alfred Apps, party president, backroom boy and lightning rod for discontent among the Grit flock who have seen their once proud institution reduced to rubble.


His recruit, Michael Ignatieff, had no choice but to quit after the carnage earlier this month. But Apps, who takes no blame for the historic collapse and the heap of Liberal corpses at his feet, was one of the architects of the events that ended with the May 2 drubbing. And the party may never recover with him at the helm.


Let’s start with some perspective. Between 2006 and 2009, I was heavily involved in providing communications advice to the Liberal Opposition.


I heard things, I saw things. And it wasn’t pretty. I was in the office of Bill Graham, interim Opposition leader when Stephane Dion beat Michael Ignatieff for the leadership in 2006. The grassroots of the party rejected Ignatieff at the Montreal convention.


It was a stunning upset, and the start of nasty backroom games to undermine Dion, led by the gang that went to Harvard to convince Ignatieff to return to Canada to lead the party in the first place.


Ignatieff was their messiah. To others, he was an English version of Dion.


For two years, Dion’s leadership was under constant threat. He was pressured to name Ignatieff as deputy leader, a fatal mistake he was warned to avoid — but didn’t — which left the rival for his job gunning for him from the office next door and partisan soldiers lurking in the open reporting every move back to the Toronto generals.


I watched with fascination the bullying, the backstabbing, the threats and the neverending plotting.


Most disturbing were the bloated egos, the power-hungry who put themselves before their party. It was already on life support after the Chretien-Martin feud, but these zealots wanted Dion gone even if it meant further destruction of an institution already in a death spiral.


The price they paid was 17 seats zapped after the 2008 election, the failed coalition Hail Mary.


And finally the coup to turf Dion and install Ignatieff. The Toronto gang moved in and Apps was made president at the urging of the aloof professor. The road to this month’s historic calamity was paved.


Which brings us back to the new reality: The Liberal party under Alf Apps is a walking corpse.


But he is deaf to calls to leave. Blind to gestures pointing at the door.


And this is why the Liberal party is doomed.


If the dwindling grassroots don’t rise up and rid themselves of those who were part of the broader team that orchestrated the May 2 drubbing, then the Liberals deserve to wallow in the wilderness for years, generations and perhaps even longer.


You need leaders who can reach out — those who roll up their sleeves and understand the undertaking that is required to rebuild, to renew, to raise money, to unite.


The grassroots of the party has been taken for fools for too long while the elitists make rules on the fly, and mine loopholes in the party’s Constitution to suit themselves.


The party’s Council of Presidents holds a teleconference call Wednesday.


This should be the last call for Apps.

Liberal Leadership Put Off Until at Least 2013

Maybe even 2014.

With yesterday's call for a "special meeting" to extend the biennial convention from December 17-18 to January 12-13, 2012 comes the deferral of the leadership until sometime after 2013. To my recollection "Leadership" conventions and Party "Biennials" have never taken place in the same calendar year. I'll hazzard a guess 2012 will be no exception.

I encourage you to vote down the constitutional amendments being put forth on June 18, 2011.

Wouldn't it Help You if the Liberal Party Exec told You What Amendments You're Voting On

Like maybe a solid, deffered Leadership date instead of an open ended, "we'll decide for you" type of thing? And does voting by phone take away the spirit of "Secret Balloting"?


Statement by Robert Hamish Jamieson National Membership Secretary
Posted on May 14, 2011
The Liberal Party of Canada is setting a course to enable your voice to be heard and to have your actions direct our party as we move forward together.

Our party’s constitution, most recently amended by delegates to the 2009 Vancouver Convention, prescribes that your National Board must hold a Leadership Vote to select a new Liberal Leader. Adhering to the constitution, your Board will set this Leadership Vote to give the maximum time allowed (5 months) which is October 28 and 29, 2011. The Leadership Vote is a vote by all party members – One Member, One Vote.

However, so many members like yourself have called, written and emailed your Board members, asking that this Leadership Vote be delayed. According to your feedback, the overwhelming reason to delay the Leadership Vote is to allow for meetings throughout our ridings, regions and provinces in the upcoming months so we may together discuss and decide upon our future as a party and focus on serious policy and organizational rebuilding work before we turn our attention to our leadership choices. Your Board has heard almost unanimously that this is best done free of a Leadership selection process.

Therefore, we are calling for an extraordinary convention of our party to be held on June 18, 2011 by teleconference which will allow delegates to debate and vote on an amendment that would delay the Leadership Vote should it be accepted by the delegates. This is a procedure under our Constitution that enables the Party to deal with special situations like those we confront today. While the Board would prefer that all members be able to vote in this convention, the constitution specifies that only delegates chosen by members may vote at the convention.

Delegates to this extraordinary convention will also be asked to confirm January 13-15, 2012, as the dates of the next biennial convention – a vitally important step in our rebuilding process ahead.

Very shortly you and all members will receive a notification to submit your name as a delegate to this extraordinary convention of the party and you will be able to vote to select the delegates from your riding association and/or commission club.

Decisions that will affect the future of our party are literally in your hands. Your National Board of Directors will enact the judgment of the convention and follow the path you and the party membership choose.

Below is the schedule that we will use to ensure all party members have an opportunity to participate.

Please feel free to reply to this so that we may immediately know your thoughts.

Sincerely,

Robert Hamish Jamieson
National Membership Secretary

KEY DATES

Friday, May 20, 2011
Membership cut off. Only members in good standing are eligible to vote or stand for election as a delegate

Friday, June 3, 2011
Deadline to submit intention to stand as a delegate

Saturday June 11, 2011/Sunday June 12, 2011
Delegate Selection meeting date

Saturday June 18, 2011
Extraordinary Convention (by teleconference)

More Reasons Why Leadership Delay Is The Wrong Path

Over the past 10 years, we have all witnessed how Leadership campaigns suck the oxygen, energy and funds out of the Liberal Party faithful.

So now Alf Apps and the Party's National Board of Directors (and apparently every single last person connected to the Party according to Apps) want to turn what could be a Constitutionally required 5 month process into a one or two year saga.

It is now pretty much unanimously agreed that the Party has a mountainous amount of work to do if it is ever going to become a contender again.

Everyone talks about the need to rebuild. Who will be in charge of this rebuild? More importantly, when exactly will this start if we are focused on a leadership campaign for a year or two?

Once the leadership process starts, we will quickly see the Party divide up into a variety of factions and the issue of rebuilding will be pushed off to the sidelines, while the party brass try to endear themselves to this candidate or that candidate.

At the moment, It's kind of like squabbling over who is going to captain the stern of the Titanic while the bow is already submerged, instead of getting the life rafts into the water.

Almost more important than who will become the new Leader, is the issue of MONEY.

If the Leadership process becomes a protracted battle between 3, 4 or 5 candidates (or 11), each of these campaigns will suck precious potential revenue out of the membership and from new Liberals that could be put to better use in redeveloping riding associations, paying off 2011 campaign debts (could be a surplus though nationally), paying staff in Ottawa and in the provincial offices.

Just think . . . One or two years of Leadership Candidates criss-crossing the country, fundraising for themselves and not the Party.

President Alf has a track record of abandoning our Constitutional provisions, based on there being "emergencies". This isn't the kind of track record that should engender confidence. I guess that the issue of confidence is irrelevant to Alf and the National and Provincial leadership, for if it was, we would be seeing mass resignations following a defeat of "worse than Dion proportions"!

Happy Bob Marley Day

Wow. 30 years already.

Vote FOR Liberal Party Democracy, Vote AGAINST Constitutional Amendments

Join the Facebook Group Here.

Dear Liberal Family,

On Monday May 2nd, 2011, we Liberals suffered what has come to be known as our largest defeat in the history of our great Party. Pundits and the media have tossed around ideas and thoughts about how and when the great fall occured. The reviews have been scathing.

I, like you, have been outraged, saddened, angered. Yet I stay determined to be a part of the future in rebuilding our great party. But this rebuilding comes at a cost dear friends. That cost is called democracy. Democracy within our own party.

No longer can we continue to have the few decide for the many. No longer can we have a single group skirt Rules and Regulations and Constitutions when it doesn't fit the agenda of those, the few.

Barely a week has gone by since the devastation and, in a closed conference call, on Monday May 9, 2011, the National Executive of the Liberal Party of Canada decided that is was once again time to circumvent the Constitution of the Liberal Party of Canada.

How do we, as grassroots members, begin to rebuild a Party when we commence the rebuilding by breaking the words and spirit behind the very Constitution that was put in place to guide us through these challenging times? How do we rebuild when the few have made the decision for the many? How can we hold others in Contempt of Parliament if we begin our re-emergence by having contempt for ourselves?

We cannot ask people to join us in our cause if we continue this neverending "skirting of the rules".

My friends, I am asking you to vote against the Constitutional Amendments being brought forward by the brass in a "Special Vote" on June 12th, 2011. Vote FOR our own Constitution that was duly debated when it was written. Vote for the grassroots to be heard for a change.

Liberally yours,


James C. Curran
No Title, Just another Liberal Member

BACKGROUNDER


This is the Current Contitutional Section Under Attack

PART 4 – ELECTIONS AND CONVENTIONS
CHAPTER 14 – LEADERSHIP VOTE
53 Purpose
Whenever a Leader is to be chosen for the Party, the Party must elect a new Leader
according to the procedures set out in this Chapter (which is referred to in this Constitution
as a “Leadership Vote”).
54 Call of Leadership Vote
(1) The Leader ceases immediately to be the Leader when:
(a) due to incapacity, the Leader ceases to be recognized by the Governor-General
as the leader of the Party in the House of Commons;
(b) the Leader dies;
(c) there are published in accordance with this Constitution the results of a
Leadership Endorsement Ballot in which the Leader is not endorsed;32
(d) the National Board of Directors declares in accordance with Subsection 55(2)
that the result of a Leadership Vote is invalid.
(2) If the Leader publicly announces an intention to resign or if the Leader delivers to the
National President a written resignation or a written request to call a Leadership
Vote, then the Leader ceases to be the Leader on the earlier of the appointment of an
Interim Leader and when a new Leader is elected by the members of the Party.
(3) In the circumstances set out in Subsection 54(1), if the Leader publicly announces an
intention to resign or if the Leader delivers to the National President a written
resignation or a written request to call a Leadership Vote, the National President
must call a meeting of the National Board of Directors to be held within 27 days, and
at that meeting the National Board of Directors must:
(a) in the circumstances set out in Subsection 54(1) or if the Leader so requests, in
consultation with the Caucus, appoint an “Interim Leader”;
(b) set a date for a Leadership Vote to be held within five months;
(c) fix a deposit, refundable or otherwise, to be paid by each leadership contestant
32 See Section 64 on the Leadership Endorsement Ballot.
41
in accordance with the requirements of the National Board of Directors before
the Leadership Vote is completed;
(d) set a maximum limit for the leadership contestant expenses that may be
incurred by any leadership contestant;
(e) establish the Leadership Expenses Committee consisting of:
(i) two co-chairs, one of whom must be a man and one of whom must a
woman and one of whom must be English-speaking and one of whom
must be French-speaking;
(ii) the Chief Financial Officer;
(iii) two persons elected by the PTA Presidents from among the PTA
Presidents and the National Vice-Presidents, one of whom must be
English-speaking and one of whom must be French-speaking;
(iv) two representatives appointed by the Caucus;
(v) any number of other members of the Party appointed by the co-chairs in
consultation with the National Board of Directors and respecting the
principle of equal participation of men and women and the recognition of
English and French as the official languages of Canada;
(f) establish the Leadership Vote Committee consisting of:
(i) two co-chairs;
(ii) the National President;
(iii) two persons elected by the PTA Presidents from among the PTA
Presidents and the National Vice-Presidents, one of whom must be
English-speaking and one of whom must be French-speaking;
(iv) two representatives appointed by the Caucus;
(v) any number of other members of the Party appointed by the co-chairs in
consultation with the National Board of Directors and respecting the
principle of equal participation of men and women and the recognition of
English and French as the official languages of Canada


This is How The Brass Think They can Break the Constitution

Susan Delacourt
Ottawa Bureau
Related
Who will be the next Liberal leader?
OTTAWA—Federal Liberals are ready to take the go-slow route to replace departing leader Michael Ignatieff — and they’ve found a way to get around their own rules to do it.

“We have been overwhelmed by input from the grassroots of the party, virtually universal, saying that a quick leadership is not what we need to do,” Liberal party president Alf Apps said on Monday.

The Liberals’ national board also has drawn up conditions for choosing an interim leader that appear to rule out Bob Rae for the post if the former Ontario premier and Toronto Centre MP is interested in seeking the leader’s job on a permanent basis.

An interim leader is expected to be named by the Liberals’ national board on May 19.

Ignatieff announced after last week’s thumping election defeat that he was leaving the leader’s job — plunging the Liberals into their fourth leadership contest in under a decade.

Though the new Conservative majority government gives the Liberals four years before they have to put another leader into an election contest, the party’s own constitution, as amended just two years ago, forces a much quicker race on the party.

In fact, if the party followed its own rules, Ignatieff would have to be replaced with a leadership vote by around the end of October.

But according to a draft document circulating among Liberal officials on Monday and seen by the Star, the party wants to convene a special general convention on June 12 to amend the Liberal constitution.

It would be a “virtual” convention, held over the Internet, with Liberals casting electronic ballots to change the leadership-succession rules and push the choice of a leader further into the future. This will allow the Liberals the extra time Apps says all members want, given their new third-place standing in the Commons, with just 34 MPs.

The Liberals’ national board was set to meet Monday night via teleconference call to sort out the leadership vacuum now confronting the party. It’s the board’s responsibility to ease the two biggest headaches facing the beleaguered Liberals at the moment: choosing an interim leader as well as figuring out the date for a vote on the permanent leader.

The issue of an interim leader will be high on the agenda of a special caucus meeting on Wednesday, too, for the MPs of the past Parliament — most of them defeated in last week’s election.

The board’s draft document says any MP who wants to serve as interim leader will have to obtain a majority of support from the new, 34-member caucus, but also provide written assurance of three conditions, which include:

• A promise not to seek the permanent leadership of the party.

• No discussions or negotiations about merger of the Liberals with the New Democrats, or, as the document puts it, anything that “would require any fundamental or material change to the nature or structure of the party.”

• Bilingualism is not mandatory for an interim leader, but any candidate who doesn’t speak both languages would also have to have a running mate of sorts, “a native francophone member of the caucus” who would serve as interim deputy leader.

Rae has been rumoured as the strongest candidate for interim leader, but there have been suggestions that he hold out hope for the permanent post, too. These conditions force Rae to choose, and also appear to be a mild rebuke for his public talk of merger last week in the immediate aftermath of the election.

According to the document sent to the board Monday night, Liberals found a loophole in the constitution allowing them to escape an early vote. The national board will go ahead and set a leadership vote for Oct. 19 as required but then convene the special “virtual” convention on June 12 to change the six-month limit in the constitution. The board envisions that a leadership vote can then be set sometime roughly a year from now.

Bob Rae dejected on Facebook

Martin Lawrence: Choose Trudeau....and FAST!!!

I'm with him. Both on the new leader and on the fast timing. As you know, I don't pull any punches.

Lawrence Martin
The next generation is the Liberals’ salvation
Lawrence Martin
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
Published Tuesday, May. 10, 2011 2:00AM EDT

In its 14-decade history, the Liberal Party of Canada has never named a young man to become its leader. In 1919, the year he became leader, Mackenzie King turned 45. He was the youngest.

Today, as it faces its existential crisis, the party has an opportunity to change the record and bring forward a new generation to lead it. Three potential leadership candidates – Dominic Leblanc, Scott Brison and Justin Trudeau – are all younger than the captains who have come before.

The young guns arrive at a time when Canada’s post-baby-boom generation finally appears ready to assert itself. Given the veteran nature of the other party leaders, the trio presents the Grits with the potential of regeneration and relevance.

Normally, after a drubbing at the polls and a leader’s resignation, it would make good sense to appoint a party elder as interim boss and then take a year or two to select a new leader.

But given the dire circumstances, the Liberals cannot afford to bide their hand-wringing time, which would give the New Democrats a chance to cement their second-place status. At an important caucus meeting Wednesday, the party would be wise to arrange for an early convention.

Many Liberals are looking to Justin Trudeau, who is 39. On the basis of name alone, they have reason to do so. A good bet would be that with the Trudeau name at the top, the Grits would overtake the NDP in the polls within a few months. Party enthusiasm would be rekindled. Desperately needed financing would start to come in.

Mr. Trudeau does have a lot of drawbacks – he would be a decidedly risky choice. He doesn’t have much experience in Ottawa, he carries the baggage of his father, he is considered light on policy. There would be growing pains aplenty. The Conservatives’ smear machine would have a field day.

But the upside needs to be considered. The name recognition, the youth, the charisma, the appeal to a new generation. His father’s reputation is a polarizing one, but in most polls, Pierre Trudeau still ranks as Canada’s best or most popular prime minister. The name is loathed in nationalist Quebec. But it is very strong in the province’s federalist precincts. The name is loathed in the West, but the Liberals will be shut out there anyway.

As for suggestions that Mr. Trudeau is light on policy, it will hardly scare away voters. Liberals have just discovered what happens to erudite leaders. Conservative Stephen Harper ran a campaign in which he seemed determined to keep his intellect in check. New Democrat Jack Layton didn’t soar because of policy, but because of personality.

There are those who say the Liberals must go back to the drawing board and begin a long rebuilding process. They forget how fickle political fates are. They forget that had it been Michael Ignatieff, instead of Mr. Layton, who struck a chord in the English-language debate, the Grits could well be sitting with 110 seats now.

Mr. Ignatieff worked to rebuild the party. He spent an entire summer on the buses, going to every riding imaginable. But the fresh ideas didn’t come. The rebuilding didn’t happen. He would have been better off spending the money on what the Conservatives regrettably have made the most important element of a party’s political arsenal – personal attack ads.

Liberals need remember also that the NDP’s great leap forward could soon turn to a great leap in the other direction. Canadian party allegiances built over decades don’t permanently change overnight, especially if there has been no major redrawing of policy or philosophy. In the case of Mr. Layton’s party, there has been no such shift.

Given the incentive, Canada’s centrist voters will likely return to their centrist party. Providing the incentive isn’t complicated. It starts with the awareness that politics in this country is a one-man show. It’s 75-per-cent leader. If the Liberals get the leader right, their place in the pantheon will be quickly restored.

I Wonder if Bob Rae was Sincere in 2008

It was a shitty day in the history of the Liberal Party. Iggynation had control of the National and Ontario Executives. Leadership was in full gear. The Rae campaign had visible momentum with mass quantities of memberships and money beginning to float in.

But there were those damn new leadership rules. How could we get around them? The Rae campaign asked for an extention on the date for leadership. The Iggy camp lobbied against it. The Iggy camp won. Rae had no choice but to step aside because the 47 day membership cutoff was approaching quickly and there was little time to catch up.

A conference call was called for by Team Rae. On the call were organizers from across the country. Bob was short and sweet, yet mad as hell. Of all the things I remember on that call the one thing that stood out in my memory was the line "I'm not doing this again. This is it." In other words, NO MORE LEADERSHIP RACES for Mr. Rae.

I hope that Mr. Rae remembers this conversation. It is my strong feeling that Mr. Rae should be chosen Interim Leader this week. In my opinion he is the only one in caucus that is bilingual and seasoned enough to do the job. He should also keep in mind the same rules for leadership apply.

We have a constitution in the Liberal Party and it was put in place by its members. To circumvent that constitution to extend a leadership is a contradiction in terms when we begin to rebuild the Liberal Party. Starting the rebuilding does not mean throwing aside our own constitution when it's convenient. I hope the Liberal caucus and National Executive can see that.

Who Gives a Flying Crap What NDP Buckdog Thinks About the Liberal Party and Warren Kinsella

What a sanctimonious windbag that Buckdog is.

Seriously? He's gonna give advice to the Liberal members now? Really? Cause your party won 100 or so seats? Here's a clue. The NDP, while being the Official Opposition, is less powerful than it was 5 weeks ago. And I wouldn't get all uppity there dude. We Liberals have been out of power for 5 years, but your dippers have never ever had power in your 50 year history.

And if you think Quebecois are gonna keep the lovefest going after 4.5 years of your useless opposition and talking to the wind you are in for a big surprise.

As for Warren Kinsella? I'm pretty sure he and I, and thousands of others, will rebuild this Liberal Party the way it should have been after the 2006 leadership. From the grassroots up. It's already started. Stay tuned.

How Much Ya Wanna Bet Harper's Hair gets Darker?

I have a theory that political "makeup" is part of the messaging in campaigns. Here's a couple pictures of Stephen Harper. One is Harper at the beginning of the campaign. The latter is Harper at Rideau Hall this week. The transition is already starting.

23 Days left to Choose Interim Leader and Announce Leadership Rules

In Case you are not familiar with the Liberal Party Constitution, let me share it with you. I do this because we campaigned on Contempt of Parliament, so I have an issue with Liberals being in Contempt of their own constitution.

54 Call of Leadership Vote
(1) The Leader ceases immediately to be the Leader when:

(a) due to incapacity, the Leader ceases to be recognized by the Governor-General
as the leader of the Party in the House of Commons;
(b) the Leader dies;
(c) there are published in accordance with this Constitution the results of a
Leadership Endorsement Ballot in which the Leader is not endorsed;32
(d) the National Board of Directors declares in accordance with Subsection 55(2)
that the result of a Leadership Vote is invalid.

(2) If the Leader publicly announces an intention to resign or if the Leader delivers to the National President a written resignation or a written request to call a Leadership Vote, then the Leader ceases to be the Leader on the earlier of the appointment of an Interim Leader and when a new Leader is elected by the members of the Party.

(3) In the circumstances set out in Subsection 54(1), if the Leader publicly announces an intention to resign or if the Leader delivers to the National President a written resignation or a written request to call a Leadership Vote, the National President must call a meeting of the National Board of Directors to be held within 27 days, and at that meeting the National Board of Directors must:

(a) in the circumstances set out in Subsection 54(1) or if the Leader so requests, in
consultation with the Caucus, appoint an “Interim Leader”;
(b) set a date for a Leadership Vote to be held within five months;
(c) fix a deposit, refundable or otherwise, to be paid by each leadership contestant in accordance with the requirements of the National Board of Directors before the Leadership Vote is completed;
(d) set a maximum limit for the leadership contestant expenses that may be
incurred by any leadership contestant;
(e) establish the Leadership Expenses Committee consisting of:
(i) two co-chairs, one of whom must be a man and one of whom must a
woman and one of whom must be English-speaking and one of whom
must be French-speaking;
(ii) the Chief Financial Officer;
(iii) two persons elected by the PTA Presidents from among the PTA
Presidents and the National Vice-Presidents, one of whom must be
English-speaking and one of whom must be French-speaking;
(iv) two representatives appointed by the Caucus;
(v) any number of other members of the Party appointed by the co-chairs in
consultation with the National Board of Directors and respecting the
principle of equal participation of men and women and the recognition of
English and French as the official languages of Canada;
(f) establish the Leadership Vote Committee consisting of:
(i) two co-chairs;
(ii) the National President;
(iii) two persons elected by the PTA Presidents from among the PTA
Presidents and the National Vice-Presidents, one of whom must be
English-speaking and one of whom must be French-speaking;
(iv) two representatives appointed by the Caucus;
(v) any number of other members of the Party appointed by the co-chairs in
consultation with the National Board of Directors and respecting the
principle of equal participation of men and women and the recognition of
English and French as the official languages of Canada.

So Just so I Understand The Liberal Party President's Statement and Email Yesterday...

... Michael Ignatieff did NOT^ resign as leader and he can stay on until December....

And yet it appears one of the members of the relationship has moved on with his life... maybe Alfred should to.

Michael Ignatieff has been given a cozy office with a fireplace in the University of Toronto’s acclaimed Massey College and will take up teaching duties in the law faculty, political-science department, Munk School of Global Affairs and the School of Public Policy and Governance.

The former Liberal Party leader’s new office, with a small monastic bedroom, bathroom and a large study with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, will overlook the college’s arboured quadrangle and elegant dining hall and common room.

Is it time for a new Trudeaumania?

My Answer is Yes.

So is the Montreal Gazettes.

With numerous storylines emerging from this week's stunning federal election, here's one important question to ask: Is the Liberal Party's collapse Justin time? Is the Trudeau heir ready for prime time?

It is no shock that Canadians didn't warm to Michael Ignatieff during this campaign; few expected they would. The premature but very effective Conservative attack ads on Ignatieff 's commitment to Canada, together with his aloof nature and lack of charisma, turned the Liberal campaign into a nightmare.

The majority of Canadians do not necessarily have a strong ideological bent, and most do not fully understand the difference between right-wing policies and left-wing ones. Politics today is strongly driven by the cult of "the leader." Canadians seem anxious to find a bandwagon to jump onto, or to get washed away in a wave of some sort.

This campaign was unexpectedly hijacked by the orange tsunami in Jack Layton's wake. He is not a young, dashing or exciting newcomer. Maybe it was Layton's cane, or his milk moustache or his two minutes of brilliance in the debate when he staggered Ignatieff on his poor voting record.

But something about Layton's easygoing demeanour seemed to offer a fresh alternative to the other, more traditional, serious leaders. And a lot of our fickle voters became drawn to it.

In this province, the "noneof-the-above" phenomenon was potent.

Tired of the repetitive cassette played by Gilles Duceppe, Layton seemed like a guy Quebecers could trust, and once the polls showed an upward blip, they hopped on the bandwagon in shocking numbers.

The by-product of this impulse vote is a very unusual NDP caucus in Ottawa. There will be tremendous pressure on the inexperienced Quebec NDP members of Parliament - by the Quebec media, among others - to take a nationalist stance to fill the void left by the Bloc Québécois.

Layton has already shown a willingness to curry favour with Quebec nationalism. There wasn't a word of English on his campaign posters in Quebec, even in the western parts of Montreal. And any reference to Canada seemed to have disappeared from the party's slogan and posters in this province, in contrast to the rest of Canada.

Strains with the MPs from the rest of the country could become unmanageable, and might even lead eventually to the Quebec caucus breaking from the main party. Layton's sheen will very quickly start to fade.

In 1968, Trudeaumania swept the nation. A relatively young Pierre Elliott Trudeau had flair, intellect and a vision for the country. For many anglophone Quebecers, it was a vision that consolidated our community's diehard support for the Liberal Party for a generation to come.

A strong central Canadian government, bilingualism, a charter of rights and freedoms, standing firm against Quebec separatists, were all Trudeau's tenets.

Ever since Justin Trudeau turned 18 more than 22 years ago, since his eulogy at his father's funeral, from the moment he entered politics, from his numerous appearances in the social pages, people who followed, admired and believed in his father's vision of Canada have quietly wondered: Will he follow in his father's footsteps? Will he lead the Liberal Party? When will be the right time?

Justin Trudeau certainly shares his father's ideological underpinnings, despite efforts to downplay his genetic background.

But if ever the Liberal Party needed a bolt of lightning to regenerate what was boastfully proclaimed Canada's "natural governing party," it is now. Ignatieff did not connect with voters. The only one who might be able to create that cult of leadership that Canadians so crave is Justin Trudeau. It will not be Bob Rae, or Denis Coderre, or Frank McKenna.

Is Justin Trudeau up to it? With a young family, is it worth it? Does he have what his father had? Will he be true to his father's ideals?

Being part of a small rump in opposition allows politicians to sharpen their fangs. It is easy to criticize and galvanize opposition on certain issues that can translate into populist appeal.

We now have a stable majority government.

With the unholy alliance that is the NDP caucus, and its potential volatility, Canada will need a strong and stable opposition. To restore the Liberal brand, it may very well be Justin time.

Robert Libman is an architect and a former member of the Quebec National Assembly.

Turns Out Michael Ignatieff is Staying on As Leader!

The joke's on you media folks!

Did I ever mention this f****** guy Alf Apps has to resign? What, fellow Liberals, is the point of us ever making up rules, regulations, constitutions if this guy just keeps making his own? Can someone please tell me?

Just so I understand Mr. Apps. We keep the leader that doesn't have a seat in the House and have him resign in December? So, no leader in the House for six months? Am I getting this right?

Liberals balk at immediate leadership vote; Rae touted as interim leader
By Joan Bryden, The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — Shell-shocked federal Liberals overwhelmingly don't want to be plunged into an immediate leadership contest.

So machinations are afoot to determine whether the party's constitution actually allows Liberals to avoid a fullblown leadership contest within the next six months and, if so, who should be chosen interim leader.

Montreal MP Denis Coderre set the cat among the pigeons Wednesday, saying Toronto MP Bob Rae should be named interim leader for two years.

"Then we call a leadership convention. Let's take our time. No rush," he tweeted.

In a subsequent interview, Coderre said the party needs to conduct a thorough post-mortem of what went wrong in Monday's election, which saw the once-mighty Liberals reduced to a rump of 34 seats and overtaken by the ascendent NDP as official Opposition. After that, he said the party needs to set to work rebuilding its finances, structure and policies before choosing a successor to Michael Ignatieff.

Ignatieff lost his own seat in Monday's bloodbath and has since announced his intention to step aside as leader at a time deemed best by the party.

"I'm the son of a carpenter," said Coderre. "You don't start to build a house with the roof. You start with the foundation."

There appears to be little disagreement on that score.

"The idea of taking our time with the leadership I think is a great idea," said Montreal MP Justin Trudeau, who is not ruling out a leadership bid of his own.

"I think the Liberal party has gotten in trouble in the past by expecting that picking the right leader is going to fix all of our troubles. Obviously, it hasn't."

Liberal party president Alf Apps said he's consulted with the heads of the party's provincial and territorial wings and its various commissions and the view is unanimous that the party should proceed with a previously scheduled biennial policy convention in December and hold a leadership contest sometime after that. He's heard the same view from hundreds of Liberals who've phoned or emailed him.

"Literally, I would say it's running like 100 per cent to zero" against a leadership contest this year, Apps said.

Trouble is, the party's constitution specifies that a leadership vote must be held within six months of the leader publicly stating his intention to resign.

It was widely reported Tuesday that Ignatieff had resigned. But in fact, his statement was carefully worded in a bid to avoid immediately triggering the six-month countdown. He said he "will not be remaining" as leader but will consult with party officials to determine "the best timing for a departure so we can arrange a succession in due time."

Apps said nothing in Ignatieff's statement "has led us to triggering anything yet" in terms of the succession process.

The constitution presents another problem: in the continuing absence of a clear statement that he intends to resign, Ignatieff would have to face a confidence vote by all party members, coinciding with the December convention.

However, Apps suggested there could be a way to avoid that potential humiliation. Ignatieff could wait to clearly signal his intention to resign until shortly before the convention, thus pre-empting the confidence vote. And convention delegates could then change the constitution to delay a leadership vote beyond next spring, if more time was deemed warranted.

In any event, Liberal MPs appear to be counting on the party to find some way to put off a leadership vote for as much as two years. Who to choose as interim leader will be one of the primary topics discussed next week at a meeting of Liberal MPs, defeated candidates and senators.

Coderre said he believes Rae, a former Ontario premier, would be best because he's experienced and a good performer in the House of Commons and in scrums. Other Liberals have mused about Saskatchewan MP Ralph Goodale but Coderre said the interim leader needs to be bilingual, which Rae is and Goodale is not.

Rae, a leadership candidate in 2006 who's thinking about taking another run this time, declined to comment Wednesday on the idea of interim leader.

But the key issue will be whether the interim leader is precluded from running for the permanent leadership. The party's constitution is silent on that matter and Coderre said caucus members will have to sort it out.

Liberals close to Rae believe there's no way he'd agree to do the heavy lifting for two years and then simply bow out. They point out that the constitution's silence creates a loophole which the party allowed Ignatieff to exploit in 2008.

Rae appears to have considerable caucus support but Apps pointed out that the party's national board of directors must approve caucus's choice of interim leader. And he said the board "will want to ensure that the appointment of interim leader doesn't confer any unfair advantage" in the subsequent leadership contest.

"I don't think anyone believes that a candidate for interim leader ... could also be someone who's contesting the permanent leadership of the party."

Ignatieff did precisely that in 2008 but Apps said that was an unusual situation, in which Liberals were panicked by the possibility of a snap election into bending the rules. With Stephen Harper now firmly in control of a majority government, there's no similar pressure.

Is Jimmy Karygiannis onto Something Here

He suggests a move back to the grassroots and a call for 100,000 to 200,000 new Liberal members.

3 Recounts Could Change Some Numbers

But not by much.

We Should Take Back all Those Newfie Jokes

Seriously, because they appear to be the smartest people in Canada. They almost all remember what a bullshitter Stephen Harper is with 6 out of seven electoral districts staying out of the hand of the Tories. Good for you people of Newfoundland Labrador.

When Will the Attack Ads Start on Jack Layton?

Just askin'.

Good Gawd. I Need Shots

That's all I'm gonna say before I try to go to sleep.

One day I'll explain to you how this shit all happened.

But not today. Not this day. I need more kleenex this day.

Good night dear friends and foes.

Winners and Losers

Coady defeated.

McKay wins.

Brison wins.

Scott Andrews wins.

Godin wins.

NDP 7 Con 14 Lib 12 Bloc0

The WDIKG Seat Predictions

Fine. I'll bite. Here they are.


Conservatives 152 (You're lucky to get that Stevie)

Liberals 66 (You deserved better Michael)

NDP 62 (sorry Jack, better luck next time)

Bloc 26 (I always though you'd be a great Liberal Gilles)

Independent 2 (If Briony Penn almost knocked of Lunn, May will 4 sure)

Afghanistan War Finally Justified....

...and further proof the Iraq invasion was bogus. Bin Laden is finally found 9 years later.

Man I wish I were in New York tonight.

Did Rob Ford Register as a Third Party in this Election?

Who is paying for the Rob Ford robocalls that are out there tonight? Is it the Conservative Party? Is it Ford himself? Either way, it's very disturbing.

Papineau Will Stay Liberal

One riding we can thank for the NDP surge is Justing Trudeau's Papineau. NDP stealing away Bloc votes only helps Mr. Trudeau. Thanks Jack.