Saturday, February 11, 2006

Do You Believe In Magic?

Rodney MacDonald wins the PC leadership, becoming the next Premier of Nova Scotia.


McUpdate: There's some talk in the comments section about the Nova Scotia Tories going for a "next generation" leader. If you think about it, since the Liberals crowned a senior citizen in 2003, the trend across Canadian politics seems to be towards youth:

BC NDP (November 2003): Elect 45 year old Carole James.

Federal Tories (March 2004): Vote in 44 year old Stephen Harper as their leader.

Ontario Tories (September 2004): Vote in 50 year old John Tory.

Nova Scotia Liberals (October 2004): 44 year old Francis MacKenzie becomes leader.

Quebec Pequistes (November 2005): Line up behind 39 year old Andre Boisclair.

Nova Scotia Conservatives (February 2006): Vote in 34 year old Rodney MacDonald.


I might be missing a few leadership runs in there, but the trend does seem to be to go for younger leaders. If Liberals begin to start itching for youth, it certainly won't work in Michael Ignatieff or Ken Dryden's advantage.

posted by calgarygrit at 8:42 p.m.

34 Comments:

  • It's good to see young leaders coming to power. Maybe another certain old party in need of a leader should follow the example!

    By Blogger Dr.Winston Chan, chiropraticien, at 12:27 a.m.  

  • Not a bad idea from 'draft Winston Chan' about having a young guy. I don't know who Chan is though, so I'm not endorsing him. More importantly, can you profile this new PM?
    lecentre

    By Blogger lecentre, at 12:58 a.m.  

  • "Maybe another certain old party in need of a leader should follow the example!"

    I agree, and that's why Gerard Kennedy is the best man for the top Liberal job. I am a card-carrying New Democrat, but if Kennedy becomes #1, I'll finally come home to the Liberal Party.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:53 a.m.  

  • Richard Diamond for leader?

    By Blogger Jason Cherniak, at 11:50 a.m.  

  • John Tory is the oldest 50 year old in recorded history.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:16 p.m.  

  • Shawn Graham (NB Lib Leader), Rob Ghiz (PEI), are younger than any you've already mentioned.

    By Blogger Mark, at 1:07 p.m.  

  • Should be "Mac" update... Get that Irish and Scottish straight, lest a Potato or Hagis grace your door step.

    By Blogger Joe Calgary, at 1:32 p.m.  

  • Ever notice how the French CBC always have great coverage of the Olympic's, while the English channel does day's long interviews of Olympic greats of the past... Sort of irritating.

    By Blogger Joe Calgary, at 1:35 p.m.  

  • Let's take this to its logical conclusion and get this guy for the Liberal leadership.

    By Blogger Dale, at 2:38 p.m.  

  • I'm rooting for Jason Cherniak as Liberal leader...but then I'm a CPC supporter....

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:39 p.m.  

  • You're right Thomas...Gerrard Kennedy would be top man for the job, I can't think of anyone else...Dion is trying to make inroads in Ontario...anyone interested I think he's great as well but too old...For young guys I can't think of anyone other than Gerrard.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:19 p.m.  

  • It should be obvious from Martin that when they get THAT old they start to loose their minds. Age AND being in the Leiberal party is a double wammy.

    Horny Toad

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:24 p.m.  

  • "You're right Thomas...Gerrard Kennedy would be top man for the job, I can't think of anyone else..."

    I'm very excited about the prospect of Kennnedy becoming leader. Finally, the reason I need to come home to the party that has championed Canada for Canadians for decades!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:26 p.m.  

  • I will echo Jason and say that Richard Diamond is clearly the leader of the future and we should put him in place now to lead the party fort he next 25-35 years.


    The only way to end divese leadership fights in the Liberal Party is too get a guy like Diamoind that can commit for a generation, thus squashing the ambition of those that want the top job.

    I'm voting for Diamond!


    But than I'm a Tory!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:28 p.m.  

  • I'm getting the impression that the "progressives" are determined to elect their man/woman as leader of the Libs.

    Boy, will they be surprised when they wake up to find that the Liberal Party is no longer in the middle of the political spectrum in Canada and that they are doomed to 13 years in opposition.

    The problem for the Reform/Alliance and the Joe Clark Tories was that they did not reflect the attitudes of the mainstream. Once Harper pulled his party back to the centre, he won. This is a lesson that the Liberals are beginning to look like they will have to learn the old fashioned way...

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:43 p.m.  

  • ok guys Diamond is OUT forver...listen up history tells us no PM was ever Prez of his youth group nor was he involved all that much. The PM was studying hard in school everyday so that he became PM, Young Liberals, like Young Tories might get some cabinet post, maybe other than that they'll just be staffers or party member...trust me

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:45 p.m.  

  • Joe Clark was head of the University Tories.

    And look how great Joe Clark was as PM.

    Clearly Richard Diamond will be the second coming of Christ (or as he is Jewish the first coming)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5:49 p.m.  

  • Brad Wall as leader of the Sask Party in Saskatchewan is also in his 30's or early 40s. The Sask Liberals also elected David Karwacki who was in his 30s to lead them.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:24 p.m.  

  • Any trend that works against Iggy is OK with me!

    By Blogger John Murney , at 6:29 p.m.  

  • Ability should be more important than age-no reason why very young guy would not be ok-or older guy for that matter-Mr. Martin may have been older but he was not so much impeded by age as he was by circumstances.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7:25 p.m.  

  • Irshad Manji

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:05 p.m.  

  • Everyone send Ruby an email asking her to run!!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:29 p.m.  

  • Personally, I've got to start wondering if we're not rushing things a bit. I mean, all the power to those that wish to lead, however even as someone who wants to get elected at the still realatively early age of his early 30's, I've got to wonder if we shouldn't be encouraging a few of the younger candiates to wait for the next leadership race or so.

    After all, there is something to be said about paying one's dues before leadership, right?

    By Blogger The Hack, at 12:20 a.m.  

  • I understand the draw to youth...it does wonders in capturing those young and alienated voters and helps the party to look more progressive (though there are many young MPs who are far from progressive), but my vote still goes to experience (notice, I didn't use age...that is for good reason).

    By experience I mean that I want our leader to have had a great deal of private experience and to have had the chance to build up his or her own clear understanding of the world. It is then my hope that he or she will take this understanding and help apply it to his or her vision thereby creating a vision that we can be for or against (this is opposed to a vision of those who aren't all that experienced and which is more likely in constant flux).

    Alright, our last fearless leader was "experienced" and he had anything but a concrete vision, but I think the key is that this experience needs to be created outside the political world. If politics is the number one objective then his or her vision will take a back seat. I think this is a problem for those who have been in the political game too long.

    I think those with the private sector experience are able mold their vision while in the private sector and then fight for it once they are in politics. The young are unable to do this because their visions are still being carved out and articulated. Those who are professional politicians may have a vision, but it takes a back seat to staying elected.

    So what is the perfect age for a politician...I don't know. I guess the best estimate would be 50+...but even then, if somebody can prove to me they have sufficient experience and they are younger then all the power to them.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:42 a.m.  

  • People do not want youth as much as they want a fresh face. Age will not matter, and in most cases is just a number. Don't count out Ignatieff or Dryden because of their age. A younger person with baggage like Cauchon is in much bigger trouble.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:28 a.m.  

  • It is not just one factor that is important to look for in the new Liberal leader but the total package. Youth, a new fresh face, political experience, policy ideas, charisma and national appeal are ALL important. There will only be a few candidates that have the total package. Right now, it looks like Gerard Kennedy is at the top of the list.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:13 p.m.  

  • A set of three wise men made up of Ignatieff, Kennedy and Rae would be a healthy nucleus for a rebuilt party, no matter which one takes the help.

    By Blogger Michael, at 1:41 p.m.  

  • This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    By Blogger Michael, at 1:43 p.m.  

  • Ach. helm not help.

    However. I think I'll let it stand. Makes for an interesting freudian slip.

    By Blogger Michael, at 1:44 p.m.  

  • Final Four: Brison, Dhalla, Kennedy, and McGuinty

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:54 p.m.  

  • Hey, if the Liberals want youth, then the best choice is to elect a 25 year old me!!
    I don't have the "money" to run for the position but there are enough people in Canada that can give me money so I can run (please, I need the money, I am almost out of toaster leavin's and after that I'll have nothing)

    By Blogger Unknown, at 4:02 p.m.  

  • Christy Clark! Christy Clark! Christy Clark!

    Mark can even participate!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:21 p.m.  

  • Oh please not Christi Clark. She was an unmitigated disaster as BC Minister of Education. And I thought she resigned to spend more time with her family? Or was it to run for the NPA leadership in Vancouver? Or the federal Liberal leadership?

    Back to the subject, again, I don't think the Liberal Party needs a major rethink of its policies, but I think we need to communicate them better.

    For the past eight years we have become identified as the party of balanced budgets. This is great, but we need to communicate that the fiscal surplus is a means to achieving the fair and just society that Liberals work for. Think about it, why was St. Laurent more successful at social reform than Trudeau? It is not that Trudeau lacked vision. Compare the Canadian economy of the 1950's and the 1970's.

    Another thing that I would like to see become a major focus is sustainability. This is a hard sell to communicate to the general public because a more sustainable economic base is not going to be achieved just through technological improvements. Lifesytle changes and personal choices are required; conservation has to be a piece of the solution. This is where communication and vision are essential. People must understand that the Liberal party is not just into hugging trees, but has a vision for Canada in which the next generation's opportunities are not limitted by our choices.

    Immigration is another issue on which the Liberals are diffentiated from the Conservatives. Too many people view immigration as a zero sum game where immigrants are competing for employment and social assistance. They do not undertand that our natural population growth is near zero, our population is aging and without immigration our economy would contract severely. Immigration and growth are intrisically linked in Canada.

    On childcare, again I don't think the party did a good job of communicating the benefit to everyone in ensuring affordable childcare services for those who needed it. There is a cost to women leaving the workforce in their mid 30's. There is a costs so single moms exclusion from the workforce. Once again the Conservative position all about dividing up finite resources. The Liberal approach is about increasing the size of the pie.

    Paul Martin understood all of these things, he just failed to communicate them - or had trouble shouting above the noise. I really hope the next leader is a better communicator.

    By Blogger CoteGauche, at 11:24 a.m.  

  • Give Paul Martin another chance,I here is very close to finding the hidden agenda and the real killer of O.Js wife.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:54 p.m.  

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