A commenter just tipped me off about this post on Garth Turner’s blog. (Yes, this is the first time I’ve mentioned his name since our emotional break-up last October. Never mind that.) Garth makes some very interesting–if non-specific–accusations about the Conservative campaign here in Toronto Centre. Namely, that it’s being sabotaged by the PMO:
Unable to hobble the new Liberal leader with its tidal wave of smear and innuendo, the Harper Party strategists are hoping Mr. Ignatieff and especially Mr. Rae still have the scent of power in their nostrils. The plan is to facilitate a Rae victory in Toronto Centre, get Bob Rae into the House and have Stephane Dion sitting smack in the middle of the two guys from whom he snatched victory. Then [Prime Minster Stephen Harper] will start bating them, ask rhetorically who is in charge, and again attack Dion, mocking his consensual style of leadership as being weak.
And it gets even more scandalous:
That explains the on-the-ground strategy in Toronto Centre. It explains what PMO political operations director Doug Finley is doing. It certainly clarifies the media blackout, the hobbling of the local campaign and the complete disregard for the hard work and honest efforts of Conservatives there. Mr. Harper is about to elect Mr. Rae.
Don’t believe me? Ask the poor candidate.
There, in that last line, and again in the intro, Turner twice suggests that our Conservative candidate himself has been complaining of being sabotaged by his own party. He does not, however, offer any specific evidence or examples, nor does he give us any idea what kind of “political operations” and “hobbling of the local campaign” Conservative war room chief Doug Finley might be up to. I’m also left to wonder why the Conservatives would bother, since Rae is all but guaranteed to win anyway. Still, makes for some interesting speculation. Maybe one of our regular commenters can help clear this up.
Well at least the Conservatives are running a candidate against Rae. It would be scandalous if the conservatives didn’t run a candidate and threw their support behind another one. That would be scandalous.
Ok, I’ll bite.
Would you include instances where the Conservative and Liberal parties haven’t run candidates against each other’s leaders? Because that’s been a Parliamentary tradition. In fact, Stephen Harper himself didn’t have to run against a Liberal when he was first elected.
Chris, First nice site, Second to answer your question, only in Bi-election, I do not believe it has ever been done in a general election like Ms. May and Mr. Dion have agreed to do.
Further to my last.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Harper#Electoral_record
Each of the Liberals, Conservatives and the NDP have done wonderful things for this country. Each has taken its turn to raise Canadians in quality of life for the long-term and made us proud.
All that hard work on their part has inevitably caused some frustrations and sometimes bitterness between them. Lately it’s become such a problem that we are seeing pure obstruction of the political process and time wasted pandering and posturing. These three parties, for all their past virtues, are no longer working for Canadians – they are working against each other.
The Green Party has steadily grown in support over the last 25 years, consistently polling over 10% nationally the past, has influenced the old-line parties with sound policies, and completely owns the issues of our time.Elizabeth May and the greens have proven themselves capable of fresh thinking, cooperate politics and capable leadership.
If there is even a hint of truth to anything Garth Turner speculates, it is enough to know that Canadians deserve better politicians.
If I lived in Toronto Centre I’d vote for Chris Tindal. Chris humbly points to the truth, then points back at himself and asks “What can I do to make this better?” Chris understands that bringing people together to create solutions is far more effective than casting people out. He wears the green flag well through his common sense solutions, steady planning and collaborative style.
Keep at it, Chris.
Jaded Green must live in Saint-Laurent–Cartierville to be so scandalized that (s)he can’t vote Green – because (s)he certainly can in any of Canada’s 307 other ridings.
Ken notes that the not-running-against-another-party’s-newly-elected-leader custom has traditionally applied to by-elections (Harper, Day, Clarke), not general elections (May-Dion).
Well, in this case, the Liberals and/or Conservatives seem to have forgotten that tradition when Elizabeth ran in the London North-Centre by-election. (Liberals – because they were lacking a leader at the time; Conservatives – because Harper picks & chooses which traditions or obligations to follow based on his own interests).
So now the Liberals are making it up to her by not running in Central Nova next time. Seems fair enough for me, and not running against Dion in exchange likewise seems polite enough – and certainly won’t affect the outcome of that race.
Wow, I must of missed the election where the Green Party had someone elected to Parliament. In all of those elections you mention a member of the party of those candidates had resigned to make way for their new leader. As the did for JC also in NS. Did a G Pof C member resign to make way for Ms. May.