Modeling Journey

Should the coalition (let’s call it the People’s Coalition Party or PCP) succeed in voting the Harper government out of power, with the help of the Bloc, on December 8 or in late January (if Harper runs for the hills and prorogues parliament), then I support Dion as leader of the Liberal Party and as the next prime minister.

He has been elected leader of the Liberal Party and stays as leader until replaced in accordance with the rules of the Liberal Party.

Therefore I expect the convention to elect a new leader of the LPC to take place as already planned, and that Dion would step down as he has already announced that he will. I will not be supporting him for leader at the convention.

Also, I do not think it is appropriate at this stage that any of the three candidates, or any other persons, including the MPs in the LPC caucus, do an end run around the legal process set out in the rules of the party for selecting a leader, and appoint any of the three declared candidates as leader at this stage, to replace Dion.

Dion is a very decent man, with a deep love for Canada and Quebec, and he has fought to defend the country when it was not a popular thing to do. He deserves to be allowed to exit his time as leader of the LPC, and if this happens, as prime minister, until the convention. To do otherwise will be a disgraceful and mean-spirited thing.

To allow any of the three candidates to attempt a coup and take over from Dion at this stage would be unacceptable. No matter which one of these three men becomes leader of the party now in place of Dion, instead of waiting for the convention where all Liberals can voice their views and choices, will amount to an underhanded and graceless act, and on principle I will oppose that person at the convention.

Let us allow Stephane Dion to enter the history books as a decent man, who is replacing a man of much lesser stature, as the prime minister of Canada, and let us turn our thoughts to saving Canadians from the problems looming over us.

There will be time enough to select Dion’s replacement, and in the proper way.