Question of the Day: What does this mean for the Liberal leadership candidates?
MPs will now go back to their ridings and will not return until January 26. It is not going to be pleasant for any of them regardless of partisan affiliation to come home and face the electorate after this past week.
What is clear though is that this was a major defeat for the Liberals and NDP. Stephen Harper's personal numbers have taken a short term hit, but the Conservative Party has skyrocketed in the polls because of this coalition with the Bloc Quebecois. The next election ballot box issue will be Conservative majority or a possible coalition government that could include the Bloc Quebecois. Unfortunately this power grab has added a unity crisis along with the financial challenges that need to be addressed. Parliament is not sitting. The Liberal caucus is divided and demoralized.
A majority government is now Stephen Harper's to lose. Having said that we need to have learned our lesson as well. Stephen Harper must separate being Prime Minister from leader of the Conservative Party at times. Now is not the time for partisanship or elections. Now is the time to get to work on the economy, resolutions that were passed in Winnipeg and present ourselves as a government for all Canadians until the campaign actually happens. The current rallies and advertising campaigns should go forward as long as the coalition threat is formally on the table. Stephen Harper said he would try and build bridges and was open to working with the opposition parties on the budget. Liberals should take that opportunity to save some face as Mr. Dion opened up the door to today.
There were times when it looked like Stephen Harper was in serious trouble earlier this week. Now it is Mr. Dion who will most likely be replaced as leader before January 2009. The coalition clearly rejected as undemocratic and bad for Canada is still on the table but the idea will be scrapped in short order. Heavy damage has been done to the Liberal brand. All three leadership candidates now have to wear this because they went along with this coalition. The challenge of the next Liberal leader to become Prime Minister is only that much greater. For Liberals this was probably the biggest mistake they will make in a generation.
So what does this all mean for the leadership candidates? All are basically collateral damage from this brand collapse and this foiled coup. Is it too late for them to come against this all now? Is an outsider at this point needed to enter the race? What is next for the Liberal leadership and how does this all impact the timing of the next election? Should the Liberals and NDP merge formally similar to what happen with the Canadian Alliance and PC Party?
-Darryl
