West Island delegates back winner

BY IAN HOWARTH

With the dust still settling, the placards recycled and candidates’ buttons now souvenirs, the federal Liberal party moves ahead on a course of renewal under the leadership of Stéphane Dion.

Dion, the fourth ballot winner, garnered 54.7 percent (2,521 votes) of the 4,605 delegate and ex-officio Liberal party members’ votes late Saturday afternoon. Runner-up Michael Ignatieff wound up with 2,084 votes (45.3 percent) up only 672 delegate votes from Friday’s first ballot results. In third place after the first ballot, Dion, with a big hand from Gerard Kennedy, gathered up the momentum needed to win with the addition of 1,665 votes from his first ballot total of 856.

Among those supporting Dion from the beginning of the eight-month leadership campaign were delegates from the Lac St. Louis and the Notre Dame de Grace/Lachine ridings, both sending 14 delegates to the Palais de congrès for the four-day convention. Riding MPs Francis Scarpaleggia and Marlene Jennings backed Dion early in the race, while Pierrefonds/Dollard MP Bernard Patry came out in favour of Gerard Kennedy. In Vaudreuil/Soulanges, currently held by the Bloc Québécois, the riding association had a mix of Ignatieff, Bob Rae and Joe Volpe supporters. Former MP for the riding, Nick Discepola was the national campaign manager for Volpe. He eventually supported Ignatieff even though Volpe threw his support to Bob Rae after the first ballot.

“I’m ecstatic,� said Lac St. Louis Liberal riding president Michael Quinn, after the success of his candidate. “Dion addresses the issues that are important to West Islanders like the environment and national unity. The role of any candidate is to keep the country united, and Dion has the skills.�

Quinn’s 16-year-old son, Ryan, was attending his first leadership convention, and his timing couldn’t have been any better as the excitement and drama were abundant. “It’s like a hockey or football game,� said the Grade 11 Selwyn House student. And, like father, like son, he’s a Dion supporter. “I’ve heard him speak before and I liked his three pillar policies,� he said, referring to the Dion platform of a prosperous economy, social justice and a sustainable environment.

Pierrefonds/Dollard delegate Mary Samborsky has seen her share of political conventions in her 60-year involvement with the Liberal party. The 84-year-old was impressed with the convention organization, which overcame delays with computers before the first ballot. “The first vote was little disorganized, but the time spent in line improved. I’ve seen a few battles in my time, but his one met my expectations.� Samborsky was one of five delegates supporting Gerard Kennedy on the first ballot. She was not, however, surprised when her candidate moved to Dion’s camp after the second ballot. “I knew intuitively that Kennedy would go to Dion. I think Mr. Kennedy has a future with the party.�

Each riding association allowed four youth delegates to attend the convention. Lauren Lallemand, 20 and her brother, Michael, 22, were on hand for their first big political experience, although Lauren did attend what amounted to a coronation at the 2003 convention where Paul Martin took 93.8 per cent of the vote defeating his only opponent, Sheila Copps. Lauren, a second-year international agriculture student at McGill University’s Macdonald campus in Ste. Anne de Bellevue, felt Dion was a natural fit for her personal politics. “Dion has been the most consistent and honest throughout the leadership race,� she said. “Of course his role in the Kyoto Accord is important, especially for youth delegates. I think he’ll be able to bring the candidates together after this convention,� said Lallemand, who added she felt neither Rae nor Ignatieff were good choices, both of them latecomers to the party.

Having worked as a senior policy advisor to the Liberal Minister of International Co-operation in the Martin government, NDG/Lachine delegate Desiré McGraw is anything but a latecomer to the game of politics. A report she wrote as chairman of the Liberals’ task force on the environment and sustainable development is now in high demand. Originally an undeclared delegate, she embraced the Dion camp after the first ballot. “Dion is not just a one issue politician,� she said, reacting to criticism from some that would say Dion is one-dimensional. “National unity is also important for him. This victory takes the party back from the back-room boys. And, if Dion’s leadership means the greening of the Liberal Party, then it’s about time,� McGraw said.

Every delegate agreed Dion has his work cut out for him. If his calls for party renewal and unity are not hollow and he can carry some momentum into the next election, then this is good news for Quebec federal Liberals. In the last three federal elections, the Liberals have gone from 36 Quebec seats in 2000, down to 21 in 2004, to an all-time low of 13 now sitting in the House of Commons.



Convention notebook

* The four-day Liberal leadership convention turned the Palais des congrès into small village. With 5,627 delegates, alternates that included 748 ex-officio delegates made up of current and former MPs, party officials and senators registered and added to that total almost 3,000 media and observers, the Palais became a close community with few major problems.

* Contrary to pre-convention hype that this might be the last great leadership convention, a motion to go to a one-member, one-vote system was narrowly defeated 318-299. The main proponent, besides Party president, Steven Mackinnon, was cross-the-floor Liberal, Belinda Stronach. If Dion fails to win the next election, look for perhaps another dynamic showdown in another Canadian city within the next two years.

* The last time a Liberal leadership convention went to a fourth ballot, was in 1968 when Pierre Elliot Trudeau defeated some prominent Liberals, including Paul Martin Sr. to take the win. The rest is history, some very interesting at that.

* This year’s only woman candidate was Martha Hall Findlay, whose speech (her, with lowest total delegates spoke first) impressed and her facility in French was surprising, better than either Kennedy or Dryden’s. She’s not going away quietly into the sunset.

— Ian Howarth