Rae Withdraws, Grit Leadership Race Heats up

PARLIAMENT HILL—With Bob Rae’s announcement Wednesday that he would not seek the leadership of the Liberal Party, Parliament Hill was abuzz with chatter about who should take the Grits’ helm.

Rae told reporters it was better for the Liberal Party if he did not run, but declined a detailed answer as to why.

Popular opinion among the Parliament Hill Press Gallery is that Rae’s adeptness as a politician has done much to keep the Liberal Party from sliding into obscurity.

Until Thomas Mulcair claimed the helm of the NDP, Rae was often seen as the Tories’ strongest opposition due to interim NDP leader Nycole Turmel’s difficulty in English compared to Rae’s skilled oration. Rae was voted the best public speaker among MPs in an Angus Reid survey conducted for the Hill Times earlier this year.

Rae’s announcement brought a standing ovation from both sides of the House when he rose in question period Wednesday afternoon.

“Now they love me,” he joked.

Earlier, Rae told reporters he wanted to win the Liberal leadership in 2006 or 2008. He withdrew from the 2008 race against Michael Ignatieff because only caucus, defeated candidates, riding association presidents, and some others were allowed to vote rather than the entire Liberal Party.

When Ignatieff stepped down after a disastrous showing in the 2011 election, Rae decided two years was too long to wait for a new leader to be selected in 2013.

He said he considered his role as interim leader a way to serve the party.

“That doesn’t magically transform itself into another job. And I think you have to be realistic about that and be fair to everybody. And, frankly, respect the rules and respect people’s expectations.”

Rae said his role as interim leader came with an understanding he would not run for the job of permanent leader

“Sometimes you do want to do things that pass every possible smell test,” he said.

But he flatly rejected any suggestion his decision was related to age or health.

“There will be commentary on the age question. I think its b–l s–t. If you’re fit and you’re ready to go, it doesn’t matter, and I feel fit and perfectly ready to go.”

Rae decided not to run after talking it over with his wife, but will stay on as interim leader until 2013, describing himself as happy with his role.

He will not, however, get involved in the leadership race to come and will not be endorsing any candidates, he said.
Rather, he said he would play the role of a “benign father figure” presiding over the contest.

Leadership Hopefuls

Pundits are tossing several names around as contenders, with Papineau, Que., MP Justin Trudeau widely seen as a major contender despite the fact he has previously said he will not run.

Trudeau congratulated Rae on his decision Wednesday, saying it reflected the interim leader’s exceptional wisdom and will save the party from potential division and controversy.

Trudeau was less than firm about his previous assertion that he would not run, however, saying he would reflect upon the decision with his family.

In French, he said he was under “tremendous pressure” from journalists, party members and others.

Denis Coderre, a minister of several posts under Jean Chretien, said he would decide later this fall whether he would run. Coderre, who represents Bourassa, Que., said Rae’s decision not to run was done with honour and dignity, and made in the interest of the party rather than in Rae himself.

Coderre said it must be a Quebec candidate who leads the party, however, given the critical role the province will play in the next election. The NDP gained their status as Official Opposition due to replacing the Bloc Quebecois as the province’s go-to party.

Westmount, Que., MP Marc Garneau, a former astronaut, said he is also weighing the decision and testing the waters for a leadership bid.

It is more than a matter of financing; Garneau said he wants to be sure there is solid support for his leadership.

“It’s very important not to live in a world of illusion, where you think that people are behind you, but the reality is that your support is only sort of paper thin. Is there depth of support for candidate Marc Garneau? I have to figure that out.”

He said it was less critical a candidate come from Quebec than that they be fluently bilingual.

But the party has a tough road ahead, he said, and must present a compelling choice for Canadians.

“We Liberals have fallen off the radar, just let’s be honest, and we need to rebuild.”

Former Etobicoke, Ont., MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj had previously said he was also considering a leadership run. He told The Epoch Times last September that he wanted to see the party opened up.

Wrzesnewskyj recently won a court battle to overturn the May 2011 election results in his riding due to voting irregularities. His Tory opponent Ted Opitz has appealed that decision to the Supreme Court.

Unless the court overturns the previous decision, Wrzesnewskyj will face off against Opitz in a by-election.

Other potential contenders are current MP Dominic LeBlanc and former MPs Martha Hall Findlay and Gerard Kennedy.

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