The upcoming provincial leadership convention in Ontario stands in stark contrast to the federal leadership convention just a few months later. The provincial convention in January is a highly controlled event designed to stifle dissent, marginalize critics and to maintain the status quo. In comparison, the federal convention in April will be a wide open, democratic exercise producing a foregone conclusion. Neither approach is satisfactory.
The delegated provincial convention at Toronto’s legendary Maple Leaf Gardens will probably be the last of the controlled party conventions. Liberals will no longer allow such a degree of manipulation once they see how little it gains them. The control starts with the delegate elections just two weeks before the event in Toronto. That means nearby preferred accommodation will be completely controlled by the ex officio delegates who decide this type of convention anyway.
From what has leaked out so far, we understand that some sort of a preferential ballot will be in use to choose delegates in each electoral district. It seems that the pre-determined candidates for delegate positions will be required to declare their preference for the leadership and are locked in to voting for that candidate or ‘none of the above’ on the first ballot. Through some method, not yet described, the delegate ballot will produce four men, four women, four youth and four others(?), apportioned according to who they prefer as leader and next Premier of Ontario.
That process alone could possibly elect the new leader on the first ballot. That would delight many delegates who would then not bother to mortgage their homes to pay for a weekend in Toronto’s fabled Maple Leaf Gardens. It is not just the prospect of paying (an early bird) $299 admittance for seniors and youth or $499 for being middle-aged that will be the main concern. Have you priced food and lodgings in Toronto lately? Even on the cheap, an out of town Liberal is faced with being out of pocket at least $1,000.
And then you realize that the rules are there to ensure that the party’s managers under McGuinty remain in control of the party. They made sure that Dalton McGuinty won in 1996 and they have obviously not lost their touch—considering how they are manipulating this convention.
As we said earlier, the wide open federal leadership is another matter. Now if we could just get some more credible candidates, that one would be an interesting experiment in democracy for Canadians
-30-
Copyright 2012 © Peter Lowry
Complaints, comments, criticisms and compliments can be sent to [email protected]