Spring is in the air; and it is also evident at the Liberal party planet where a new leader will inject a new and invigorating adrenalin to make the party alive and ready to figh hard to regain the lost fortune from the electorate.
Justin Trudeau, being the front runner, seems like a new bud to bloom; a new promise to revive the Liberal party whose fortune had been lost after the two consecutive party leaders failed to get a mandate, and much worse, to become the 3rd party in the House of Common; and worst, to lose the political grandeur of being the official opposition in the House of Common! The party morale is low, as if they can hear from the ground, the cascading sounds of the burrowing Prairie Dog; or even the smell of the decaying grass underneath the snow. But with the presence of many candidates for the Liberal leadership, the windchill became tamer, the party morale is boosted that some day, probably, in the next election, it would be the return of the Liberal party as the governing political power.
And who will be that leader who has guts and with prime ministerial stature to face the political foes from the governing Conservative and the newly minted Opposition party, the NDP, not to mention the Green Party. And who is that leader who can argue the glowing economic boom and the “feeling good image” of the current government. With all the great records of the Harper government, it will be a grand battle royal among the gladiators in the political arena in 2016!
Marc Garneau, the probable candidate who would stop Justin Trudeau, left the race at the middle of the highway, and proclaimed his support to young Justine Trudeau, being groomed as the 2nd coming of the former Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau. Yes, undeniably, Justin carries the DNA of his dad, the former Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau. He has the rich legacy of his father, remember this iconic line: ‘Just watch me.’ Would the 2nd Trudeaumania adddress some of the pressings problems being faced the current government? And to halt the surging popularity of the NDP? And who among the leadership candidates (Martin Cauchon, David Bertschi, George Takach, Karen McCrimmon,Joyce Murray, Martha Hall Findlay, and Deborah Coyne) can face the political opponents who have strong arsenal of members, followers, volunteers and money? And, are we ready for a woman prime minister?
If one follows the increase momentum of the Liberal Party leadership race, one might surmise that there is only one candidate who stands to be the newly minted Liberal Party Leader, Justin Trudeau. But the question is: Would he bring back the lost political fortune of the Liberal Party and win the next federal election, three years from now?
But that political stake is too high!
The changing demographic map of voters has become the prize of power of the Conservative and the NDP respectively. As a backgrounder, the Liberal Party was the darling of the new Canadians in the 60’s, and 70’s, and party in the 80’s. Still fresh in the minds of the new Canadians during those years, that the Liberal Party, led by Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau welcomed into the country the thousand of new immigrants from the various countries which resulted to demystify the so-called “two sollitudes”; and to the institutionalizing “bilingualism” and multi-culturalism. The fabric of the Canadian society had changed overnight when various races, creeds, cultures and heritage had been ingrained in the consciousness of being a Canadian. Canada is a land of immigrants and thousand of immigrants arrive every year to propel the economic engine of the country, thus, to make Canada ready to the demand of the 22nd century. But in the late 80’s, in the 90’s and the 20’s, the Liberal Party had lost its touch with the new immigrants, with the new Canadians. The Conservative and the NDP received the bigger slice of the voting power of the New Canadians, or what we call in a current political jargon, the “ethnic votes”. And, probably in the long run, the Green Party whose popularity is surging, might take over the Liberal Party’s popularity if this party fails to elect a new leader who has the stronger political base, who can address the cross-cultural needs in our society; and you can “go on dancing into the night” with the young and the old voters.
In this coming April 14 Liberal Party leadership convention, let the winner, at the very next day, he or she must start gathering the new strong fabrics of various colours, and start weaving the political mosaic of this beautiful, lovely, and wonderful country, OUR CANADA!
