My $1.95 worth

Of the two major Liberal leadership candidates, Jim Flaherty's proposal to eliminate the $1.95 per vote subsidy for the political parties will help Michael Ignatieff and hurt Bob Rae. Ignatieff, the centre candidate will be able to express disappointment in Flaherty's proposal, yet vote for Flaherty's Conservative budget. He'll also be able to say to his supporters that if elected prime minister, he will bring back the subsidy. Also, as the candidate of the centre, he will be better likely than Rae to solicit donations for the Liberal Party directly or indirectly from the business community. Rae, being further to the left, will have a harder time reaching out to the business community. Also, he probably won't get the support from people who currently vote for the NDP.

I think Michael Ignatieff will win the leadership of the Liberal Party on the first ballot. My advice for him is to start running against Stephen Harper now instead of in May.

Update:

Recommended Blogging Tory post for today: The View from the Right: Conservatives Wrong to Cut Party Funding.

Intending to run for the Liberal leadership

No, I am not intending to run for the Liberal leadership. I am suggesting that the three Liberal leadership candidates--Ignatieff, Rae, and LeBlanc--will not formally register as leadership candidates until just before the deadline. This way, the candidates can keep all fundraising money for themselves rather than give a portion to the Liberal Party. Since, they are not officially candidates, one can assume that people are donating money to ordinary MPs. Only the money that these candidates raise after their registration will they have to give a portion to the Liberal Party.

The big mistake made over the weekend by the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario) was to give vetoes to non-registered candidates on allowing media access to a meeting. That decision should have been made by the executive alone.

Stéphane Dion's Liberals are flying high!

Thanks to some ingenuity, the Liberals are flying again.




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