We learned this weekend, through the NDP’s convention in Vancouver, and the Liberal Party’s extraordinary convention held online and over the telephone, that each of the parties will be taking two full years to make some key decisions.
The Liberals have moved their Leadership vote date to a window between March 1, 2013 and June 30, 2013. The NDP, meanwhile, have empowered their executive to deliberate for two years on whether or not to remove the word “socialist” from its preamble. Tough decisions require deliberations at the highest level only. As George Orwell put it in Animal Farm:
“He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?”
Anyway – for those of you across the country who cannot wait two full years for the next Leader of the Liberal Party to be chosen, or for the closed-door revisions to the NDP preamble to be unveiled, here as a public service to readers, is a list of all the things you can do, and dates you can do them, between now and then, to get your political fix.
July 15, 2011 – Nomination deadline for candidates, Alberta Progressive Conservative Party Leadership
August 1, 2011 – Nomination deadline for candidates, Alberta Liberal Party Leadership
August 19, 2011 – Membership cut-off, deadline to register for remote voting, Alberta Liberal Party Leadership
August 30, 2011 – Earliest possible date for the writ to be dropped for provincial election in Manitoba
September 6, 2011 – Membership cut-off, deadline to register for in-person voting, Alberta Liberal Party Leadership
September 1, 2011 – Earliest possible date for the writ to be dropped for provincial election in Prince Edward Island
September 6, 2011 – Latest possible date for the writ to be dropped for provincial election in Manitoba
September 7, 2011 – Latest possible date for the writ to be dropped for provincial election in Prince Edward Island
September 7, 2011 – Writ will be issued for provincial election in Ontario
September 11, 2011 – Earliest possible date for the writ to be dropped for provincial election in Newfoundland & Labrador
September 13, 2011 – Nomination deadline, Manitoba provincial election
September 15, 2011 – Nomination deadline, Ontario provincial election
September 16, 2011 – Nomination deadline, Prince Edward Island provincial election
September 17, 2011 – Voting (First ballot) Alberta Progressive Conservative Party Leadership
September 18, 2011 – Latest possible date for the writ to be dropped for provincial election in Newfoundland & Labrador
September 20, 2011 – Alberta Liberal Party Leadership vote
October 1, 2011 – Nomination deadline, Newfoundland & Labrador provincial election
October 1, 2011 – Voting (Second ballot- if necessary) Alberta Progressive Conservative Party Leadership
October 3, 2011 – Election Day in Prince Edward Island
October 3, 2011 – Election Day in Northwest Territory
October 4, 2011 – Election Day in Manitoba
October 5, 2011 – Earliest possible date for the writ to be dropped for provincial election in Saskatchewan
October 6, 2011 – Election Day in Ontario
October 10, 2011 – Latest possible date for the writ to be dropped for provincial election in Saskatchewan
October 11, 2011 – Election Day in Newfoundland & Labrador
October 22, 2011 – Nomination deadline, Saskatchewan provincial election
November 7, 2011 – Election Day in Saskatchewan
November 7, 2011 – Voting day for municipal elections in even-numbered rural municipalities in Saskatchewan
November 20, 2011 – Voting day for municipal elections in British Columbia
December 3, 2011 – Membership deadline for attending Liberal Party of Canada Biennial Convention
December 5, 2011 – Municipal Elections Nunavut (hamlets only)
December 10, 2011 – Latest possible date for delegate selection meetings, Liberal Party of Canada Biennial Convention
January 13-15, 2012 – Liberal Party of Canada Biennial Convention, Ottawa
May 14, 2012 – New Brunswick Municipal Elections
October 15, 2012 – NWT Municipal Elections (taxed communities)
October 15, 2012 – Nunavut Municipal Elections (Iqaluit only)
October 18, 2012 – Yukon Municipal Elections
October 20, 2012 – Nova Scotia Municipal Elections
December 10, 2012 – NWT Municipal Elections (hamlets only)
January 19, 2013 – Membership cut-off date, Liberal Party of Canada Leadership vote (assuming earliest possible scenario)
March 1, 2013 – Voting day, Liberal Party of Canada Leadership vote (assuming earliest possible scenario)
May 20, 2013 – Membership cut-off date, Liberal Party of Canada Leadership vote (assuming latest possible scenario)
June 30, 2013 – Voting day, Liberal Party of Canada Leadership vote (assuming latest possible scenario)
