From February 20-23, federal Liberals will gather in Montreal, and one of their tasks will be to elect a new national executive. In the coming days, I’ll be publishing interviews with some of the candidates seeking election to the party’s national board. Chris MacInnes won a contested election at the
Continue readingTag: mike crawley
A BCer in Toronto: Exit interview: Liberal Party of Canada president Mike Crawley
When Mike Crawley won the presidency of the Liberal Party of Canada in January 2012, defeating Sheila Copps, Alexandra Mendes and Ron Hartling at the party’s biennial convention in Ottawa, the party faced a number of challenges: declining public support, a weary volunteer base and a worrying fundraising gap. Add
Continue readingA BCer in Toronto: Liberal leadership procedure and process update from Mike Crawley
Today was the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario)’s Toronto region day, where Liberals from the ridings of greater Toronto gathered to talk organization, policy and rebuilding. A few items of interest to share, particularly on the leadership front. Speaking of leadership, as I believe in full disclosure I’ll say that
Continue readingthe reeves report: Photo Gallery: Liberal Biennial Convention 2012
Now that the Liberal Biennial Convention has wrapped up and people have headed home to regroup and figure out how best to build on the ideas and momentum that so energized them in frigid Ottawa, a look back on the weekend that was — in photo’s! Enjoy! Media Stage at
Continue readingThe Equivocator: Nokha Dakroub: A Family Reunited – And No, We’re Not Dead!
Nokha Dakrou (Delegate Mississauga-East Cooksville.) The convention that took place this past weekend felt like a much-needed family reunion after a period of mourning and grief. With 3200 delegates present, it was more than I had even hoped for or anticipated. It was difficult to find people amongst the crowds,
Continue readingRed Tory v.3.0.3: Grits Go to Pot!
… And Avoid Going to Copps That was the terribly witty headline in The Winnipeg Sun this morning. Never mind the snarky double-entendre; both are welcome developments arising from this past weekend’s LPC convention in Montreal. From scanning some of the news stories about the convention and, more importantly, the
Continue readingA BCer in Toronto: Both hope and fear drove Liberal delegates in Ottawa
Looking back on my three days in Ottawa for the 2012 Liberal Party of Canada biennial convention it’s impossible to craft one clear narrative – did delegates embrace bold change or put their faith in the status quo – because the evidence is highly contradictory. And that, I suppose, is
Continue readingCalgaryGrit: The Presidential Election
For somewhat inexplicable reasons, the race for Liberal Party president has been generating more ink in recent weeks than the race for leader of the opposition. And if you’re going to this weekend’s convention in Ottawa, you’re probably getting 5 or 6 calls a day from candidates asking for your
Continue readingCalgaryGrit: Meet Mike Crawley
After hearing from Alexandra Mendes , Sheila Copps, and Ron Hartling, my tour of LPC Presidential candidates lands on Mike Crawley. Who is Mike Crawley? Mike is the former President of the Ontario wing of the Liberal Party, so Ontario Liberals are quite familiar with him. Others are most likely
Continue readingThe Equivocator: Mike Crawley for President of the Liberal Party of Canada
Like many Liberals, I first encountered Mike Crawley through his bold op-ed in the Toronto Star entitled “Long-term decline of a great party.” His insights into the structural and cultural flaws that the Liberal Party must overcome if it is to survive were impressive. As well, I was inspired by
Continue readingCalgaryGrit: Preliminary Thoughts on the LPC Presidential Race
Elections for Liberal Party President have tended to be mundane affairs in recent years. In 2008, Alf Apps was the only candidate – either because the powers-that-be made it known he would win, or because everyone else was too lazy to run. In 2006, the presidency was overshadowed by the
Continue readingA BCer in Toronto: Meeting the LPC presidential candidates, and why I like Mike
The Edward Blake Society, a group of Toronto-area no longer young except at heart Liberal professionals, hosted four of the five candidates for the Liberal Party of Canada presidency on Monday in Toronto (Charles Ward couldn’t make it) and around 100 Liberals packed the Pauper’s Pub to hear what they
Continue readingThe Equivocator: Liberal Merchandise: Branding the Brand
Back in 2009 I got an e-mail that made me very happy then very sad. The e-mail, from Michael Ignatieff, told me that I could get a Liberal branded scarf. Unfortunately, to get the scarf I would have to donate $100. Now, I can’t afford a $100 donation so to
Continue readingThe Equivocator: Liberal Party of Canada Presidential Candidates’ Debate Report Card – Nov. 22/23
On November 22nd and 23rd I listened to/attended two debates of the four candidates currently running to be President of the Liberal Party of Canada. The first was a phone debate run by the excellent facebook group Liberals Rebuilding the Liberal Party (moderated by Gerard Kennedy) the second was held
Continue readingA BCer in Toronto: What I’m looking for in a Liberal Party of Canada president
A key part of the Liberal Party of Canada’s reform process will be electing the next national executive at the biennial convention in January, and I’m glad to see we have four capable candidates seeking the position of president: Sheila Copps, Mike…
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