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And a sixty-one year-old shall lead them…. |
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Written by Al Hollingsworth
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Saturday, 13 December 2008 |
I remember the first time I saw, and heard, Michael Ignatieff.. I had tuned in to watch some of the 2005 Liberal Policy Convention. Why, I am not sure. Must have been an off hockey night.
No, that is not quite true. My wife and I did not have the Centre Ice package at that point. It is just a matter of time before this package is presented into evidence in a divorce court. I can only hope I am not the defendant, but I am wandering off the topic.
The man I affectionately call “Eye Chart” wowed the convention that March night. He also got my attention. “There is a future leader of the Liberal Party,” I thought, as I sat spellbound by this incredible orator. At the time, the only drawback was that he was 58 years old; and the Grits had a firm grip on government, or so I thought.
That was before Paul Martin began to stumble and mumble and eventually dither away the prize possession he had sought most of his adult life. And let’s give credit where credit is due: Martin was ably assisted by staff, and by the loyalists he appointed to cabinet. The latter acted as toadies, blindly following him down the road to oblivion.
What scares me about Ignatieff as leader, interim or otherwise, is that I see some of those same Martinites grabbing onto his coattails. It is called Looking After Thy Backside 101. In my opinion not one of them have earned the right to hold a cabinet position. My advice to Ignatieff is that he should surround himself with fresh faces. Recycling is a wonderful thing if you are talking about waste disposal and protection of the environment. However, that doesn’t include the recycling of wasted politicians.
Although Bob Rae is hardly a fresh face, Ignatieff should keep him close by. Despite the baggage he acquired while serving as Premier of Ontario, Rae is a brilliant mind, and a very capable and courageous individual. His decision to step aside and allow his chief rival to take the helm was impressive. Any doubts one harbored about Rae’s commitment to his country were laid to rest last Tuesday when he put party unity ahead of personal ambition.
Dartmouth MP Mike Savage put it best. “I think Bob Rae is as classy a politician and a person as I’ve come across and I’m proud to be associated with him,” said the Rae supporter. “I think what he’s done today will allow the party to come together and fight the real enemy, who happens to be Stephen Harper.”
In recent years I have given up watching Question Period. The rancor has been too much. There has been no sense of civility and, frankly the entire production should be “X” rated.
Now, with Michael Ignatieff taking the lead questions, Canadians will get to enjoy listening to a man of conviction speak passionately about his beliefs in a sincere and articulate manner. And what I find most refreshing about this youthful 61-year-old is that he remains curious about life and the world around him. For us, that is a very good thing.
It will also be fun to watch Stephen Harper squirm. Poetic justice, indeed. Because Harper’s antics brought about the demise of Stephane Dion and the rise of Michael Ignatieff.
(Al Hollingsworth is a retired journalist and broadcaster)
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