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Former Tory Enters Liberal Leadership Race.

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http://sympaticomsn.ctv.ca/servlet/Article...t_brison_060423

 

Scott Brison enters the Liberal leadership race

CTV.ca News Staff

 

 

 

Scott Brison declared his official candidacy for the race to become the next leader of the Liberal Party of Canada Sunday afternoon.

 

Brison, a 38-year-old MP from the Nova Scotia riding of Kings-Hants, made the announcement at a ceremony in Wolfville, N.S.

 

Brison was welcomed by cheering crowds of supporters and an old-fashioned town crier who heralded him as "the next leader of the Liberal Party of Canada."

 

Brison, an openly gay politician, ran for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative party just three years ago -- a battle that was won by Peter MacKay.

 

After the 2004 election, former prime minister Paul Martin named Brison as his public works minister.

 

His announcement makes him the sixth leadership candidate to declare intentions to run.

 

He told supporters he was vying for the leadership of the Liberal party because he believes in Liberal values.

 

"I would not be where I am today without a Liberal Canada shaped by Liberal values," Brison said, noting that "Liberal social investments helped to give me a good start."

 

Brison pledged he would fight to make Canada more competitive internationally, would develop better opportunities for rural Canada, and would claimed he wants "to lead the greenest Liberal party ever."

 

He also said the Liberal party needs to attract more female MPs, needs to fight for progress on Kyoto and other environmental policies, and he pledged he would be a strong advocate for early education and childcare.

 

"I believe I have the right combination of youth, energy and experience to provide a new generation of leadership and a new generation of ideas, and I ask for your support," Brison said.

 

During an earlier interview with CTV's Question Period, he dismissed the possibility that accusations he was involved in November's income trust controversy will negatively affect his chances of winning the leadership race.

 

"I dealt with that issue directly and immediately, the way I believe that politicians and political leaders ought to deal with those sorts of issues," he said.

 

Brison, the former minister of public works, has acknowledged that he sent an e-mail to an acquaintance at CIBC on Nov. 22, the day before Ottawa announced its policy on income trusts.

 

In the e-mail, he suggested the unnamed recipient, who had been critical of Liberal government actions affecting income trusts, would likely be pleased by the announcement.

 

Brison has said his e-mail only contained "public speculation."

 

He joins declared candidates Joe Volpe, Michael Ignatieff, Maurizio Bevilacqua, Martha Hall Findlay and Stephane Dion.

 

According to CTV's chief political correspondent Craig Oliver, Brison faces a tough challenge because he's only been a Liberal for a relatively short time.

 

"He will influence the debate, but he has no chance of winning," Oliver told CTV Newsnet.

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Well from the looks of it, he's running more of a Progressive campaign with a slight mention of fiscal conservatism, so it's not quite the same as the current Conservatives. I think him or Dion would make excellent Liberal leaders though.

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Well unfortunately how the current system works, if I am correct on this, is that a delegation is picked from each riding to go to the convention, and the delegations are the only people who can vote for the new leader. However, I am guessing there are other ways you can help out though.

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Really? I just assumed that all party members were eligible to vote. That's kinda lame.

 

Maybe I'll just email him and see if there's any I can help with his campaign. At the very least I'd contribute.

 

Do all the parties work like that? I've never bothered to read into how parties choose their leaders.

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Really? I just assumed that all party members were eligible to vote. That's kinda lame.

 

Maybe I'll just email him and see if there's any I can help with his campaign. At the very least I'd contribute.

 

Do all the parties work like that? I've never bothered to read into how parties choose their leaders.

Liberals and the old PC's worked like that. I think NDP have some modified (but not entirely democratic) member voting system while I believe that the new Conservatives do elect their leader.

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That's an overly drawn out process if I ever heard one.

 

Who's the fucking dolt that said, "Hey guys! I got an idea! Instead of everyone actually voting for the leader, we'll make everyone vote for who we think should vote for the leader, and then we'll sit back and hope that they represent the majority of the region."?

 

Even if that's not exactly how it works it's still not as good as an actual election... Laaaaaame.

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They still had ink and paper.

 

There's no way anyone can say that it made more sense to do it that way in the early days if the whole population still got a chance to vote in a federal election.

 

The only way I can see that it comes remotely close to making sense is that citizens elect MP's to represent them in government (as opposed to directly electing the PM; but who they vote for effects who becomes the PM) and party members elect someone to represent them when it comes time to vote, so who party members vote for effects who becomes party leader.

 

But that's waay too loose of a connection and it makes no sense why anyone would do that. That system is just... it gives me a headache thinking about it. Whatever.

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That's an overly drawn out process if I ever heard one.

 

Who's the fucking dolt that said, "Hey guys! I got an idea! Instead of everyone actually voting for the leader, we'll make everyone vote for who we think should vote for the leader, and then we'll sit back and hope that they represent the majority of the region."?

 

Even if that's not exactly how it works it's still not as good as an actual election... Laaaaaame.

Not unlike the US system of electing their President. Silly Electoral College :/

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Yeah, the US electoral system is just fucked. It honestly baffles me.

 

 

Edit: I do like how elections are held on regular time intervals; rather than being able to call an election whenever you're extremely popular or during budget season though.

 

I was listening to the radio the other day and they had people calling in and voicing their opinions about Harper wanting to incorporate that into our electoral system. This one bitch called in and had this really annoying voice; she was all like, "Yeah, we can do it on the second Tuesday of November every 4 years. OH WAIT, that's when AMERICA has THEIR election!"

 

I hate when people jump to conclusions about shit or even react negatively without even thinking or contributing any constructive insight to the situation. She could have mentioned why she thought it was a bad idea and then talked about how he wants Canada to be the 51st state which well, I wouldn't exactly argue too strongly.

Edited by Monochrome Rainbow
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Brison seems like a douche to me. Not impressed. Didn't like him when he ran for the PC leadership, and thought it was typical poltical bullshit when right after he lost he switched over the the Liberals. Maybe he didnt like the Alliance/PC merge or something, dunno.

 

Its funny how people like Belinda Stronach and Brison can feel so passionately about a party to run for its leadership and then switch the the opposite party not long afterwards. Just weird.

 

Dont really know a ton about brison but the Liberals just need someone who will completely clean up that party, both people and policy-wise.

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Scott Brison actually did stick with the PCs until the week of the merge. He apparently smelt something fishy, and as a openly gay candidate, he don't want to be the poster candidate for the party but rather run on his own merits. He switched to the PCs because he felt the Alliance did not share his values and the Liberals did at that point.

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