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Liberal Leader Paul Martin pauses during his concession speech in Montreal on Monday.
Jockeying begins to replace Martin as leaderUpdated Wed. Jan. 25 2006 6:27 AM ET CTV.ca News Staff There were rumours and whispers among Liberal ranks even before Paul Martin announced his decision to step down as leader of the party, but once the announcement was official, the gloves quickly came off. There are a number of candidates beginning to jostle and jockey into position to follow in Martin's footsteps. His successor will take control of a solid opposition party that has more than 100 seats and a support base that is spread across the nation, but that is also deeply fractured among loyalists to former prime minister Jean Chretien, and Martin. Though none have come out publicly and declared their intentions yet, people are certainly talking about the possibilities. Frank McKenna is a definite frontrunner for the job. Canada's ambassador to Washington and a popular former New Brunswick premier who transformed the province through job creation and government reform, many are pushing for McKenna to be Martin's successor. At one election night party in Ottawa, as reported by the Canadian Press, the host put up old campaign posters of McKenna, clearly indicating that change was desired by the group of disgruntled Liberals, and McKenna could embody the change they were seeking. A Liberal source said McKenna would "almost certainly" run for the party leadership. Other potential leadership candidates, including Martin Cauchon and John Manley, have reportedly spent time over the past few days phoning colleagues and sussing-out their chances. Cauchon was appointed as Justice Minister under the Martin government, and the popular Quebec MP is looked at by many as the next leader of the Liberal Party. There is even a blog dedicated to promoting Cauchon as the next leader. "The leadership race is on," a long-time Cauchon supporter told CP. "I think he [Mr. Cauchon] has no choice. We're testing the waters." Manley, a former deputy prime minister and finance minister under Jean Chretien, ran for the party leadership against Paul Martin but eventually dropped out of the race. A spokesperson for Brian Tobin said the former Newfoundland premier and federal cabinet minister had received calls about his future, but that he "is enjoying private life with Jodean and the kids." Belinda Stronach hasn't ruled out running either. The Newmarket-Aurora MP was human resources minister under Martin. She was elected as a Conservative in 2004 and made an unsuccessful bid for the party leadership, then famously crossed the floor to the Liberal side last spring. When asked Tuesday morning on Canada AM about whether she might run in the leadership, Stronach said with a smile: "You know, I'm here to serve." Michael Ignatieff, a Harvard professor and newcomer to federal politics who just won his seat in Toronto's Etobicoke-Lakeshore riding is also being pegged as a contender, though he has so far been noncommittal. Martin's defence minister, Bill Graham, who was re-elected Monday, said he has no interest in running for the leadership. However, he said he is confident the party will pick the right person for the job. "I think it will clearly be very, very important for the party to choose a new leader and the right leader that can bring together the wonderful strands across this country," said Graham. "And I'm confident we will be able to do that." Backroom chatter and pundit speculation turned into a full-blown strategizing when Martin surprised everyone on election night, saying he would step down as leader of the party. "During the coming days, I will consult with caucus and the party leadership in order to come across with an orderly transition and ensure an effective leadership in the House of Commons and the party," Martin said. He also said: "I will not lead our party into another election as leader," but said he would continue to represent his constituents in the Montreal riding of LaSalle-Emard as an MP. A leadership convention will probably not be finalized until the fall. "I think it's fair to say we want to have a reasonable time to have people interested in the leadership to come forward and test the waters," Liberal Party President Mike Eizenga told CTV. Eizenga said he learned of Martin's decision to step down just minutes before he made the announcement during his concession speech on Monday night. Whoever eventually does take the reigns will face a major challenge, according to Stephen Clarkson, a writer who has chronicled the ups and downs of the Big Red Machine. Clarkson told CTV's Roger Smith the next leader will face the task of reuniting a deeply fractured party. Infighting that started in the 1980s and exploded into a virtual civil war between Martin and Chretien loyalists, must be stopped, he said. "They need to be united," Clarkson said. "That tradition of vendetta and feuding is what is at the core of the decline of the Liberal party, in my view." Martin is expected to meet with party officials after he consults with Liberal MPs at a meeting next week. They will then lay out the ground ruled for a leadership transition. Stronach and Industry Minister David Emerson have both said Martin should stay on until a new leader is chosen to replace him, but CTV's Robert Fife said Martin may choose an interim leader to step in for him. "I don't know this right now, but he may want to get out," Fife said. "He's pretty beaten up right now, and certainly all the people who are around him will not be regarded very highly by anybody in the Liberal party."
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