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Home : Top Stories : Manley decides not to run for Liberal leadership

Manley decides not to run for Liberal leadership

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CTV Newsnet: Roger Smith explains Manley's exit

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CTV.ca News Staff

Date: Tue. Nov. 4 2008 7:49 PM ET

Former deputy prime minister John Manley says he has lost the "burning ambition necessary" to campaign and so will not run for the Liberal Party leadership, according to an email he sent to friends and colleagues.

In his statement, Manley said he has spent the last few days considering entering the race to succeed Stephane Dion, encouraged by the support of friends, former colleagues and total strangers.

Despite believing that public service is "the highest calling," Manley said he does not have the energy and devotion needed for a leadership race.

"I truly found that in my mind and heart, I have moved on from the world of elected office," Manley said. "I also found that I lacked the burning ambition necessary to mount and sustain such a campaign."

Manley spent 16 years in parliament and served in a number of cabinet posts, including minister of finance, foreign affairs and industry.

Since leaving office in 2004, he has worked at law firm McCarthy Tetrault and has chaired an independent panel that reviewed Canada's future role in Afghanistan.

Several days ago, Manley sent an email to family, friends and potential campaign donors to ask them three questions that would help him decide whether or not to run, the Globe and Mail reported Tuesday.

He asked if he has enough support within the Liberal Party, if his friends would be able to find 2,000 donors who could contribute $1,100 to his campaign and whether potential organizers could help him launch a top-notch campaign.

Had he decided to throw his hat into the ring, Manley would have joined Toronto MP Bob Rae and New Brunswick MP Dominic LeBlanc, who have already declared that they intend to run.

Other candidates are expected to jump into the race, including Toronto MP and deputy Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, CTV's Roger Smith said Tuesday on CTV Newsnet.

Smith said that former Quebec cabinet ministers Denis Coderre and Martin Cauchon may also run, and that MPs Ruby Dhalla and David McGuinty are also considering joining the race.

A new party leader will be elected at a convention in May. Dion declared his intention to step down after the Liberals' dismal showing in the federal election, where they wound up with 76 seats in their worst showing since 1984.

Comments are now closed for this story

RobO
said

I guess he know a dead horse when he see one...to bad the rest of the Liberal Elite don't see it yet. They must build the party over with new views and come into modern times. They still seem to think (Iggy) that we are dumb people who need to be told what is right for us.


Ken - Calgary
said

That is very disappointing. Manley was a direct threat to Harper's dictatorship aspirations, probably moreso than any of the other potential candidates. I will be supporting Ignatieff now.


Al Wood
said

It is actually a shame Mr. Manley won't seek the leadership of the quickly sinking Liberal Party of Canada. Of all the declared, undeclared, rejected and declined candidates he is what I would call a true Liberal. The only one, I believe, capable of turning the party around, energizing the grassroots supporters and seeking out the financial backing to save the debt ridden party.


Brent - BC
said

Smarter than your average Liberal. Maybe he will join the Conservative party and make a run for the top job. Who knows, he might even be able to get support in Quebec and the maritime provinces and relegate the Liberals to third place or a new party, "New Liberal Democrats". What a leadership cat fight that would be.


apl
said

As a life long conservative I can still respect a person regardless of the party. Mr Manley is a man of integrity and has done a lot for this country it is disappointing that he will not step into the political arena again. All the best to you Mr. Manley.


Liberal Jim
said

Well now the race will be between Rae and Iggy. I for one believe we don't need another professor telling us what we need. I will support Bob Rae, so that we can take our votes back from the NDP for good!


Socialism is killing us
said

Why would anyone want to walk into the political death trap that is the Liberal leader position? Nobody wants to run for it except Iggy and Rae. Both are an abismal failure that will give Harper a majority.


ex-Canuck
said

This is more evidence of what many have been saying for some time: Politics does not attract the best and the brightest in Canada. Why would anyone of talent subject themselves to life in a fishbowl? Signing up for years and years of such a life while trying to re-build an ethically, morally and financially bankrupt Liberal brand is not attractive to people like McKenna or Manley. So the Liberals are left with the mediocrity - Dion and Rae. This is a party you can count out of the game for at least 8 years.


hatrock
said

Where's Brian Tobin?


Red Deer Joe
said

WOW! I can't believe there was time for CANADIAN news today! Just as well, we don't need another Republican Harper yesman running for the leaderhip.


No Surprise
said

Can't blame him, taking the helm of the Liberal party would be as depressing as coaching the Maple Leafs.


Dayton
said

Like McKenna, Manley has opted out. Obviously neither of these intelligent men feel there is a need to remove the Conservatives anytime soon. Both would also agree the Liberals are deep in doodoo. Plus the fact at their age time is against them to rebuild that mess.


Jimmyjim
said

What the Liberals need now is a very strong leader. I am not sure if Iggy or Rae fill the bill. I certainly know that Manley did not. That would have been the death knell for the Liberal party if he had been elected.


bob
said

Rae - Layton 2010 !

Rae and Layton form the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in early 2010 and quickly promise, well, everything.

Can't wait.


Ottawa Reader
said

Now if only Bob Rae and Michael Ignatieff and the baggage from Chretien days, i.e., Corderre and Cauchon, would step away from the plate, the Liberal Party may find someone of quality to lead it. Dion was a disaster and anyone with a ounce of intelligence knew it so let's not let it happen all over again.


ASpenc
said

It is a sad testimony to a once great party that its only shot in the next election will be with another academic ex professor. Shows how far removed from the grass roots of Canada they have become. The Liberal party of Canada should join with the NDP and call themselves the "Liberal Social Democrats". LSD? They'll need lots of it in the next election!


bsdmark
said

Too bad. Manley would have been the candidate that would make me seriously considering a move from Conservative. He and the Prime Minister would have made for good debate and governance.


Peter, Hamilton
said

This is too bad. John Manley is a very experienced and thoughtful former politician and would have made an effective leader and perhaps future Prime Minister. The Liberal Party needs to find a way to attract back to it the centre and centre-right fiscally conservative but socially liberal voters who supported Jean Chretien and who were impressed with Paul Martin's handling of country's finances. These voters have deserted the party in droves. John Manley may have been able to attract some back. It doesn't look good for the Liberals now as the remaining group of leadership hopefuls is rather weak with little chance of challenging the Conservatives. Consider this: if the Conservatives were successful in their campaign to discredit Stephan Dion, they will have a field day with either Bob Rae (memories of Ontario in the early 1990s) or Michael Ignatieff (a distant academic out of the country for 30 years).


Doug BC
said

I'm also disappointed by this decision.But it's not hard to understand why he would be relucant.It is a thankless job in which almost half the peoiple will be less than satisfied no matter how well things go.I still think he was the man the Liberals needed.
After a life time of supporting the Liberal party,I have decected to the Conservatives.I'm not a big fan of Mr.Harpers.But I still feel the country is less threatened by the political right than it is by the socialists in the Liberal party.
Now I see no one that could win back mt vote.It may be that Ignatieff is a bit more right of centre than some Liberals,I think he's weak.THe socialist element in the party will push him around.That would not have been the case with John Manley.In fact,I'm sure the left wing of the Liberal party is jumping for joy this AM.
Oh well.I'll stick with Conservatives.Harper has already acknowledged that they may need to move closer to the centre.
But absolutely no more socialism,pandering,free lunches,or nanny state thinking for this voter.Even though I don't care for Harper,I do like a Canada with lower debt levels and lower taxes.If we can now increase productivity,our children have a shot at futures in a sovereign Canada.
Given Manleys expereince,I think he knows that the Conservatives have the right perspective on debt and taxes.Though it remains to be seen if they can actually get us out of the fiscal mess created in the last century.


RM - Calgary
said

Manley is the only prominent Liberal I could see myself voting for.


Gail (Hamilton)
said

It's a sad day for the Liberal party when two of the most respected men turn down the opportunity to run for the leadership. What's left is not appetizing at all. Their cousins in the US found an orator to lead the Dems. Will we see the same in Canada? After all, Libs don't like Conservative leaders who want the people to have more freedom for personal achievements. Socialism doesn't improve life, it restricts it.


K D
said

Funny how everyone is calling the Liberal party a "sinking ship". Even funnier how Harper, in all of his pathetic attempts at looking charismatic, still couldn't secure a majority against a "sinking ship". What does that say about the CONservatives?

Looks like it's time to wipe the entire political arena CLEAN and start from scratch.

Oh, and if the Bloc doesn't start running candidates Canada-wide, they should be disqualified from running at all. Either be a federal party, or get out of the Federal arena.


hollinm
said

Mr. Manley is far too qualified and conservative to lead the left leaning Liberal party of today.
As for the knock about Manley working on the Afghanistan file. He saved the Liberals from their own misguided approach to Afghanistan. It allowed them to save face. Otherwise it would have been a disaster for the party as it split down pro and con for the mission within the party.
The Libs are looking for a messiah and to date one has not appeared. They tried McKenna and he didn't bite. Manley now has taken a pass as well.
Where is the deep talent pool that the Liberals brag about all the time. The patrician, arrogant Iggy and the fiscally challenged, cranky Rae? Two imports. Are they the best that the Liberal party can offer?


Kris
said

Good thing too. He might have won.


ryder
said

The first to leave a sinking vessel are the rats...I can see the similarities here! The Liberal ship, as we know it today, is taking on water faster than the bilge pumps can handle. By spring, she'll be at the bottom and be nothing more than a reef from which crustations can thrive off the carrion.


DCR-Toronto
said

Manley is very smart. He is the only Liberal that I'd ever consider voting for. At least for now while the clowns are running the show. There isn't a true leader amongst them.

I agree with another poster here that said Manley may join the Conservatives. He's always been a more right wing Liberal, and obviously shakes his head at what has happened to the LPC. I think that Manley would be welcomed into the Conservative Party with open arms.


Shelly/Ontario
said

Bravo for you John. Would that other spent and over the hill generational "wannabes" a.k.a
Ray and Iggy had the same "smarts". Then a new young broom would have opportunity to sweep up and give new direction and energy to re-invent the party.


Chris
said

Like I said before... if Mr. Manley ran for the Liberal leadership and won, I may vote for the Liberals next election... depending on the platform as well though.

The Liberals are lost without a man like Manley. Nobody else can fill his shoes!!!


Sean
said

Hooray, now just take Bob Rae with you.


DREW
said

The Liberals have now lost there best chance at getting a decent leader...now that MacKenna and John Manley have dropped out. I think they will be warming the opposition benches for quite some time.


Dajo
said

What a shame. He's the only one who has any nobility. The others are the same old political hacks we've come to loathe. Only a Trudeau or Kennedy will wipe the slate clean. I would rather vote for Dion.


Ben
said

This story is exactly why John Manley should be running. Too bad for Canada but good news for Harper.


Rosie Cooper
said

Good call! Manley's no doubt a smart fellow but he lacks CHARISMA, as did Stephane. If the Liberals want to rejuvenate themselves they need to choose a leader who is both smart AND charismatic. And, ideally, someone that people in their 20s and 30s (like me) can relate to. Where's the Liberal's version of Obama?


Cal in Ottawa
said

Perhaps unfortunate for the Liberal Party to have someone who is at least pragmatic drop out of the race. He would have been worth a look even though I have never voted Liberal before. Any of the others mentioned, especially leftists like Rae (NDP in Lib coat) and McGuinty means the PM would be safe in the center.


Neutral Logic
said

K D - the Conservatives are systematically bankrupting the Liberals. Majority or not, Harper is slowly making them less and less significant. The LPC wouldn't dream of bringing down the Conservatives right now, and they are millions in debt. That basically gives Harper his majority. Another election in the next couple years, won't be enough time for the Liberals to even get out of debt. If a "great party" like the Liberals cannot keep men like McKenna and Manley with them...they are sinking. Denial of this, will only serve to sink it faster. They refuse to change to what the people want. The LPC thinks that if they say the same things long enough, people will "come to their senses". Why is it that Liberals are always trying to save the country from itself, I wonder?
I think John Manley will join the ranks of the Conservative Party in the next election.


spencer
said

Stephen Harper has from now until the next election to build himself into a leader.
He did not do that last election, and would have lost was it not for the weakness, and the inability of Dion to relate to the average canadian voter.
If Harper is able to build a more likeable public image and add a little pizzaz to his party, it really does not matter who leads the Liberals.
The Liberals have a long uphill battle to convince canadians they are relevant.
The battle will be on 3 fronts; 1 gathering financial donations, 2 alienating Layton and the NDP, 3 Fighting Harper and the Tories.

It remains to be seen if there is any potential leader out there up to that challenge, living or dead!!


pp
said

If there is one thing I have learned in life it is that no one is irreplacable.

When the older people leave in any organization then that leaves a vacuum that will be filled by a younger or even less experienced person. Everyone is inexperienced till they gain experience. Sometimes the best education is that of the 'school of hard knocks'.

I am sure that in the years to come someone will come forward and fill the leadership position. There may be some jockeying for position but this could be the catalyst which launches someones new political career.

My Manely will be missed as a leader but he is not irreplacable.


Who's on First?
said

That is to bad. You know, if Manley would have become the next Liberal Leader, I would have given him my vote in a federal election.

I'm sorry to say, but there isn't a single person as far as I can see, who has any potential to lead this country.

Bob Rae, well all of us here in Ontario know what he did as Premiere of Ontario and that isnt' good and as for the rest of them, well I just don't like them.

Hopefully Manley will be hungry to lead sometime in the future, then for sure I'll give him my support when I vote.




George
said

This is good news. I respect Mr. Manley & Mr. Harper, but small-c conservatives should stick to large-C Conservative venues.

If the Liberal Party goes right, I WILL go LEFT. I am well past the point of caring if the LPC survives -- I will settle for a left-wing government led by ANY LEFT-wing party (or a coalition of left-wing parties).

I was leaning towards Ignatieff for LPC leadership due to his composed demeanor, but I have to admit that the recent media attacks against Rae FIRED UP the REBEL in me who INTENSELY wants change, even if it comes with risk. Risk is better than what we have now (i.e. right-wing con rule).

One thing I think the cons might have miscalculated is what might eventually come from a populace who continually has less & less & less to lose from swinging towards radical change, due to the current dismal state of world affairs. Sometimes you have to give potential supporters enough social benefits to keep them on your side - especially during trying times!


Andy
said

Why select a leader, just extend Obama's kingdom into Canada. If Canadian think he is such a savior, why not adopt him as Premier. Canadian policies just follow American ones anyway


Peter Sesek
said

So it's going to be a Rae, Iggy, LeBlanc and Gerard runoff.

I see the Rae and Iggy folks are trying to move the convention away from Vancouver.

Wonder why? 2006 Delegate Selection Meeting results:

B.C.

1 BOB RAE 145 25.40%
2 GERARD KENNEDY 130 22.80%
3 STEPHANE DION 100 17.50%
4 MICHAEL IGNATIEFF 91 16.00%

Alberta

1 GERARD KENNEDY 117 25.90%
2 MICHAEL IGNATIEFF 115 25.50%
3 STÉPHANE DION 81 18.00%
4 JOE VOLPE 39 8.60%
5 BOB RAE 37 8.20%

Alberta and B.C.

1 GERARD KENNEDY 247 24%
2 MICHAEL IGNATIEFF 206 0%
3 STEPHANE DION 182 17.8%
4 BOB RAE 181 17.7%


RRO
said

The Liberal Party needs a leader who will take it down to its foundation and rebuild it. A leader who has no illusions of being Prime Minister during the next election, whose only focus is party renewal. If the Liberals get a leader like that, they could be back in government two elections from now.

The Liberal machine, that has been running for decades is broken and the because the Liberals are used to it working, no one knows how to fix it.

Manly was someone who could have worked in a minority government. He isn't a fire breathing partisan. He would have won back a lot of independents and centrists that Dion scared away.

Rae or Ignatieff will lose in the long run. Rae has no credibility in Ontario and even less out west. Ignatieff is seen as an outsider with no real national voice beyond the fact that he ran for leader.

The problem is both these guys have the support of Liberal elites who never bother to ask if Canadians will vote for them because they assume what they want is what Canada wants.

Harper is getting stronger, smarter and better at being Prime Minister every day. He made solid gains last election and cemented what he got from the last election. His next move, will be a Majority government and if that happens the Liberals will tear themselves apart internally.


Vahan
said

The unraveling of the Liberal party should be put squarely on the shoulders of Paul Martin and his entourage. They ran Jean Chretien out and tried to burn him with the sponsorship. It came back to bite and bite hard. No politician is clean and Martin had a big head thinking he was like the snow in our northern countryside. Chretien used the sponsorship to keep the country together, he used Martin to balance the budget and pay down the debt and he used Dion to shut the PQ idiots up. Chretien held it all together and let us not get our nickers all bunched up thinking the meek shall inherit the party. Politics is ugly, but Chretien put his charm on it, Mulroney was just a bombastic oaf and Martin killed the party as we know it for believing it was his time to sit on the throne. The Liberal party needs an outsider and a scrapper to get the team moving again.


Joe
said

If all the Liberals have left (Pardon the pun) is Iggy or Rae, maybe they would be better off and stay with the status quo and keep Dion


Rob
said

How is this news? Manley is not even in government...is he even a member of the Liberal Party?


Aaron - TO
said

I am not a Lib or a Con, not a Dem or a Rep, I am a canadian 30 something hard working Canadian. Many others like myself will not vote party lines anymore even if our parents stuck to one or the other party. We tend to be voting for the PERSON WHO DOES THE BEST JOB REPRESENTING OUR ISSUES AND CONCERNS.
As this time Harper has proved to be efficient and solid. Lowered taxes & GST.
We want to see a NEW LIBERAL face tackle the challenge and earn our vote! No one from the old guard will convince us of anything. IS there anyone who fits this description in the Liberal camp????


Allan Eizinas
said

Harper manipulated Manley to get the PM off the hook on Afghanistan. Manley is now paying the prices since he is getting very little support from his party. It looks good on him!


Brent
said

Phew!
I was worried the Liberals might pick an intelligent, moderate, thoughtful leader; someone with a good track record in multiple cabinet portfolios. But John Manley doesn't seem to generate excitement in the party. Guess we Tories get another term.
Good luck Bob Rae ;)


DRH
said

For the past 13 years the "good ship Lolipop liberal" have been lying at every turn of every election and the majority of Canadians have at last waken from their "liberal red induced nappy". The only lib votes that are left are the hard core old nags that enjoyed all the free government handouts during their reign. The good news is that most people have come to their senses and voted in a smart and focused leader to steer us through the turbulent waters ahead. Mr. Manley would have been the only one that could have challenged Mr. Harper for the countries top command. Iggy and/or Rae will not only loose in the next election but the cost of a leadership race and election campaign should just about put an end to LPC.


Alex (Toronto)
said

Last thing the Liberals need would have been a Chretien loyalist.


paul in brant
said

Why not let Elizabeth May give it a try???


Don
said

McKenna and Manley were the only two leaders which could have brought me back to the Liberal fold. I think it is all Bob Rae from here on out and if anyone wants to see what a Rae term might look like, research what he did to Ontario during his tenure as premier. He will pull the party further to the left and I'm sure we'll have our fill of "Rae days" from sea to sea to sea.


Layton B in Moncton NB
said

First Frank McKenna now Manley, there goes another prime candidate. This is gettin kinda scary here folks. The Liberal Party is imploding almost as bad as the Tories after the 1993 'caucus in a Corvette' two seat debacle. The frustrating part is that, the longer Harper stays there the easier it should be to defeat him, he's breakin promises and tinkering around with this and that. The downside to this is that the longer he's in there the more damage he does. I think that the Liberal Party of Canada should take a fiscally conservative stance on the 'lefty' climate change file and maybe bring back oh I dunno, the SURPLUS!! So we can spend on infrastructure and create/save jobs. Imagine HIGH SPEED TRAINS, from Bombardier, hey they're good enough for Europe, they should be good enough for the nation that builds 'em. Repairing bridges and highways is not 'doing potholes' Mr. Harper. Canada needs someone who can relate to the average citizen, who has held a job, like a real job. We need a leader who will protect our jobs in manufacturing, food processing and not just oil, but do it within the framework of NAFTA. A leader who can help address our social ills, tackle crime but not turn us into a police state, with mandatory sentences, harsh draconian laws. Someone who can address these issues is the one who will get the votes. This someone needs to be completely disconnected from the status quo, total outside the box thinking. Think Liberals...Think.


Diane M.
said

Really a good thing.The Liberals don't need another leader from the Chretien years.


Allan Eizinas
said

The last time it was a stand off because Iggy was carrying two suitcases;

1. Pro Iraq war stance
2. Inexperience in politics

He has stated that his stand on Iraq was wrong and his eloquent participation in the front row of question period has satisfied the experience question.

Iggy by a quarter furlong once the dust settles.


Richard L. Provencher
said

I have always had great respect for Mr. John Manley and wish him well in his present career. The Liberals are really having a difficult time convincing anyone of high profile to take on the job. It goes to show you they always felt they were the natural ruling party in Canada, without having to earn the trust of Canadians. Now they are discovering Canadians have had enough with the years under Mr. Martin and Mr. Chretien. After taking a hard look at Mr. Harper they have given him and his party a chance to see what they can do. And they are doing very well in running this country.


Linda in Vancouver
said

To bad.This is a man of enormous talents,with a great deal of experience in areas in which the Liberals are extremely weak.I could easily consider moving to the Liberals if they had a leader like this.A bit short on charisma,but,I don't vote for personalities.I vote for character and ability.
I am left wondering if the rules and the costs were stacked against him,or any other Liberal not sitting in parliament.I truly think the Liberal leadership will be just another orchestrated publicity campaign,with a virtual coronation as the climax.
To bad.Canadians really need two "viable" options in every election.And I think Mr.Manley is among the very few people I could get excited about as a leader in any party.


Lee in Calgary
said

As a conservative my two biggest fears are now gone.

It would seem the LPC need to talk to some hockey greats and get a sense of how to build a winning team. Do you go the slow way and build through the draft with youth or do you go the quicker but unreliable way of trying to buy a championship with free agents.

Time will tell as the next leader will face many challenges related to brand image, debt and the ability to attract donations during an economic downturn, the inability to truly oppose the government in Parliment for fear of actually triggering an early election and regaining the trust of the average Canadian voter.

It would seem clear that only a new, energenic and untainted leader would have the talent to match these long term challenges or perhaps a caretaker leader with different skills is required to get to a place whereby a younger guy is ready to take the helm.

Only the Liberal party members know which way to go but while they soul search the Conservative Party must also ensure they remain relevent and continue to look for a way to allow Canadians to trust them with a majority government. The idea of a secret agenda must be put to rest and only the PM can accomplish this.


Matt
said

Again the top notch candidates aren't running for the leadership.

That's why it is in trouble. They lack vision, and leadership, which causes them to fall short in money, seats and influence.

They need someone to rebuild the party now more than ever. I seriously doubt the Liberals can survive the next few years in their current state.


staying Liberal
said

Listen to many of you saying, if Manley would have been leader (or McKenna), I would have voted Liberal in the next election. What a bunch you all are. Let Harper govern during this downspin of an economy and you will be crawling back to the Liberals in the next election. I am dissapointed too, but do you blame either man for opting out, after the abuse Harper engaged in, in the last election. Sadly many of you played along.


Dave Quinn - Ottawa South
said

McKenna, Manley now out of the race. These guys have the smarts to know when NOT to run. That won't happen for David McGuinty who has delusions of grandeur. Rae and Iggy still in the race trying to make good on a lifetime of bets like only 'roomies' can do.

This should be fun.




Peter in Calgary
said

I am a generally conservative but I think that if Manely were to have run, I would have voted for him, just because I think he is a sagacious and true statesman with Canada's best interests at heart. I could never, not for a minute, imagine myself voting for Ignatieff, let alone Rae!


phauser
said

As a Conservative supporter I wil try to keep this above the classless partisan comments of others.

It is too bad Manley isn't running. This is a man who is in touch with average Canadians.

He versus Harper would have provided a contrast of differing but integrity based alternatives with a legitimate shot at governing with the respect of the other in opposition.

The closest thing to a grass roots candidate it appears is Dominic LeBlanc and this is someone deeply entrenched as a second generation Liberal.

It's up to Ignatieff and Rae now. It will be interesting to see which candidate who many liberals did not want last time will be anointed now that the chosen leader has failed.

The professor and the socialist those are two people who really can't relate to Canadians but will both get great news coverage by the MSM.


Jay Kay
said

Ottawa Reader, I'm with you.
The Liberal Party is an abysmal wreck, and with the same candidates yet again running for leader of the party the Liberals will self-implode.

I say dismantle what dying reminants are left of the party and start over. Get some new faces in there that will intrigue, excite and galvanize a disheartened liberal electorate.




raj
said

Not a surprise at all.Rae and Iggyy are the only ones that want the job, but most libbies dont want them!


Ted
said

Trudeau and the other opportunists will let someone else do the dirty, thankless job of turning the party around. They they will all be clambering for the job. Anyone taking the job is either a masochist, or a truly dedicated person dedicated to the betterment of the country. My hat is off to the ones running for the post now.


G Foggo
said

It is unfortunate that John is not running. The two people that are running are not folks I could possibly consider as people that I would want running my country. John Manly or Frank would be the people that I could have confidance in. I am in my early 70's and have seen a lot of unqualified people trying to do the job. Doesn't work. This is one of the few highly paid jobs that requires no experience and no training. Quite a bummer


Neutral Logic
said

To staying Liberal: It's called the "swing voter". Those who look at the leaders and decide which would be better. Many people say they would vote for Manley, because he is respected and closer to the centre. That's why Harper is PM. People may not like him, but they respect him. As for "crawling back to the Liberal Party". I think not. At this point in history, it is the Liberal Party of Canada on it's knees. Begging and pleading for the citizens to give them another chance. Instead they should be showing Canadians that they can be credible as a party again.


steve
said

This is NOT a disappointment! Manley is chair of the Independent Task Force on the Future of North America, a project of the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations. The Task Force released a report that advocated a North American union, an economic union between Canada, Mexico and the United States which would resemble the European Union. This would be the end of Canada!


Ryan P.
said

Well my vote stays Conservative next election. The Liberal Party of Canada should merge with the NDP they are quite frankly useless.


Too easy maybe.
said

After all, Harper couldn't win a majority when he was running against Dion.

Harper will probably resign before the next election.

Canadians will never trust Reform/Alliance with a majority government.





Drew in NS
said

I am a true Conservative at heart, but I have the upmost respect for Mr. Manely and his efforts over the past 20 years of service to this country.

I think he would have been an outstanding and quarantee to be the most qualified leader for the Liberals.

I think his efforts as head on the Panel on Afghanistan were completly successful, he presented an excellent unbiased report to the goverment on which a majority of the house could support.

A true professional as he was.

Myself as a Conservative am once again disappointed the Liberals will once again be completly sucessful in electing a leader that wants to divide the country and lead by the polls.


fitzz
said

This is sad news indeed. Perhaps nobody wants the job except Tweedle-Dumb and Tweedle-Dumber, Each is yesterday's man and not worthy of the mantle of political leadership, especially the discredited former Ontario premier.

Will a candidate or two of character and quality please step forward? Perhaps asking for one from other than the Province of Quebec would not be out of order for a change.


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