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Home : Top Stories : Kennedy supporters now backing Ignatieff

Kennedy supporters now backing Ignatieff

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CTV.ca News Staff

Date: Sun. Nov. 16 2008 8:23 PM ET

CTV News has learned that four key Liberals who had supported former Ontario education minister Gerard Kennedy during the last Liberal leadership race are now backing Michael Ignatieff.

Kennedy himself is remaining neutral. But MPs Navdeep Bains, Mark Holland and Mario Silva -- and former MP Omar Alghabra -- are now supporting Ignatieff, according to party insiders.

In the last leadership convention, Bains had influence over about 250 delegates, who backed Kennedy.

Sources told CTV News the four Liberals met with Ignatieff on Saturday.

Liberal leadership contender Bob Rae did not directly address the CTV News report on Question Period Sunday, but said that talk of a frontrunner at this stage of the race is premature.

"There is tons of time here to bring in new people to the party, to bring in new delegates," he said.

Rae also said the convention will be decided by the party members and not by "a few" MPs, senators, or pundits."

With files from CTV's Roger Smith

Comments are now closed for this story

Jim McB
said

If it is all about leadership, the Liberals are doomed. The two front runners were outperformed in the last "leadership race by the guy they want to replace. LeBlanc does not have a chance because he is not from Quebec or Ontario, the party record of leaders attests to that.

Without new blood, the Liberals will become a very "green" party: they even recycle their leadership hopefuls!

David in Toronto
said

and let the infighting begin!


Mario Novati
said

I am a Liberal member and I really hope that, the Liberal will vote for the "new generation" with new ideas, and that means Leblanc. Leblanc is perfect bilingual, very experimced, very Liberal ideas, young and a good figher. Please vote for this man. Stop the "old" inside fighting between one and another.

MF
said

I can't imagine how either one of these would be of any help to Canada. One put Ontario in a mess we're still trying to dig our way out of and the other knows nothing about Canada as he choose not to live here. How arrogant can you get.

Liberal for ever
said

It seems that Mr Rae is feeling the heat with the growing support of Mr Ignatieff. The public has the right to see it all, but sometimes desperate times calls for desperate measures. The Liberal Party can use some privacy to re-establish itself after the Tsunami that took place during the last election.

Peter I. Katzenstein
said

None of these liberal leader contendenders are any good to be leaders. They are all hopeless guys

Peter I. Katzenstein
said

None of these liberal leader contendenders are any good to be leaders. They are all hopeless guys

Bill Lewis
said

If Rae, a former failed Premier and Iggy, essentially an American is the best the LPC can come up with, they are worse off than I thought.

Good grief!

George
said

Iggy should be careful what he wishes for. He should go back to Harvard and enjoy the life of a respected professor.

PrairieDog
said

Iggy wants to have closed door debates. Ya, that's a great pick for a leader. That way the delegates voting for their leader won't have to worry themselves with knowing what the candidate stands for. Sheesh. Same old Liberals. If Liberals were smart they'd boot Iggy and Rae to the curb, and vote in Leblanc. That is the only way the Liberal Party will renew itself. Seeing Rae attack Iggy today was proof that the infighting will never end without a HUGE change. All about the power...not direction.... for these guys.

Personally, I'm happy to see that the Conservatives will be in power for years to come.

Gord
said

Oh Great! A Carpetbagger who chose to live in the U.S. most of his adult life returns to his country of birth, becomes a professional politician since he is without a business or profession, parachutes into an ethnic riding in Toronto where he does not reside and and now wants to be PM, no less.
Has the once mighty federal liberal party that gave us such good post war government come to this?

Norm
said

I have to admit that I find the Liberal views on Americanism to be somewhat confusing. Hate Harper because he is too friendly with Americans, but have a man who lived and taught in the US for years and wanted us to join the US in Iraq, lead their party.

Only the Liberals could come up with this and try to make sense of it all. I guess in a world filled with daily bad news, we, as a nation need a comedy show to watch and laugh at.

LBE
said

Same old stupidity. Why must this come down to a vote where you have to decide between which of the candidates you dislike the least? Didn't the Liberals learn anything from the election? Canada hated Harper, but Canada had no real choice. Now, the Liberals want to do the same again? We already made it clear that we don't like Iggy. Why torture us like this? Please find a better candidate for the sake of all of Canada!

Don
said

"I don't make the rules. The party makes the rules. I show up and do what the party tells me to do."

Well Iggy, sometime rules are made to be changed if there is an alternative that is better for the party and the people.

Rae showed true leadership with this.

Paul R. Martin, Brampton
said

I thought we lived in a democracy. How can Bains "control" 250 votes?

Kelsey
said

If either Ignatief or Rae get elected leader we will once again find ourselves at the poll without a single leader in any of the political parties. Canadians deserve far better from the existing political parties and if they continue to be unable to delivere a credible leader, then it is time to begin supporting some new parties.

Cale
said

Given that Mr. Kennedy gave us Stefan Dion, it's absolutely no loss to the LPC that he and the others support Iggy. Actually the other two parties should call it a bonus for them!

Dominic LeBlanc is looking better and better every time I hear him.

Ashley from BC
said

I'm not sure where people are getting the idea that Ignatieff wants to have a debate behind closed doors - that is a party decision, not his personally or one that is left to the three candidates. As for this 'out with the old and in with the new' theme - Let's try and not get caught up in assuming Leblanc is the Obama of Canada simply because of a few limited similarities. Let's choose a leader who can show the world that Canada will stand up to what needs to be done and one who will hold the government accountable to every single one of its actions. That - can only be Michale Ignatieff. Doubt his oratory skills? Check out his speeches and performance record - he's on track and it'd be very sad for Canada and the Liberal party if we let a little ageism cloud our judgment. The man has a wealth of wisdom to offer, and we have seen only just a bit of what he can do with it.


Reece
said

I think the descerning people of Canada still remember the prosperity the Liberals reintroduced into Canada after the Mulroney-saga. 10 years of surpluses and bringing down the huge debt not to mention the secure banking regulations that averted a major disaster for Canada - all to the credit of Chretien.

I know we are sick of elections but I think most of us were waiting for a viable leader on the liberal ticket and we've found one. Let's end the minority rule - let's bring back prosperity. Besides, we have a liberal Obama that'll share the same ideals of a liberal Canada. Harper does not understand the philosophy of Obama and it is why he threatened via his minions that he will curb oil supplies to Canada. Is that what we want? A gov't that threatens the United States desire to help it's people out of suffering? For a country of our size we throw threats at the face of a newly elected gov't of the USA? Seems shockingly naive.


Ryan P.
said

Can we get some real news-this is going to be the most boring leadership contest in Canadian history. Wow, Gerard Kennedy the all-star that brought Canadians the Stephane Dion side-show....I'm sure he's still regarded in high esteem by his Liberal buddies.


Prof. Pye Chartt
said

I trust this Liberal "forum debate" will be held in a venue big enough to accommodate the huge heads (egos) of Rae and Ignatieff.

The Liberal Party of Canada needs to do itself a favour and lock these two wheezers in a sound-proof vault somewhere up North...until they've chosen SOMEBODY with some political credibility.

Clearly, Rae & Ignatieff are just continuing a prideful academic rivalry from yesteryear. (Spare me the notion that these two were actually close pals when they were varsity roommates.) It's time they stroll into the sunset, for the sake of a broken and busted party.

As a conservative, however, I quietly hope that Rae triumphs. He'll get toasted by Harper faster than a slice of bargain white bread.


Ed Ontario
said

After Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard, is that the best that Mr Ignatieff can come up with on the occasion of his leadership announcement? We have the three-year-old slogan about the Tories hidden agenda, and the big issue of closing the income-trust tax loophole. Ho-Hum. Then there's the other academic genius in the field, Mr. Rae, with his answer for a government deficit; everybody work one day a week without pay and call it a Rae day. Mr LeBlanc had better split the field, and come up with some fresh ideas, or the Liberals will wander in the Canadian political wilderness for a long time.

J. Smith
said

The Liberal Party of Toronto in its wisdom will elect a leader from Toronto in an attempt to win over Canadians. Won't work. Liberals despised in the west and despised in rural Canada. Toronto has nothing in common with the rest of Canada. Love criminal gansters, hate law abiding gun owners.

Don
said

Ashley from BC: If Ignatieff had agreed, along with Leblanc and Rae, to allow media, it would have been open. That is why people blame him - rightfully.

vince in trenton
said

The Liberals are a fickle bunch aren't they...run HARPER into the ground because he has a hidden agenda, but want to debate behind closed doors. Say HARPER is too close to the americans but want to give one a chance to be the leader of their party. Cut up his economic policies but give someone who ruined ONTARIO for my kids to clean up...The liberals are a great asset for MR HARPER and the PC to have as competition and will soon give MR HARPER his majority...

Hot Issues
said

I agree with a lot of the comments made here already. With either Rae or Ignatieff, we will move no steps forward because they are still both from the "old boy" school. We need new blood - someone that has a vision and can move forward with new ideas. Someone who can be open and transparent and accepts suggestions from everyone - not from just a few! While I know Justin Trudeau did not put his name forward however I believe he or someone like him can be a good potential leader, with the right people to support and mentor him. Stop wasting our money and time with the same old!

K.Spitz
said

I sincerely hope that Rae gets to become leader of the Liberals, then at the next election Harper gets a majority for sure.

Reece
said

@ Prof. Pye Chartt

"As a conservative, however, I quietly hope that Rae triumphs. He'll get toasted by Harper faster than a slice of bargain white bread."

Stephane Dion himself broke the back of any aspiration Mr Harper had at forming a majority gov't. Perhaps it's not the Liberals who are scuttling any hope the conservatives have at a majority gov't? Let's talk about the food groups...you mention white bread but I would give you the analogy that Harper is as exciting & innovatve as rice bread.

It is an election for Liberals to lose if they should choose to. Meanwhile Canadians are happy either way - for now - a forever miniority conservative gov't or a liberal majority. The next election will bring out the liberals.


JD from Surrey, BC
said

Isnt it now abundantly clear from the behaviour in this past Federal election that change is the only thing that will save the Liberal Party and save this country as a democracy. Part of the current mess is that Harper believes he is above all that; muzzles the media; muzzles the cabinet. If you live in BC, you have already seen at least 4 years of that.

How can you offer yourself up as a leader if you are not prepared to stand up for your principles in public; and worse can't debate publicly with your membership.

Adam
said

So what happens to this guy when they lose the next election in a year from now.... An average quebecor is not going to support Rae, and no one outside the liberal party can actually pronounce iganfellows's last name. But they can for Harper, makes me cry I miss Chretien :(

d from Victoria
said

Liberal leaders are chosen based on province: Quebec then Ontario (the only two which qualify). So, Dion was from Quebec, and now it's Ontario's turn. By the way, how many Quebec liberals have stepped up? NONE. They know the routine. How many will step up from the West? None. Mr. Leblanc is probably the best for the job but he needs to move to Ontario before the convention. Also, is arrogance a requirement for the new leader? Seems so with Rae and Iggy.

Jay Thordarson
said

I seriously think that the Liberals have no chance with Ignatieff. He simply another version of Dion and will do absolutely nothing for the Liberal party of Canada.

Toasted Western
said

Didn't Kennedy supporters back Dion too.


rob in oilberta
said

Wow, some of these comments are really hurtful.

OK, I'm not a Liberal supported, but, I do consider myself a person who believes strongly in fairness and the right to be heard.

First, so what if the Liberals want to have a "family" meeting to lick their wounds from the last election without all of us peering into the glass bowl, that is their right as a party.

As for the leadership candidates, my question would be...why is their a candidate who was/is an NDP member. Obviously he does not share the philosophy of the Liberal party and would lead them even further to the left in their political philosophy (Mr Rae). Is this really what the Liberal party members want? I guess we will get the answer to that question when they vote for the next leader.

As stated, although I am not a Liberal nor do I support the party I do support our democratic process and I do believe they have the right and the responsibility to their parth members to sometimes hold meetings without the rest of us.

I wish them well in this difficult process of recoverying from the last election defeat and choosing a new leader.

Good Luck to you.


Catherine
said

If anyone recalls what Rae did to Ontario you wouldn't let him near the leadership. Don't trust Iggy either - he spent over 30 yrs in the US & where was his loyalty then.
Given the mess the liberals are in & would be inclined to give LeBlanc a kick at the can - the liberals need new & younger blood in the leadership.


tap
said

And you wonder why people don't vote Liberal! I, for one, am sick of the same old same old from this tired old party. The very first time I got to vote, the fine folks were tired of Trudeau and gave Joe Clark a minority government, which was toppled almost immediately. Sadly, Trudeau then went on to win again. The folks in Toronto will never learn.


JS
said

The Conservatives raised more than $14 million for the last election, the Liberals, a little over $3 million. The Conservatives are debt free, the Liberals are on the verge of bankrupcy. The Conservatives are ready financially now for the next election. None of the Liberal clowns running for leadership will come close to generating any kind of financial support for the party. Both Rae and Ignatieff carry too much baggage with them.The Conservative attak adds will start the day after the convetion.The Liberal Party is like the Titanic hitting the iceberg and Capt. Smith saying, "Full steam ahead." Can't wait for the Liberal Party to finally sink.


Prof. Pye Chartt
said

@ "Reece":

Thanks for your responding comment.

Your attempt to turn Dion's pathetic losing performance (which followed endless months of political trash-talking on his part) into some sort of victory is both amusing and admirable.

Given Canada's global economic standing, PM Harper has never looked better. He's the guy G20 leaders have been interested in talking to this week. (Following the news?)

By quoting my remark specifically about Liberal leadership candidate Bob Rae, I hope you're not suggesting that the man has a chance; as that would put you amongst only a small handful of Canadian left-wing coconuts who do.

Anyway, if your (Liberal) party stays on its current broken track, and PM Harper maintains his internationally respected position(s) on domestic and foreign political/economic matters, the Conservatives will have a majority dropped in their lap.


david
said

I agree that Mr. Leblanc would present a new generation to the dinosaur duo of Iggy and Rae. They are too much stuck in the 60's and are not leaders.
If they cannot even hold a decent convention how can we seriously consider them for a government.

patrick o'rourke
said

Ignatieff is a slow talker.thus boring.not good for 10 sec. news bites on the news.Rae is a much better speaker and a more worthy opponent for Harper.
Ingnatieff is an english speaking Stephane Dion.



Nancy - Ignatiff support scares me, yikes
said

The type of support Ignatiff is getting scares me, yikes!


Tyler -Time for 12 to walk to a Majority
said

It is clearly time for 12 Liberal MP's to cross the floor and give us a stable government.


Jack
said

The party of Toront is doomed time to merge with the NDP


HDinTO
said

It's not like I would trust the Kennedy supporters for making good, smart, sound decisions. They backed Dion the last time!! May we be spared having to deal with Iggy as a leader...please!


Gordon in sarnia
said

The Liberals are the General Motors of Canadian politics.


Richard L. Provencher
said

I thought Mr. Kennedy represented the new image of the Liberals. Now his key supporters want to back Iggy? Very confusing, since it appears they want the same old same old.

Re one MP controlling? 250 delebates? Sounds like power politics from the big boys. No wonder a good person like Ms. Findlay didn't wish to contest the leadership.

Sure glad I voted Conservative.


Matt L
said

First off, I'd like to make clear that I live in BC and not a Liberal Party member. However,I feel compelled to make a couple points. Firstly, I must take issue with J. Smith's comments. Even if you're right and the Liberals are despised in the west and rural Canada, does this hurt their electoral viability? The last time I checked the House is based on rep by pop; your argument is invalid. This is evidenced by Liberal victories in 1993,1997,2000 and 2004 without overwhelming support from either of these regions you speak of.

As for Michael Ignatieff, so he lived in the US and Britain for a significant period - is this really all you right-wingers got? That criticism is not going to scare off the Canadian electorate. Nor is the fact that he is an academic.
I think you need to do better than that.

As for Prof. Pye Chartt, I agree. Bob Rae is clearly bad news for the Liberals and there is no possible way he'll win the leadership. But I think you are missing Reece's point, which is a valid one. Stephen Harper and the Conservatives had an opportunity to seize: the weakest Liberal leader in modern history, a continued sense of public distrust towards the Liberals, and an unstable economy. In the end however, they failed to capture a majority and I do not think they will ever face such favourable conditions. The only way they will get a majority is if they move to the centre.


Michael (Ottawa)
said

For all the hoopla the media is giving the LPC leadership race it really is a dead issue for voters who are fed up with politics in Canada, fed up with elections, fed up with political deceit and corruption and fed up with being treated as though we are just ponds to be manipulated by self serving players in the game of power politics.

There is NO ONE I see on the political horizon who I feel REALLY loves Canada more than their own political butt and as such they will get the same attention they deserve from me which isn't much.




gar
said

Kennedy is once again being the phony he is,throwing support to Ignatief thinking if he is ever PM it will buy him a big portfolio. This guy will do anything to keep himself in the spotlight. He must be related to Layton


strady7
said

I grew up a Liberal and have been so for about 43 years but I sure as hell will not vote for Iggy or Bob as I see the Liberals taking an even worse drubbing from the Conservatives at their hands,surely they can come up with someone better than these two clowns. The party needs to get it's head out of the sand and find someone who can instill a sense of pride and honour again and then maybe they will have a chance to win again,I hope for the best, a staunch Liberal .


Tom More
said

Being endorsed by Kennedy, who gave us Dion, could be the kiss of death for Ignatieff. And both these men have previously lost out to Dion. What chance do they have against Harper? A fresh face is badly needed.


Keith, Halifax
said

If Ignatief or any other centrist gets chosen as leader of the Liberal Party, my run of voting for them will come to and end.


JFJ
said

We know when in government Liberals are proficient at picking taxpayer pockets, but given the near bankruptcy of the party, panhandling would be an essential skill for the new leader.


BD
said

Enough already - get over it - the "Rae Days" are long gone and presumably Mr Rae has learned from his past mistakes. Since most of the (not so)civil service survived with their job(and subsequent pension)intact, perhaps they should re-think their animosity to Mr Rae.

Mr Ignatieff has demonstrated nothing to me except a preference for living most of his life outside Canada.

It is 2008 and we should be evaluating experience for the challenges ahead instead of venting recycled anger from the 1980s.


Conservative Party has money because it is owned
said

by big business.

If anyone recalls what Harper talked about doing to Canada when he was Reform, you wouldn't let him near the leadership.




Alex (Toronto)
said

Michael Ignatieff has acquitted himself well as deputy leader of the opposition. He'll do a good job as leader and as prime minister.

People who hate the Liberals will always hate the Liberals, so their opinions can be taken with a grain of salt. One can take note that Stephen Harper is less popular than John McCain was in the United States. Many voters recall the prosperity Canada had under the Liberals. Harper couldn't win a majority government against a leader with an unpopular plan and a problem speaking English, he won't do better against a stronger opponent with a better plan.


Gregory
said

Wow, the ethnic groups are going to support Iggy. Whatever... it is not like anyone is interested. The Libs are changing one professor, a French citizen, to another professor, an American citisen. This doesn't excite the public at all.


Lewis from Victoria
said

Surely we Liberals can come up with better candidates than Ignatief or Rae, both have either very poor credentials or way too much bagggage.
EG- Living outside of the country for nearly all of the past 30 years does not make one qualified as a leader in the country that he has been absent from.
-Our last 'academic' leader was a huge failure, we do not need another one.
-A former socialist premier who nearly broke our most populous province with his horrendous "spending our way out of a recession" experiment.
If these two are the best that we can find, we are indeed in desparate straights.
-Neither has any business experience.
-One hasn't any experience in public office and the other who does, his experience was a total disaster.


Scott
said

Liberals in fighting WOO HOO

Ignatieff just another guy that will get crushed by Harper


bob
said

I think Mr. LeBlanc is the best choice for a clean start. He is young and has a long Liberal history. The other two are outsiders from the old boy’s network that represent the old views with tainted histories. They are yesterday’s men. Mr. LeBlanc is the logical choice..


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