It’s official: Dion’s out.
After an embarrassing defeat which saw Liberal support decreased to a historic low, it was quite clear that a leadership race would begin the next day. Dion has merely delayed the inevitable, remaining in power until the Liberal convention next spring.
Announcing his resignation at a press conference on Monday, Dion apologized for the election results by declaring, “I fully accept my share of responsibility.” While he contributed to the party’s defeat, we cannot blame him exclusively.
Let’s go back to 2006, when Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae went head-to-head as Dion placed third on the second ballot. As they had agreed in a backdoor pact beforehand, Gerard Kennedy, with fewer votes, withdrew and voiced his support for Dion. The underdog came out on top and won the next two rounds, making him leader.
Some blame Kennedy for Dion’s rise, but the Liberals didn’t have to support him. Many say that no one was right for the leadership, Rae being too left-wing and Ignatieff not well-liked. There was no Martin, Chrétien, or Trudeau among the candidates. It seemed as though no strong, popular leader could sweep in to save the Liberals. Dion took on the load because no one else would.
But Dion is different from most politicians. He’s an honest, intelligent, kind but geeky professor, with a honourable interest in working for Canadians. Dion has integrity—he’s the kind of person you would want to represent your country. But he is not an effective politician. Looking over his policies and politics, it seems significant that Dion’s biography is titled Against the Current.
As a Member of Parliament, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister, and eventually Environment Minister, Dion worked hard for his country—he even wrote his own speeches. And unlike Harper staff in 2003, he would never plagiarize the Australian prime minister.
Tasked with dealing with the Quebec sovereignty movement, Dion managed to hold the country together. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to do the same for his party. Unable to connect with his MPs, Dion sometimes refused to compromise. He looked for new ways of doing things and moved around seats in the House of Commons, which upset many party members.
In addition to upsetting his fellow Liberals, Dion couldn’t communicate. The party leader struggles with English, which made it difficult for him to express his party’s platform to most Anglophones. He was neither charismatic nor articulate.
Worst of all, Dion couldn’t communicate his big plan. The Green Shift was lauded by many experts as exactly what Canada needs to save its environment and global reputation, but Dion wasn’t able to sell it. A difficult plan to explain—particularly one that includes taxation—is easily criticized, twisted, or simply misunderstood. Many party insiders had warned Dion of the risk, but he persisted. Conservative attacks plunged Liberal support levels. The Green Shift, and not Harper’s performance over the past two years, decided the election.
Dion couldn’t project himself as a leader. He scared away other parties, preventing coalitions from forming and allowing Harper’s bullying tactics to ensnare swing voters. This is why Canadians are stuck with a Prime Minister they don’t want.
The Conservatives’ attack ads played a huge role in the Liberal party’s downfall. The Tories started planning attack strategies as soon as they won the 2006 election, customizing their propaganda to the top Liberal leadership contenders: Ignatieff, Rae, Kennedy, and Dion. Consider a Dion speech from June, all the more pertinent now that the damage has been done: “We Liberals will fight fear with hope. We will fight lies with facts. And we will fight Republican-style attack ads with Canadian-style courage.”
Dion’s win was a surprise, and it helped the Conservative war machine to kick into high gear long before this election. No politician could have weathered those attack ads—nor could they have contended with the Tories’ budget. Dion is a brilliant policymaker, but he’s not fit to lead his party. His demise was caused by a host of factors: his genuine character, his uncompromising nature, issues of communication, and the resources at his opponents’ disposal.
But all hope is not lost. Many ridings were won by less than 100 votes on the Conservative side. This party has survived a major scandal, a weak leader, and a funding deficit. At present, Dion needs to keep Harper on task. The party will need more than a new face, but the current financial crisis should give the Liberals room to reorganize, heal intra-party conflicts, improve their communication abilities, fundraise, and refocus.
