By arthur Weinreb, associate Editor,
Tuesday, august 8, 2006
Liberal leadership hopeful Michael Ignatieff recently returned to Canada after a two-and-a-half week European vacation where he was visiting his mother-in-law who, depending upon who you listen to, was ill or in good health. By taking his European jaunt, Ignatieff has shown that there is very little likelihood that he will ever become the leader of the Liberal Party or more importantly, the prime minister-in-waiting.
The current Liberal leadership race is a long one although nothing like the decades long race that saw Paul Martin (hey, whatever happened to him?) succeed Jean Chrtien. and there is nothing wrong with candidates taking some time off from what will no doubt build up to be a grueling campaign. What was troubling about Ignatieff's vacation is that he took it outside of Canada, a country as the Star's Linda Diebel pointed out, he has hardly been present in during the last 30 years. Michael Ignatieff bore a closer resemblance to one of those "citizens of convenience" that were talked about so much in the early days of the current fighting in the Middle East than he did a potential prime minister.
Now nothing much usually happens during the lazy, hazy days of summer, but it's no doubt hard to convince people who live in Tyre or Kyriat Shmona of that fact. During the buildup of the war in the Middle East, unlike most of his fellow candidates, Ignatieff was unavailable for comment. When he returned he came back with the usual "immediate ceasefire and bring in international troops" line but, as rival Scott Brison said, leaders have to give "real responses in real time". Brison also accused Ignatieff of "dillydallying" and as someone who left the Conservative Party and crossed the floor to sit in the cabinet of the greatest dillydallier and ditherer of them all, Scott knows what he's talking about.
Other politicians, especially those with experience might have the ability to pull off being out of the country so much but Michael Ignatieff doesn't. Let's face it; the guy is no "Disco Dick" Hatfield. The media once did a count and determined that in one year, the late premier of New Brunswick, Richard Hatfield, spent more time out of the province than in it, mainly frequenting discos in New York and London. When confronted with this fact, Hatfield told them that he was elected to run the province of New Brunswick – no one ever told him that he had to live there. It seems beyond the realm of possibility for Ignatieff to relate to Canadians in the same way Dick Hatfield did.
Ignatieff's absence from the country at a crucial time shows an arrogance towards Canadians. While arrogance is a job requirement for the leader of the Liberal Party, his absence from Canada in itself would be no big deal if Ignatieff spouted the party line on foreign affairs; the one that says there is no difference between right and wrong; between terrorist groups and sovereign nations; only "neutrality" where Canada can be the "honest broker" whatever that trendy phrase means. Ignatieff has jumped off interim leader Bill Graham's infamous fence if indeed he was ever on it and has taken positions on the Iraq War and on torture that are simply un-Liberal (or as the Liberals would say, un-Canadian). This makes disappearance from the country much more problematic than it otherwise would have been.
although anything can happen between now and next December when the vote will be held, Michael Ignatieff is far from the natural successor that he was when he returned to Canada to seek a seat in Parliament.
It seems that the heir apparent to Pierre Trudeau is turning into the heir apparent to Paul Martin. and the Liberals won't make that mistake twice; at least for awhile.
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