Huron Expositor, 2006-12-13, Page 26\=i
Page 26 December 13, 2006 • The Huron Expositor
News
Steckle a Dion supporter from the
Gerard Creces
The Liberal Party of Canada elect-
ed a new leader last weekend - for-
mer Environment Minister
Stephane Dion.
In an election that prompted four
ballots, Dion managed to edge out
his closest competitors, former
Ontario Premier Bob Rae and
Michael Ignatieff, the front-runner
of the leadership race.
Dion was a solid third place. for
the first and second ballots, but. in
the third race gained the support ,of
many party members whose first
A+�
choices were eliminated, ousting
Rae and pulling ahead of Ignatieff
in time for the final ballot.
Liberal MP for Huron -Bruce, Paul
Steckle, said he was a Dion support-
er from the start of the race.
"I didn't switch horses, I've been
with him since last August." he
said. "I was in Dion's box where he
had his closest supporters."
Steckle said the end result wasn't
exactly what he had expected, due
to the fact that Ignatieff and Rae
had some big names behind their
campaigns.
"I saw this going in. There was a
polarization around certain candi-
dates," he said, adding Ignatieff's
campaign was boosted with the sup-
port of "the elite of the party" and
"the old brass."
"On our side, we had about a
dozen members of Parliament but I
think Ignatiefl' had 30 or so."
He said Dion had an unseen
upper hand because he had a better
grassroots connection helping him
get the second and third votes from
ousted candidates' supporters.
"I think it was tight," he said. "It
could have went to a fifth ballot in
this case but Gerard Kennedy
pulled out after the second ballot.
About 90 per cent of his delegates
came over to our side."
The last time there was such a
tight race for the head of the Liberal
party was in 1968, when a relatively
unknown Pierre Trudeau emerged
as leader.
"I was there, too," said Steckle.
Dion, an outspoken federalist,
may face a challenge within the
province of Quebec. The govern-
ment's recent recognition of the
Quebecois as a nation is contradic-
tory to the ideal of federalism, as it
promotes empowerment of one
group but not others.
See SPRING, Page 27
1
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