If she's been managing a bar then becoming an MP means that she'll be making a lot more money for a lot less responsibility.
Fortune has nothing to do with it. Rob Anders - the pride of Calgary West - is being aggresively protected from any nomination challenge by the Conservative Party. It's not luck, it's planning.
Which explains the continued success of Rob Anders, right?
"...those nominations tend to be hard fought..." except when they are not. As is the case with Calgary West were nomination meetings are not even permitted.
I don`t believe the Conservatives are centrist in either practice or theory. They managed to emulate a centrist party while angling for their majority but they continued to pursue their more idealogical aims by stealth the entire time. I expect they will continue along the same path. A lot of the Conservative voters I know are expecting - with grim anticipation - that Harper will very quickly rip off his sheep`s costume and start raping and pillaging their favourite targets. They`ve been waiting for years and they feel it`s their due.
I`m pretty cynical about the role of the standard MP. You could replace the lot of them with 40kg sacks of flour for all the difference they make in the governance of the country. I`m not happy with that state of affairs but the population as a whole has just confirmed that they are fine with it. Apparently we don`t elect a Representative any more, we just chose a token who gets money and perks in place of any real responsibility. It`s a decent trade off for them, a pretty raw deal for us.
I don`t think you can rebuild under a failed leader. I respect Ignatieff for what he tried to do, and for the way he handled his defeat, but you have to replace a leader who failed as dramatically as he did.
You make good points but I think the fact that the Liberals will be doing all this housekeeping as the third party will - in a small consolation sort of way - give them a little more time and space to do it. The media will be focused on the trials and tribulations of Jack! and his Cub Pack as they make their inevitable fumbles. I think the next election in 2015 could see the Liberals come back as a strong opposition party or even as government. I expect, over the next four years, the Cons will fail dramatically and the NDP will fail as well, although less dramatically.
I'm no expert but it's my understanding that constituency work is a pretty non-partisan affair conducted mostly with punlic service bureaucrats. I expect most jobless staffers will find new positions if they want them. The new MPs need experienced people and experienced people will be looking for work.
All they are doing is announcing an intention to have a leadership contest. An interim leader will be appointed and an actual contest will be conducted over the next six-eight months. I just hope they don't appoint Ralph Goodale as interim leader. Rae would be good but I expect he will be putting forward his name for the leadership and obviously couldn't serve as interim leader. Too bad Dryden was defeated he would have been a good choice. Perhaps Irwin Cotler would be willing to serve? He's a respected, experienced guy along the line of Herb Grey, a previous interim leader.
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