2004 Liberal Party of Canada infighting
Encyclopedia
The period between Paul Martin
's assumption of the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada
on November 14, 2003, and the 2004 federal election
being called on May 23, 2004, saw a considerable amount of infighting within the party. The divisions in the Liberal Party, the party's embroilment in the Sponsorship Scandal
, and a united Conservative
opposition, all combined to end 13 continuous years of Liberal rule.
. In 1975, John Turner
unexpectedly resigned as Minister of Finance.
Internal unrest began after John Turner
was elected leader, defeating Trudeau
-loyalist Jean Chrétien
. Trudeau had resigned due to slipping approval ratings, which showed his party headed for certain defeat against newly elected Progressive Conservative leader Brian Mulroney
.
Turner then immediately led the Liberals into a disastrous election
, finishing with 40 seats, only ten more than the New Democratic Party
. For his part, Turner initially did not give any Trudeau loyalists important campaign positions until near the end of the campaign when it was too late. Some suggested that the Liberals would follow their British namesake
into oblivion, as NDP leader Ed Broadbent
consistently out-polled Turner in personal approval ratings.
Consequently, Turner's leadership was frequently questioned, and in the lead up to the 1986 Liberal convention, a vote of confidence loomed large. Chrétien, supposedly still bitter over his loss at the 1984 convention, resigned his seat. The ongoing and often open unpopularity of Turner within his own party led to many editorial cartoonists to draw him with a back stabbed full of knives. Keith Davey
and other Liberals began a public campaign against Turner, coinciding with backroom struggles involving Chrétien's supporters. However, the public conflict influenced many Liberals to support Turner, and he ended up getting 75% of the delegate vote.
Further infighting dogged the party during the 1988 election
but they were successfully able to re-establish themselves as the main opposition to Brian Mulroney
's Progressive Conservatives. Despite doubling their number of seats, the results were considered a disappointment as polls in mid-campaign had predicted a Liberal majority, and Turner resigned as party leader in 1990.
Back in 1986, a group of young Liberals approached Paul Martin
as an ideological equivalent of Turner. While Martin did not take part in an attempt to overthrow Turner, he did prepare to succeed him in the leadership should the position open, and he entered Parliament in the 1988 election. From the moment Martin announced his intentions to become an MP, he was touted as a possible leadership candidate.
The Meech Lake Accord
had been a potentially divisive issue for the Liberals. Trudeau came out of retirement to campaign against the Accord, while Turner and Martin declared their support for it. While Turner had privately opposed many of Trudeau's policies while in Cabinet, Meech Lake was seen as one of the signs of open disagreement among both factions.
Chrétien himself said that he never forgave Martin for some of the "wounds" that the latter inflicted; the most notable was during a leadership debate when Martin supporters shouted "vendu", a French
insult meaning sellout.
Although Chrétien won on the first ballot, Martin had a strong second-place showing, which allowed him to force concessions. Martin played a major role in drafting policy
during the 1993 federal election
. The Liberals, as it turned out, won a landslide majority government, and Martin was appointed to the key post of Minister of Finance
.
, although they were still by far the largest party in the House of Commons. Several MPs such as Reg Alcock
had opposed the timing of the vote, in wake of the devastating Red River Flood in Manitoba
. Others felt that it was too early to call an election, since the government had only been in power for three and a half years, and the resulting drop in Liberal support likely undermined confidence in Chrétien's leadership of the party.
Rumours of a division between Chrétien and Martin intensified around the 2000 election
, with Martin's supporters wanting to take over before the campaign. However, the party managed to win almost as many seats as in 1993 (at the expense of all the other political parties) persuading Chrétien to stay on. Around this time, Martin had worked throughout this time to position himself as the clear successor to Chrétien, ensuring that most of the institutions of the Liberal Party were controlled by his allies.
, Allan Rock
, and Sheila Copps
) who were still in cabinet and were thus obliged to follow the rules. Martin's influence and the backlash from his dismissal compelled Chrétien to set a date for his retirement. After Martin's dismissal/resignation, he toured the country campaigning for the leadership while his Liberal organizers prepared to challenge Chrétien during a review vote in January 2003. During the fall, Chrétien announced that he would step down in the February 2004 after less than half of caucus agreed to sign a commitment supporting him.
Shortly before Chrétien stepped down, Parliament passed a law that banned parties from accepting campaign contributions from corporations, as well as granting parties a subsidy based on their share of popular vote from the most recent election. While viewed positively among the public as an electoral reform after some early revelations of the sponsorship scandal
, Bill C-24 was opposed by many of his own MPs who saw it as a poison pill
since it effectively cut off the main source of funding for the Liberals; they had enjoyed the majority of company donations for the last decade due to a fragmented opposition. Party president Stephen LeDrew
famously derided Bill C-24 as "dumb as a bag of hammers". While the opposition parties were well poised to reap the benefits of Bill C-24 due to their established grassroots fund raising, the Liberals were caught unprepared for this change. This would hamper them in the 2004 and 2006 campaigns, leaving them in heavy debt.
and Allan Rock
never formally entered the race, while John Manley dropped out and Sheila Copps received at most marginal support. Martin was sworn in as Prime Minister in December.
While the issue of the party leadership was settled, at the lower levels unprecedented intraparty warfare began. Martin replaced half of Chrétien's ministers, one of the largest cabinet turnovers in Canadian history for a ruling party undergoing a leadership change. Ministers such as John Manley
, Allan Rock
, Don Boudria
, David Collenette
, and Sheila Copps
, who had played key roles during Chrétien's decade in power, were reduced to minor roles or compelled to take patronage appointments, and many of them decided to retire from politics.
Besides excluding experienced Chrétien supporters from cabinet, Martin also outraged many of them by guaranteeing his star candidate
s powerful cabinet posts, despite many being newcomers to federal politics.
Several Chrétien loyalists wanted to remain as backbenchers. In some cases, they were defeated in the riding nomination process, with widespread allegations of tampering by Martin supporters. Unlike in previous elections, incumbent Liberals were not automatically granted their local nomination.
as a pretense to remove many Chrétien supporters, such as André Ouellet
, Alfonso Gagliano
, and Jean Pelletier
, from their positions in government, crown corporations, and the party. The Chrétien camp contends that the Gomery commission was set up to make them look bad, and that it was not a fair investigation. The scandal also cast skepticism on Martin's cabinet appointments, prompting speculation Martin was simply ridding the government of Chrétien's supporters to distance the Liberals from the scandal.
The first volume of the Gomery Report, released on November 1, 2005, cleared Martin of any wrong doing while placing blame for the scandal on Chrétien. However, many have criticized the Gomery Inquiry as not having the scope to assign criminal responsibility for the Scandal or to investigate Martin's role, and indeed some have accused Martin of purposely "tying Gomery's hands." While the Gomery Report: Phase 1
exonerated Martin from responsibility and liability for the misspending of public funds, Chrétien has decided to take an action in Federal Court to review the commission report on the grounds that Gomery showed a "reasonable apprehension of bias", and that some conclusions didn't have an "evidentiary" basis.
The controversy over responsibility for Chrétien's legal fees also proved another potentially divisive issue. Many of Martin's ministers wanted to deny Chrétien and his supporters further federal aid, as it would be criticized by opposition parties and the public alike, though such a position would anger many Chrétien loyalists.
Outgoing minister Reg Alcock
did approve a payment of up to $40,000 to assist Jean Pelletier
with legal fees in a court challenge against the Gomery Commission
after the Liberals were defeated in the 2006 federal election
. Representatives of other parties criticized this payment, though Pelletier's lawyer argued that it followed a long-standing government policy for high-ranking functionaries in judicial proceedings.
At the 2006 leadership convention in Montreal, Martin's final speech as outgoing leader paid tribute to Chrétien, but the latter was not present for the event.
(MPs) were protected from nomination challenges; this rule was not applied in 2004, especially towards Chrétien supporters. Martin claimed that he wanted to make the process more democratic, but he was heavily criticized when he overruled the new process to parachute in his handpicked star candidate
s, often against the wishes of the local riding association.
The highest profile battle was in the riding of Hamilton East—Stoney Creek
between former Deputy Prime Minister
and leadership candidate Sheila Copps
and Martin loyalist and newly-appointed Minister of Transport
Tony Valeri
. Copps had been one of the most noted representatives of the party's left wing for over two decades, dating to the party's nadir in the mid-1980s. However, Elections Canada had merged her riding with Valeri's in a way that slightly favoured Valeri. Copps lost the nomination battle, which she blamed on dirty tricks.
In several ridings, the nomination battles resulted in the splitting the Liberal vote, as disgruntled party members supported the Conservatives, NDP or Bloc, costing the Liberals several otherwise safe seats.
Other battles happened across the country:
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
's assumption of the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
on November 14, 2003, and the 2004 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
being called on May 23, 2004, saw a considerable amount of infighting within the party. The divisions in the Liberal Party, the party's embroilment in the Sponsorship Scandal
Sponsorship scandal
The sponsorship scandal, "AdScam", "Sponsorship" or Sponsorgate, is a scandal that came as a result of a Canadian federal government "sponsorship program" in the province of Quebec and involving the Liberal Party of Canada, which was in power from 1993 to 2006...
, and a united Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
opposition, all combined to end 13 continuous years of Liberal rule.
Turner's leadership
While the Liberal Party has had internal conflicts during its history, it has had a tumultuous period during the later leadership of Pierre TrudeauPierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
. In 1975, John Turner
John Turner
John Napier Wyndham Turner, PC, CC, QC is an English Canadian lawyer and retired politician, who served as the 17th Prime Minister of Canada from June 30 to September 17, 1984....
unexpectedly resigned as Minister of Finance.
Internal unrest began after John Turner
John Turner
John Napier Wyndham Turner, PC, CC, QC is an English Canadian lawyer and retired politician, who served as the 17th Prime Minister of Canada from June 30 to September 17, 1984....
was elected leader, defeating Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
-loyalist Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
. Trudeau had resigned due to slipping approval ratings, which showed his party headed for certain defeat against newly elected Progressive Conservative leader Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
.
Turner then immediately led the Liberals into a disastrous election
Canadian federal election, 1984
The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...
, finishing with 40 seats, only ten more than the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
. For his part, Turner initially did not give any Trudeau loyalists important campaign positions until near the end of the campaign when it was too late. Some suggested that the Liberals would follow their British namesake
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
into oblivion, as NDP leader Ed Broadbent
Ed Broadbent
John Edward "Ed" Broadbent, is a Canadian social democratic politician and political scientist. He was leader of the federal New Democratic Party from 1975 to 1989. In the 2004 federal election, he returned to Parliament for one additional term as the Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre.-Life...
consistently out-polled Turner in personal approval ratings.
Consequently, Turner's leadership was frequently questioned, and in the lead up to the 1986 Liberal convention, a vote of confidence loomed large. Chrétien, supposedly still bitter over his loss at the 1984 convention, resigned his seat. The ongoing and often open unpopularity of Turner within his own party led to many editorial cartoonists to draw him with a back stabbed full of knives. Keith Davey
Keith Davey
Keith Douglas Davey, was a Canadian politician, Senator, and campaign organizer.Born in Toronto to Charles Minto Davey and Grace Viola , Keith Davey attended high school at North Toronto Collegiate Institute...
and other Liberals began a public campaign against Turner, coinciding with backroom struggles involving Chrétien's supporters. However, the public conflict influenced many Liberals to support Turner, and he ended up getting 75% of the delegate vote.
Further infighting dogged the party during the 1988 election
Canadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
but they were successfully able to re-establish themselves as the main opposition to Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
's Progressive Conservatives. Despite doubling their number of seats, the results were considered a disappointment as polls in mid-campaign had predicted a Liberal majority, and Turner resigned as party leader in 1990.
Back in 1986, a group of young Liberals approached Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
as an ideological equivalent of Turner. While Martin did not take part in an attempt to overthrow Turner, he did prepare to succeed him in the leadership should the position open, and he entered Parliament in the 1988 election. From the moment Martin announced his intentions to become an MP, he was touted as a possible leadership candidate.
1990 Convention
Chrétien and Martin squared off in the 1990 leadership convention after Turner resigned, with Martin being acknowledged as the ideological successor to Turner.The Meech Lake Accord
Meech Lake Accord
The Meech Lake Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada negotiated in 1987 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and ten provincial premiers. It was intended to persuade the government of the Province of Quebec to endorse the 1982 Canadian Constitution and increase...
had been a potentially divisive issue for the Liberals. Trudeau came out of retirement to campaign against the Accord, while Turner and Martin declared their support for it. While Turner had privately opposed many of Trudeau's policies while in Cabinet, Meech Lake was seen as one of the signs of open disagreement among both factions.
Chrétien himself said that he never forgave Martin for some of the "wounds" that the latter inflicted; the most notable was during a leadership debate when Martin supporters shouted "vendu", a French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
insult meaning sellout.
Although Chrétien won on the first ballot, Martin had a strong second-place showing, which allowed him to force concessions. Martin played a major role in drafting policy
Red Book (Liberal Party of Canada)
The Red Book, officially titled Creating Opportunity: The Liberal Plan for Canada was the platform of the Liberal Party of Canada in the 1993 federal election. It earned its name from its bright red cover, red being the official colour of the Liberals. It was a 112 page booklet; many thousands of...
during the 1993 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
. The Liberals, as it turned out, won a landslide majority government, and Martin was appointed to the key post of Minister of Finance
Minister of Finance (Canada)
The Minister of Finance is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible each year for presenting the federal government's budget...
.
Chrétien government
The Liberals were re-elected with a razor-thin majority 1997 campaignCanadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
, although they were still by far the largest party in the House of Commons. Several MPs such as Reg Alcock
Reg Alcock
Reginald B. Alcock, PC was a Canadian politician. He represented the riding of Winnipeg South in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 2006 and was a cabinet minister in the government of Prime Minister Paul Martin. Alcock was a member of the Liberal Party of Canada.-Early life and...
had opposed the timing of the vote, in wake of the devastating Red River Flood in Manitoba
Red River Flood, 1997
The Red River Flood of 1997 was a major flood that occurred in April and May 1997, along the Red River of the North in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Southern Manitoba. It was the most severe flood of the river since 1826...
. Others felt that it was too early to call an election, since the government had only been in power for three and a half years, and the resulting drop in Liberal support likely undermined confidence in Chrétien's leadership of the party.
Rumours of a division between Chrétien and Martin intensified around the 2000 election
Canadian federal election, 2000
The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....
, with Martin's supporters wanting to take over before the campaign. However, the party managed to win almost as many seats as in 1993 (at the expense of all the other political parties) persuading Chrétien to stay on. Around this time, Martin had worked throughout this time to position himself as the clear successor to Chrétien, ensuring that most of the institutions of the Liberal Party were controlled by his allies.
Chrétien-Martin split
The dispute between the two men came to a head in the summer of 2002, when Chrétien tried to curtail Martin's open campaigning for the leadership. What ensued is of some debate. Martin claims that he was fired from cabinet by Chrétien, which is what was widely reported in the media, while Chrétien claims that Martin had resigned. In either case, Martin's departure from cabinet aided his leadership campaign since he did not have to disclose donors, unlike Martin's rivals (John ManleyJohn Manley (politician)
John Paul Manley, PC, OC is a Canadian lawyer, businessman and politician. He served as Liberal Member of Parliament for Ottawa South from 1988 to 2004, and a Cabinet Minister from 1993 to 2003. He is presently President and CEO of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.-Background:Manley was...
, Allan Rock
Allan Rock
Allan Michael Rock, PC is a lawyer, former Canadian politician, diplomat and now the President of University of Ottawa. He was Canada's ambassador to the United Nations and had previously served in the Cabinet of Jean Chrétien, most notably as Justice Minister and Health Minister .Rock was...
, and Sheila Copps
Sheila Copps
Sheila Maureen Copps, PC is a former Canadian politician who also served as Deputy Prime Minister of Canada from November 4, 1993 to April 30, 1996 and June 19, 1996 to June 11, 1997....
) who were still in cabinet and were thus obliged to follow the rules. Martin's influence and the backlash from his dismissal compelled Chrétien to set a date for his retirement. After Martin's dismissal/resignation, he toured the country campaigning for the leadership while his Liberal organizers prepared to challenge Chrétien during a review vote in January 2003. During the fall, Chrétien announced that he would step down in the February 2004 after less than half of caucus agreed to sign a commitment supporting him.
Shortly before Chrétien stepped down, Parliament passed a law that banned parties from accepting campaign contributions from corporations, as well as granting parties a subsidy based on their share of popular vote from the most recent election. While viewed positively among the public as an electoral reform after some early revelations of the sponsorship scandal
Sponsorship scandal
The sponsorship scandal, "AdScam", "Sponsorship" or Sponsorgate, is a scandal that came as a result of a Canadian federal government "sponsorship program" in the province of Quebec and involving the Liberal Party of Canada, which was in power from 1993 to 2006...
, Bill C-24 was opposed by many of his own MPs who saw it as a poison pill
Poison pill
A shareholder rights plan, colloquially known as a "poison pill", or simply "the pill" is a type of defensive tactic used by a corporation's board of directors against a takeover...
since it effectively cut off the main source of funding for the Liberals; they had enjoyed the majority of company donations for the last decade due to a fragmented opposition. Party president Stephen LeDrew
Stephen LeDrew
Stephen Ralph LeDrew is currently hosting CP24 Live at Noon, plus he is a Toronto-based lawyer and broadcast commentator. He served as President of the Liberal Party of Canada from 1998 to 2003, and was a Mayor of Toronto candidate in the 2006 municipal election.-Legal career:As a lawyer, LeDrew...
famously derided Bill C-24 as "dumb as a bag of hammers". While the opposition parties were well poised to reap the benefits of Bill C-24 due to their established grassroots fund raising, the Liberals were caught unprepared for this change. This would hamper them in the 2004 and 2006 campaigns, leaving them in heavy debt.
Martin's Cabinet
In November 2003, Martin was elected as Liberal leader by capturing 3,242 of 3,455 delegates. He had won the leadership almost unopposed, due to his hold on the party machinery, and because Chrétien supporters did not rally around either of Martin's leadership opponents (with Martin's large lead, even most Chrétien supporters grudgingly voted for Martin). Potential contenders Brian TobinBrian Tobin
Brian Vincent Tobin, PC is a Canadian businessman and former politician. Tobin served as the sixth Premier of Newfoundland from 1996 to 2000. Tobin was also a prominent Member of Parliament and served as a Cabinet Minister in Jean Chrétien's Liberal government.- Early life, education, and family...
and Allan Rock
Allan Rock
Allan Michael Rock, PC is a lawyer, former Canadian politician, diplomat and now the President of University of Ottawa. He was Canada's ambassador to the United Nations and had previously served in the Cabinet of Jean Chrétien, most notably as Justice Minister and Health Minister .Rock was...
never formally entered the race, while John Manley dropped out and Sheila Copps received at most marginal support. Martin was sworn in as Prime Minister in December.
While the issue of the party leadership was settled, at the lower levels unprecedented intraparty warfare began. Martin replaced half of Chrétien's ministers, one of the largest cabinet turnovers in Canadian history for a ruling party undergoing a leadership change. Ministers such as John Manley
John Manley (politician)
John Paul Manley, PC, OC is a Canadian lawyer, businessman and politician. He served as Liberal Member of Parliament for Ottawa South from 1988 to 2004, and a Cabinet Minister from 1993 to 2003. He is presently President and CEO of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.-Background:Manley was...
, Allan Rock
Allan Rock
Allan Michael Rock, PC is a lawyer, former Canadian politician, diplomat and now the President of University of Ottawa. He was Canada's ambassador to the United Nations and had previously served in the Cabinet of Jean Chrétien, most notably as Justice Minister and Health Minister .Rock was...
, Don Boudria
Don Boudria
Donald "Don" Boudria, PC is a former Canadian politician. He served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1984 to 2005 as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Jean Chrétien....
, David Collenette
David Collenette
David Michael Collenette, PC was a Canadian politician from 1974 to 2004, and a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. A graduate from York University's Glendon College in 1969, he subsequently received his MA from in 2004...
, and Sheila Copps
Sheila Copps
Sheila Maureen Copps, PC is a former Canadian politician who also served as Deputy Prime Minister of Canada from November 4, 1993 to April 30, 1996 and June 19, 1996 to June 11, 1997....
, who had played key roles during Chrétien's decade in power, were reduced to minor roles or compelled to take patronage appointments, and many of them decided to retire from politics.
Besides excluding experienced Chrétien supporters from cabinet, Martin also outraged many of them by guaranteeing his star candidate
Star candidate
A star candidate refers to a high profile individual who has been recruited as a candidate by a political party. Star candidates have usually excelled in fields outside of politics such as academia, business, the media, journalism and/or sports...
s powerful cabinet posts, despite many being newcomers to federal politics.
Several Chrétien loyalists wanted to remain as backbenchers. In some cases, they were defeated in the riding nomination process, with widespread allegations of tampering by Martin supporters. Unlike in previous elections, incumbent Liberals were not automatically granted their local nomination.
Sponsorship Scandal
Chrétien's supporters have suggested that Martin has used the sponsorship scandalSponsorship scandal
The sponsorship scandal, "AdScam", "Sponsorship" or Sponsorgate, is a scandal that came as a result of a Canadian federal government "sponsorship program" in the province of Quebec and involving the Liberal Party of Canada, which was in power from 1993 to 2006...
as a pretense to remove many Chrétien supporters, such as André Ouellet
André Ouellet
André Ouellet, P.C., Q.C. is a former Chairman of Canada Post, and a long time Liberal politician in Canada.First elected to the Canadian House of Commons in a 1967 by-election, Ouellet served in a number of different positions in the cabinets of Prime Ministers Pierre Trudeau and Jean Chrétien...
, Alfonso Gagliano
Alfonso Gagliano
Alfonso Gagliano, PC, FCGA is a Canadian accountant and a former Liberal Party politician.Born in Siculiana, Italy, his political career began in 1977 when he ran for a seat on the Montreal school board. In the 1984 federal election, he ran for Parliament for Saint-Léonard—Anjou narrowly...
, and Jean Pelletier
Jean Pelletier
Jean Pelletier, was a Canadian politician, who served as the 37th mayor of Quebec City, Chief of Staff in the Prime Minister's Office, and chairman of Via Rail...
, from their positions in government, crown corporations, and the party. The Chrétien camp contends that the Gomery commission was set up to make them look bad, and that it was not a fair investigation. The scandal also cast skepticism on Martin's cabinet appointments, prompting speculation Martin was simply ridding the government of Chrétien's supporters to distance the Liberals from the scandal.
The first volume of the Gomery Report, released on November 1, 2005, cleared Martin of any wrong doing while placing blame for the scandal on Chrétien. However, many have criticized the Gomery Inquiry as not having the scope to assign criminal responsibility for the Scandal or to investigate Martin's role, and indeed some have accused Martin of purposely "tying Gomery's hands." While the Gomery Report: Phase 1
Gomery Commission
The Gomery Commission, formally the Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising Activities, was a federal Canadian Royal Commission headed by the retired Justice John Gomery for the purpose of investigating the sponsorship scandal, which involved allegations of corruption...
exonerated Martin from responsibility and liability for the misspending of public funds, Chrétien has decided to take an action in Federal Court to review the commission report on the grounds that Gomery showed a "reasonable apprehension of bias", and that some conclusions didn't have an "evidentiary" basis.
The controversy over responsibility for Chrétien's legal fees also proved another potentially divisive issue. Many of Martin's ministers wanted to deny Chrétien and his supporters further federal aid, as it would be criticized by opposition parties and the public alike, though such a position would anger many Chrétien loyalists.
Outgoing minister Reg Alcock
Reg Alcock
Reginald B. Alcock, PC was a Canadian politician. He represented the riding of Winnipeg South in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 2006 and was a cabinet minister in the government of Prime Minister Paul Martin. Alcock was a member of the Liberal Party of Canada.-Early life and...
did approve a payment of up to $40,000 to assist Jean Pelletier
Jean Pelletier
Jean Pelletier, was a Canadian politician, who served as the 37th mayor of Quebec City, Chief of Staff in the Prime Minister's Office, and chairman of Via Rail...
with legal fees in a court challenge against the Gomery Commission
Gomery Commission
The Gomery Commission, formally the Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising Activities, was a federal Canadian Royal Commission headed by the retired Justice John Gomery for the purpose of investigating the sponsorship scandal, which involved allegations of corruption...
after the Liberals were defeated in the 2006 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
. Representatives of other parties criticized this payment, though Pelletier's lawyer argued that it followed a long-standing government policy for high-ranking functionaries in judicial proceedings.
Public
Formally, Chrétien and Martin have remained publicly respectful of each other; while much of the verbal sparring was between their supporters. After being dismissed or resigning from cabinet, Martin did not comment on the government, as he was focused upon leadership campaigning. At the November 2003 Liberal leadership convention, Chrétien pledged that he would help Martin to win the Liberals' fourth consecutive majority government, while Martin said that many of his initiatives as Finance Minister were credited to Chrétien's support.At the 2006 leadership convention in Montreal, Martin's final speech as outgoing leader paid tribute to Chrétien, but the latter was not present for the event.
Nomination battles
In Canadian federal politics, would-be electoral candidates will generally seek the nomination of their chosen party within the local constituency. The nominee is chosen by members of the party within the constituency, and consequently the candidates attempt to sign up as many new members as possible to support them prior to the nomination meeting. In previous elections, incumbent Liberal Members of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MPs) were protected from nomination challenges; this rule was not applied in 2004, especially towards Chrétien supporters. Martin claimed that he wanted to make the process more democratic, but he was heavily criticized when he overruled the new process to parachute in his handpicked star candidate
Star candidate
A star candidate refers to a high profile individual who has been recruited as a candidate by a political party. Star candidates have usually excelled in fields outside of politics such as academia, business, the media, journalism and/or sports...
s, often against the wishes of the local riding association.
The highest profile battle was in the riding of Hamilton East—Stoney Creek
Hamilton East—Stoney Creek
Hamilton East—Stoney Creek is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.The riding was formed in 2003 from parts of the former ridings of Hamilton East and Stoney Creek....
between former Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of Canada
The Deputy Prime Minister of Canada is an honorary position in the cabinet, conferred at the discretion of the prime minister. There is currently, , no deputy prime minister....
and leadership candidate Sheila Copps
Sheila Copps
Sheila Maureen Copps, PC is a former Canadian politician who also served as Deputy Prime Minister of Canada from November 4, 1993 to April 30, 1996 and June 19, 1996 to June 11, 1997....
and Martin loyalist and newly-appointed Minister of Transport
Minister of Transport (Canada)
The Minister of Transport is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's transportation regulatory and development department, Transport Canada...
Tony Valeri
Tony Valeri
Tony Valeri, PC is a former Canadian politician. Valeri was the Canadian Government House Leader in Paul Martin's government from 2004 until 2006...
. Copps had been one of the most noted representatives of the party's left wing for over two decades, dating to the party's nadir in the mid-1980s. However, Elections Canada had merged her riding with Valeri's in a way that slightly favoured Valeri. Copps lost the nomination battle, which she blamed on dirty tricks.
In several ridings, the nomination battles resulted in the splitting the Liberal vote, as disgruntled party members supported the Conservatives, NDP or Bloc, costing the Liberals several otherwise safe seats.
Other battles happened across the country:
- Charles CacciaCharles CacciaCharles L. Caccia, PC was a Canadian politician.Caccia was a Liberal member of the Canadian House of Commons. He represented the Toronto riding of Davenport between 1968 and 2004.Caccia was born in 1930 in Milan, Italy...
, the longest serving MP, was forced out by Martin loyalist Mario SilvaMario SilvaMario Silva, is a Canadian politician and a former Canadian Member of Parliament. Silva is a former a Toronto City Councillor and acting mayor."Acting Mayor" is a non-elected position. For example, the sets out the duties and powers of their Acting Mayor. Other cities will no doubt have somewhat...
; Caccia initially planned to run as an independent candidate against Silva, but bowed out of the race before the election because his candidacy may have split the Liberal vote. - In the merged riding of Mississauga—ErindaleMississauga—ErindaleMississauga—Erindale is a federalelectoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.It was created in 2003 from parts of Mississauga Centre and Mississauga West ridings....
, Chrétien loyalist Steve MahoneySteve MahoneySteven W. Mahoney, PC is a Canadian politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 1995, and a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2004. In the latter capacity, he served as a cabinet minister in the government of Jean Chrétien...
lost to supposed Martinite Carolyn Parrish. Parrish, contrary to what many believed was not a staunch Martin supporter; Mahoney had initially supported Martin but later opposed the backroom campaigning. He was rewarded with a junior cabinet post near the end Chrétien's tenure, severing his relations with the Martin camp who then rallied to Parrish's cause. Parrish's anti-US comments endured her to Muslims in her riding, while the Jewish community supported Mahoney. Parrish was later kicked out of the Liberal caucus for further anti-US remarks and she did not seek re-election in 2006. - In Ottawa CentreOttawa CentreOttawa Centre is an urban federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968...
, Penny Collenette chose to not run for the Liberal Party nomination. Martin advisor Richard MahoneyRichard MahoneyRichard J. Mahoney is a Canadian lawyer, specializing in public policy and regulatory law. He is also a prominent member of the Liberal Party of Canada, known as a strategist and advisor to former Prime Minister Paul Martin. He ran as the Liberal candidate in the riding of Ottawa Centre during the...
won the nomination and went on to lose to former NDP leader Ed BroadbentEd BroadbentJohn Edward "Ed" Broadbent, is a Canadian social democratic politician and political scientist. He was leader of the federal New Democratic Party from 1975 to 1989. In the 2004 federal election, he returned to Parliament for one additional term as the Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre.-Life...
. - Ottawa SouthOttawa SouthOttawa South is a federal electoral district in Ottawa in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is represented in the Canadian House of Commons by David McGuinty, brother of Ontario Premier and Ottawa South MPP Dalton McGuinty. The riding was created in 1987 from parts of Ottawa—Vanier, Ottawa...
opponents of David McGuintyDavid McGuintyDavid Joseph McGuinty, MP is a Canadian lawyer politician from Ontario, Canada. He is the Member of Parliament for the riding of Ottawa South and sits in the Canadian House of Commons as the Liberal Party of Canada's Critic for Natural Resources...
, brother of Ontario premier Dalton McGuintyDalton McGuintyDalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
, were allegedly given only three days to recruit voters. This proved less controversial since outgoing MP John ManleyJohn ManleyJohn Manley may refer to:* John Manley , English soldier, MP and Postmaster General* John Manley, Canadian politician* John Manley , British archaeologist* John H. Manley, American nuclear physicist...
was a close friend of Premier McGuinty. - Incumbent Eugène BellemareEugène BellemareEugène Bellemare is a Canadian politician.Bellemare is a former Member of Parliament of the Liberal Party of Canada in the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Ottawa—Orléans between 2000 and 2004 and previously Carleton—Gloucester from 1988 to 2000. Bellemare is a former...
lost the Ottawa—OrléansOttawa—OrléansOttawa—Orléans is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988....
nomination to Marc GodboutMarc GodboutMarc Godbout is the former Canadian Member of Parliament for the Ottawa—Orléans riding. He was first elected in the 2004 Canadian federal election, representing the Liberal Party of Canada....
. Godbout won the general election but was defeated in his 2006 reelection bid. - Incumbent Ivan GroseIvan GroseIvan Grose is a Canadian businessman and politician.From 1947 to 1951, Grose served in the Royal Canadian Air Force.In 1957 Grose, then 29, held up a bank in Hamilton, Ontario...
lost the OshawaOshawa (electoral district)Oshawa is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968....
nomination to Louise Parkes. Parkes finished third, behind eventual winner Conservative Colin CarrieColin CarrieColin Carrie is a Canadian politician. He is a current member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Oshawa in the province of Ontario for the Conservative Party of Canada.-Personal life:...
and the NDP's Sid RyanSid RyanPatrick Cyril "Sid" Ryan is president of the Ontario Federation of Labour and a longtime Canadian labour union leader and politician.-Biography:... - In the merged riding of WellandWelland (electoral district)Welland is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1988, and since 2004. Its population in 2006 was 112,875....
, Tony TirabassiTony TirabassiAnthony "Tony" Tirabassi was a Liberal member of the Canadian House of Commons from 2000 to 2004. He won the Niagara Centre electoral district in Ontario to become a member of the 37th Canadian Parliament. He is a career salesman.Tirabassi left political life after his first term...
was defeated by John Maloney. - In Burnaby—DouglasBurnaby—DouglasBurnaby—Douglas is a federal electoral district in the province of British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997.-History:...
, Martin supporter Bill CunninghamBill CunninghamBill Cunningham is an American talk radio host. His full-time job is hosting The Big Show with Bill Cunningham, a local show on 700 WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cunningham now hosts Live on Sunday Night, it's Bill Cunningham, which is syndicated to over 300 stations by Premiere Radio Networks. He is...
, a former president of the Liberal Party of Canada (British Columbia), was directly appointed by the party leader without allowing a vote; the entire riding association executive resigned in protest. Cunningham was defeated by NDP's Bill SiksayBill SiksayWilliam Livingstone Siksay, former MP is a Canadian politician, and was the Member of Parliament who represented the British Columbia riding of Burnaby—Douglas for the New Democratic Party from 2004 to 2011.Receiving his high school diploma from McLaughlin Collegiate and Vocational Institute in...
. - Steven Hogue, a Chrétien supporter, was disallowed from running in Chrétien's former riding of Saint-Maurice—ChamplainSaint-Maurice—ChamplainSaint-Maurice—Champlain is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.It consists of:* the City of Shawinigan;...
purportedly because Martin wanted women to be nominated in winnable ridings in Quebec. Martin's Quebec lieutenantQuebec lieutenantIn Canadian politics, a Quebec lieutenant is a politician, from Quebec, usually a francophone and most often a Member of Parliament or at least a current or former candidate for Parliament, who is selected by a senior politician such as the Prime Minister or the leader of a national federal party,...
Jean LapierreJean LapierreJean-Charles Lapierre, PC is a Canadian television broadcaster and a former federal politician.He was Paul Martin's Quebec lieutenant during the period of the Martin government. He returned to the Canadian House of Commons after an eleven year absence when he won a seat in the 2004 federal...
described Hogue as not being a "loyal Liberal". The eventual nominee, Marie-Eve Bilodeau, received some tepid support from Chrétien, in one of his few campaign appearances, but Bilodeau was heavily defeated by the Bloc. - Lisette Lepage was forced to run in a stronghold of the Bloc QuébécoisBloc QuébécoisThe Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
, Charlevoix—Montmorency, because she (as well as two other women) were denied the chance to run in the safe Liberal riding of Beauport as it was reserved for Martin loyalist and former MP Dennis DawsonDennis DawsonDennis Dawson is a Canadian Senator.Born in Quebec City, Quebec, Dawson is a former Liberal Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Louis-Hébert, Quebec from 1977 to 1984. Dawson is listed as an administrator...
. Dawson was defeated by a two to one margin. - Robert BertrandRobert BertrandRobert "Bob" Bertrand is a Canadian politician.He was a federal member of Parliament for the riding of Pontiac—Gatineau—Labelle. He ran and won in the 1993, 1997 and 2000 Canadian federal elections with significant majorities under the banner of the Liberal Party of Canada...
who lost to David SmithDavid Smith (Quebec politician)David Smith is a Canadian politician.A former member of the Canadian House of Commons, Smith served as a city councillor in Maniwaki, Quebec until 2004. At this point, he ran in the Canadian federal election, 2004 for the Liberal Party of Canada in the riding of Pontiac where he won...
in the PontiacPontiac (electoral district)Pontiac is a federal electoral district in south-western Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1949 and since 1968....
riding. - After Martin appointed Ruby DhallaRuby DhallaRuby Dhalla is a Canadian politician. She represented the riding of Brampton—Springdale in the Canadian House of Commons from 2004 to 2011 as a member of the Liberal Party...
over local candidates in Brampton—SpringdaleBrampton—SpringdaleBrampton—Springdale is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.-History:...
, the Liberal riding association decided to back New Democratic PartyNew Democratic PartyThe New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
candidate Kathy Pounder. - In Charleswood—St. James—AssiniboiaCharleswood—St. James—AssiniboiaCharleswood—St. James—Assiniboia is a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997.-History:...
, Martin star-candidate and former Winnipeg mayor Glen Murray was defeated by Conservative Steven FletcherSteven FletcherSteven John Fletcher, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. He has served in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004, representing the riding of Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia as a member of the Conservative Party. He is the first quadriplegic to serve in the House of Commons, as well as in Cabinet...
following the resignation of the popular Liberal MP John HarvardJohn HarvardJohn Harvard may refer to:* John Harvard , English clergyman after whom Harvard University is named* John Harvard , journalist, politician and office holder in Manitoba, Canada...
. Harvard was persuaded to step aside and was appointed lieutenant-governor of Manitoba.