All Liberaled out…

It has been an amazing weekend that has both brought people together and tore others apart. Political leadership conventions are a funny thing; most conventions have colleagues pitting themselves up against one another for the top job of a political party. Friends thinking that they are better than one another, and doing anything they can, to up their closest rival, whether it be through policy mud slinging or personal attacks.

Now, the interesting part about these political leadership conventions, is that the divisions over ideology and beliefs for the future of the party among colleagues, translates to each candidates supporters. In this political case, the Liberal Party of Canada had eight great men and women who each felt like they were the best person to lead the party into the next general election. With two clear front-runners, targets were early and easily identified.

Even though the battle came down to the line, lines were clearly drawn by supporter MPs, Senators, ex-officios and delegates, and each supporter, till the bitter end, toed their candidate’s party line. Each candidate’s supporters are very loyal to each and every action or move of their candidate, while they are still in the running. When they are removed from the ballot—by choice or otherwise—the game totally changes, and the divisions dissolve. The game of the second choices begins.

This convention was no different, and kept all liberals guessing till the very end, which added to the amazing-ness (yes, I said it!) of convention weekend. This convention was about uniting the people, and even though conventions typically pit colleagues up against one another, they are all doing it for the betterment of the party. When candidates drop off they unite with their colleagues again in a show of support and encouragement. Watching MPs, Senators, ex-officios and delegates shed tears of sadness and joy about their respective candidate is very moving, to have so much passion, drive and belief for a person is very respectable, and speaks wonders about each person’s concern and dedication to the party.

Many tears were shed on Saturday when candidate after candidate dropped off the ballot and expressed their support for their, once, rivals. In the end the Liberal Party of Canada stood victorious and ‘tous ensemble’ behind our new grand chef, the Honourable Stéphane Dion. Monsieur Dion will do great things for the party; he will be the one to unite it and its members, along with Canadians from across the country. The battle to the ballot box will be a long, hard and an arduous one for our new leader and the Liberal Party, but we will prevail. This weekend has done a lot for myself, as a Liberal, it has helped reaffirm my beliefs and has inspired me to become more involved in the party. It is something that I truly believe in and need to ensure is still there when I make my run at the leadership…Fernandez in 2026!