Get out of the way Dion!

There comes a time in every politicians life where they have to make serious decisions about their own fate. That time is now upon Stephane Dion, and really, he should have quit as Liberal leader straight away in October after the election.

But, he stuck around for who knows what purpose. Now he is just being laughed at which is a shame.

From reports I have read, Dion is a very proud man who deeply desired what is best for Canada. He also deeply desired to be successful as leader of the Liberal Party. As I have mentioned before, he is a very intelligent man and an asset to the House, but he has to move on quickly, today even!

I was of the mindset that he was going to lead the Liberal Party down a path no one wanted after his election at the Liberal Leadership Convention. I would have been there was it not for mandatory commitments I had previously scheduled.

Instead, I was at home when Mr. Kennedy decided to crown Dion. I remember the many phone calls and emails I received from devout Liberals who said they would not vote for the party with him as leader. Many people in the party believed that to be a knee jerk reaction that would subside, but, as we now know, Liberals stayed away from the polls in massive numbers this last election.

There was a glimpse there this week that Dion could make something happen as leader of the Liberal/NDP Coalition. He came across much better than how he did trying to sell the unpopular Green Shift to Canadians. Then, at a moment where he could have won some ground from the Prime Minister, he failed miserably.

When Harper went on national television and made a brief and unchanged message, the experts spent the next few minutes saying how damaging it could be for Harper to be so abrupt and unwavering. That was until Dion failed.

When television companies part with television time, and millions of Canadians are waiting to hear a message from you, you better give one a) on time and b) in good quality. What did Dion’s people present?

Well, they finally got the video to the stations 30-60 minutes late depending on when you read the tape was promised, and even then it was horrible quality. I could have shot a better video on a digital camera.

The end result is that Dion has to get out of the way so someone with a little more political gusto can try and drag the Liberal Party through this. Since Parliament is prorogued, and Dion has stated that Harper may have a way out of the Coalition targets, people are finally clueing in that it is time fopr hsi reign to end.

For example, Bob Rae has now stepped up to take the reigns of the Coalition message and move with it throughout Canada. Excuse me Mr. Dion, but that was your job in the first place.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081205.wparlliberals05/BNStory/politics/home

Liberals across the country can only hope that there is some way the party can dislodge the leader and get someone else elected into that post. It is time to throw away the idea of a May leadership convention and step into reality. Come late January, we may be back in an election campaign and unless something is done, it is the already tarred Dion versus the Harper no-holds-barred communications team. We already know who will win that one.

It has to be said, for the sake of a strong Canada we need a strong Liberal Party, but to have a strong Liberal Party we need a strong leader. Can we get one by the budget? I hope so.

J.