LARRY'S CORNER- Hamilton's Former Mayor Speaks

Leadership Politics at the Municipal, Provincial and Federal Levels

By Larry Di Ianni
(posted November 5, 2008)

If the successful Obama campaign in the U.S. has reminded us of anything, it is that articulate, charismatic, transformational leadership is craved for by the citizenry of any country, at any level of government. If a candidate is fortunate to possess any of the characteristics described above, he or she will find it easier to succeed; if any candidate has all of the traits, as Obama has, he or she will be unstoppable.

Given that we don’t have an Obama currently in office locally, provincially or federally; and given that there is always a leadership search at each level of government, it might be instructive to ask some questions about the leadership process and its relevance to local communities.

Let me first quickly deal with the local issue, especially as it relates to the Mayoralty in Hamilton. It is not a secret that some in the community are pleased with the progress Mayor Fred has made in his job; many more are not. It is still too early to consider options seriously, but I know for a fact that a search for potential candidates has already begun in earnest. It will only intensify in the months ahead.

The more intriguing questions for Hamilton relate to the Provincial and Federal scenes. Provincially, as we know and as I predicted way back in 2007, Howard Hampton would be the first to be asked to depart his leadership position because of his inability to have gained much traction over the last number of elections as the leader of the NDP party. Howard is a classy guy and he announced his resignation before things became ugly for him. Jumping into the fray are a number of well-known NDP stalwarts, namely, Michael Prue, a former Mayor and well-known opponent of municipal amalgamations, Peter Tabuns, an early favourite, and Hamilton’s own Andrea Horwath. Andrea would not have jumped in if she didn’t think she had a chance to win. She is bright and tough. She isn’t bilingual which is a drawback, and for some reason hadn’t been able to get Paul Miller’s support, which will hurt her symbolically because he is from the same city. However, I would certainly not underestimate Andrea.

The question to ask, of course, is what impact she will be able to have on Hamilton’s fortunes as leader. We have had a party leader before in the name of Dr. Stuart Smith, briefly a leader of the provincial Liberal Party when Bill Davis ruled Ontario. To my knowledge Dr. Smith wasn’t able to deliver anything extra for the city and his departure from the provincial scene actually paved the way for the disastrous election of 6 NDP members from Hamilton in the late 80’s early 90’s. Will the McGuinty government appease Hamilton more with an opposition leader from the city or will her presence be resented by the very government that has bent over backwards to assist? Time will tell, but we wish Andrea good luck in her endeavours.

The more intriguing provincial leadership contest involves John Tory, the wounded Conservative leader who doesn’t have a seat in the legislature. He has been trying to secure one for himself, but there is virtually no member of his team that is willingly giving up a seat for Tory to run. As well, the provincial Tories haven’t fared well so there is no guarantee that any seat would be won by John Tory unless it is a very safe Conservative bastion.

The Prime Minister may help John Tory. Follow the logic. Mr. Harper has mused recently about appointing senators, in spite of his dislike for that institution, in order to facilitate the passage of his legislation in the Upper Chamber. Part of the legislation that Mr. Harper wants to pass is a ‘get tough on youth crime’ bill. So, if the Prime Minister appointed Bob Runciman, currently MPP for Leeds and Grenville, a very safe Conservative seat to the Senate, then John Tory could run and probably win in that same Eastern Ontario riding. At the same time, Bob Runciman, as Senator, and a former Public Safety Minister under Mike Harris, could ensure that the PM’s legislation would pass in the Senate. See how smoothly the system might work? Will this happen? Who knows, but if it does, you heard it here first!

Lastly, the Liberals, federally, are just gearing up for their new leadership quest. The party doesn’t have an Obama; and young Mr. Justin Trudeau is just that, too young to be considered. So, the choice so far will be among a youngish Dominic LeBlanc whose father was a Minister under Trudeau and a Governor General, Bob Rae, bright, articulate and smooth, or Michael Ignatieff, equally bright, internationally known and firm in his Liberalism. Hamilton will be in the thick of this contest. Stay tuned.

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