Truemors
Liberal leadership candidate Michael Ignatieff appears on CTV's Question Period from Toronto, on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008.
It's just about a done deal. Stephane Dion is expected to resign this week and Dominic LeBlanc has dropped out, backing Michael Ignatieff, Chief Parliamentary Correspondent Craig Oliver told CTV Newsnet tonight.
"Michael Ignatieff pretty much has this leadership race wrapped up," CTV's Chief Parliamentary Correspondent Craig Oliver told CTV Newsnet Sunday evening. "It will be over by Wednesday."
The Liberal caucus is to meet on Wednesday, which will include 57 MPs who support Ignatieff, Oliver said. They would "almost certainly" vote to make Ignatieff their parliamentary leader, putting immense pressure on Liberal MP Bob Rae to drop out of the leadership race.
"I think there is an emerging feeling in the caucus that given the importance of this vote in late January, it would be appropriate to have a leader in place, and I think it's fair to say that the caucus is considering various options about how to do that, to accelerate our leadership process," Ignatieff said today on CTVs Question Period. "But Mr. Harper has to understand here that if he fails to produce a budget in the national interest of Canada, he will go down."
In a separate interview later on Question Period, Rae repeated Ignatieff's call for a decision on the Liberal leadership before Parliament resumes on Jan. 26."We need to have the leadership race moved up and we need to make sure that we've got a broad consultation with the party before the end of January," Rae said.
Dion had planned to stay on until a leadership convention in May. However, as plans for the coalition have emerged, many have called for Dion to step aside before then.
See article from earlier this weekend Dion must go, former Liberal Deputy PM says
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (1)
at 14:24 on December 9th, 2008
Hi, the photograph...glossy face, no depth of perception in the backgroung, and mike on tie ....he isn't a stiff.. he's an intelligectual...and needs to know that he can do this provided he surrounds himself with experienced people...really we don't expect him to know everything, but with the knowledge of a supportive staff in all facits, he can relax and deliver. He has contextual knowledge much needed today.. Good luck