http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061223.wxliberals23/BNStory/National/home
Posted AT 12:59 AM EST ON 23/12/06
Liberals aim to mount battle in every riding
CAMPBELL CLARK and JANE TABER
From Saturday's Globe and Mail
The Liberals are planning a “308-seat strategy” for the next federal election in which they will contest all seats in the Commons, including those in regions they have previously written off, such as Alberta.
Former leadership candidate Gerard Kennedy, now leader Stéphane Dion's adviser on election preparations, said the Liberals have opportunities to win seats in the West, although it will be hard if the election is called as soon as next spring.
“We need a little bit of time to make our case,” said Mr. Kennedy, a Manitoba-born politician who served as Ontario's education minister but was also well known in Alberta as the director of Edmonton's food bank.
“Some of the very quick scenarios might mitigate against that. But I am certainly treating it as very serious and I do see us with a 308-riding strategy. I think it's very important, the folks out there. They need to understand that we are serious about gaining back respect right across the country.”
12月份新当选的自由党首领
Liberal leader Stephan Dion arrives with Gerard Kennedy at a news conference in Toronto Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2006. Dion announced positions for four of the leadership candidates he ran against inclulding Kennedy
美国民主党在11月的议会选举中获胜，民主党的策略引起了加拿大自由党的热情关注。
Talk of a 308-seat strategy echoes the “50-state strategy” that is credited with giving U.S. Democrats victory over the Republicans in November's congressional elections. The approach, championed by Democratic national chairman Howard Dean, helped win close seats in states where the party had little hope only months before.
But in Canada, a strategy that aims at all 308 ridings makes some Liberals nervous, because political parties have limited money and organizational resources during election campaigns.
Several senior Liberals, including some of Mr. Dion's advisers, don't think it is a tactic for a five-week Canadian campaign.
The Democrats' 50-state strategy was not an election-campaign strategy, but a long-term party strategy. Dr. Dean called for spending on permanent organizers in every state, although the Democrats did target regions and spend more in “winnable” areas.
Senior Liberals say the party plans to expend more effort to develop regional platforms and organizations so that they can tailor their election campaign to local issues ― an idea that was all but ignored by the Liberals in the last election.
Yesterday, Mr. Dion named his leadership campaign manager, Mark Marissen, as his election campaign co-chair, along with Nancy Girard, the party's Quebec vice-president.
“Our job right now is to put in the campaign structure right across the country,” Mr. Marissen said.
Senior Liberals said the party will roll out in the third week of January a “new structure” that will encourage more regional input, including regional chairs tasked with developing local platforms.
In the last election, regional campaigns largely fell by the wayside, but the exception was British Columbia, where Mr. Marissen ran Paul Martin's campaign machine.
There, the Liberals adopted different tactics for a three-way party fight, and often emphasized different or local issues. One senior Liberal argued that the internal wars between the factions of Jean Chrétien and Mr. Martin, as well as facing weak opposition for years, led to neglect of many regions. That not only hurt the party's election results, but over time, it has reduced the number of ridings the Liberals consider winnable.
Now, it is not only Alberta, but most of the Prairies where the Liberals are out of contention. Large parts of Quebec, once a party stronghold, have almost no Liberal presence, and in the past two elections, the Liberals have been pushed back in other regions, such as Eastern Ontario.
Expanding the areas where the Liberals compete would also force the Conservatives to attend to ridings they might consider safe.
Mr. Kennedy argued that the Liberals' leadership convention opened doors in the West, where people saw “a party that is more likely to connect with the people in their communities.”
Posted AT 12:59 AM EST ON 23/12/06
Liberals aim to mount battle in every riding
CAMPBELL CLARK and JANE TABER
From Saturday's Globe and Mail
The Liberals are planning a “308-seat strategy” for the next federal election in which they will contest all seats in the Commons, including those in regions they have previously written off, such as Alberta.
Former leadership candidate Gerard Kennedy, now leader Stéphane Dion's adviser on election preparations, said the Liberals have opportunities to win seats in the West, although it will be hard if the election is called as soon as next spring.
“We need a little bit of time to make our case,” said Mr. Kennedy, a Manitoba-born politician who served as Ontario's education minister but was also well known in Alberta as the director of Edmonton's food bank.
“Some of the very quick scenarios might mitigate against that. But I am certainly treating it as very serious and I do see us with a 308-riding strategy. I think it's very important, the folks out there. They need to understand that we are serious about gaining back respect right across the country.”
12月份新当选的自由党首领
Liberal leader Stephan Dion arrives with Gerard Kennedy at a news conference in Toronto Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2006. Dion announced positions for four of the leadership candidates he ran against inclulding Kennedy
美国民主党在11月的议会选举中获胜，民主党的策略引起了加拿大自由党的热情关注。
Talk of a 308-seat strategy echoes the “50-state strategy” that is credited with giving U.S. Democrats victory over the Republicans in November's congressional elections. The approach, championed by Democratic national chairman Howard Dean, helped win close seats in states where the party had little hope only months before.
But in Canada, a strategy that aims at all 308 ridings makes some Liberals nervous, because political parties have limited money and organizational resources during election campaigns.
Several senior Liberals, including some of Mr. Dion's advisers, don't think it is a tactic for a five-week Canadian campaign.
The Democrats' 50-state strategy was not an election-campaign strategy, but a long-term party strategy. Dr. Dean called for spending on permanent organizers in every state, although the Democrats did target regions and spend more in “winnable” areas.
Senior Liberals say the party plans to expend more effort to develop regional platforms and organizations so that they can tailor their election campaign to local issues ― an idea that was all but ignored by the Liberals in the last election.
Yesterday, Mr. Dion named his leadership campaign manager, Mark Marissen, as his election campaign co-chair, along with Nancy Girard, the party's Quebec vice-president.
“Our job right now is to put in the campaign structure right across the country,” Mr. Marissen said.
Senior Liberals said the party will roll out in the third week of January a “new structure” that will encourage more regional input, including regional chairs tasked with developing local platforms.
In the last election, regional campaigns largely fell by the wayside, but the exception was British Columbia, where Mr. Marissen ran Paul Martin's campaign machine.
There, the Liberals adopted different tactics for a three-way party fight, and often emphasized different or local issues. One senior Liberal argued that the internal wars between the factions of Jean Chrétien and Mr. Martin, as well as facing weak opposition for years, led to neglect of many regions. That not only hurt the party's election results, but over time, it has reduced the number of ridings the Liberals consider winnable.
Now, it is not only Alberta, but most of the Prairies where the Liberals are out of contention. Large parts of Quebec, once a party stronghold, have almost no Liberal presence, and in the past two elections, the Liberals have been pushed back in other regions, such as Eastern Ontario.
Expanding the areas where the Liberals compete would also force the Conservatives to attend to ridings they might consider safe.
Mr. Kennedy argued that the Liberals' leadership convention opened doors in the West, where people saw “a party that is more likely to connect with the people in their communities.”