New Briefs
Erik Dickson
Issue date: 11/18/08 Section: News
Liberal leadership race heats up
At the end of October, when Stephane Dion announced he would step down as the Liberal Party leader after the next leadership convention in April, speculation began immediately as to who would replace him.
Dominic LeBlanc, a lawyer who worked as Prime Minister Jean Chretien's assistant from 1993-96, announced that he would seek the position on Oct. 28, just two weeks after the federal election.
LeBlanc has been the MP of the Beausejour riding in Quebec since 2000, and was also the co-chairman of the 2006 Liberal leadership convention.
Former NDP Premier of Ontario, Bob Rae, announced his intention to run for Liberal leadership three days later on Oct. 31. Rae, who served as the Premier of the first NDP government elected in Ontario, left politics after being defeated in 1995, and joined the Liberal party in 2006.
On Nov. 13, the race for leadership of the Liberals, who have been known as the natural governing party of Canada, heated up with the announcement from Michael Ignatieff that he would run. Ignatieff, who has worked as a writer, journalist and broadcaster, has served as MP of the Etobicoke-Lakeshore riding in Toronto since 2006. An expert on both human rights and foreign policy, Ignatieff, although expressing his support for Stephane Dion shortly after the disappointing 2008 election, has been speculated as the front runner for the leadership position.
The Liberal leadership convention will take place in Vancouver from April 30 - May 3.
Duma agrees to longer presidential terms in Russia
On Nov. 14, a bill was cleared by the Russian State Duma (Russian Parliament) that would extend presidential terms from the current four years to six. Recently elected president Dmitri Medvedev surprised many by proposing the term extension, which virtually sailed through Russian legislature. The bill passed after a vote of 388 in favour, and 58 opposed. Almost all of the opposition to the bill came from the Russian Communist Party, who voted unanimously against with 57 votes. Communists expressed displeasure with the result, as many feel the president already holds too much power.
At the end of October, when Stephane Dion announced he would step down as the Liberal Party leader after the next leadership convention in April, speculation began immediately as to who would replace him.
Dominic LeBlanc, a lawyer who worked as Prime Minister Jean Chretien's assistant from 1993-96, announced that he would seek the position on Oct. 28, just two weeks after the federal election.
LeBlanc has been the MP of the Beausejour riding in Quebec since 2000, and was also the co-chairman of the 2006 Liberal leadership convention.
Former NDP Premier of Ontario, Bob Rae, announced his intention to run for Liberal leadership three days later on Oct. 31. Rae, who served as the Premier of the first NDP government elected in Ontario, left politics after being defeated in 1995, and joined the Liberal party in 2006.
On Nov. 13, the race for leadership of the Liberals, who have been known as the natural governing party of Canada, heated up with the announcement from Michael Ignatieff that he would run. Ignatieff, who has worked as a writer, journalist and broadcaster, has served as MP of the Etobicoke-Lakeshore riding in Toronto since 2006. An expert on both human rights and foreign policy, Ignatieff, although expressing his support for Stephane Dion shortly after the disappointing 2008 election, has been speculated as the front runner for the leadership position.
The Liberal leadership convention will take place in Vancouver from April 30 - May 3.
Duma agrees to longer presidential terms in Russia
On Nov. 14, a bill was cleared by the Russian State Duma (Russian Parliament) that would extend presidential terms from the current four years to six. Recently elected president Dmitri Medvedev surprised many by proposing the term extension, which virtually sailed through Russian legislature. The bill passed after a vote of 388 in favour, and 58 opposed. Almost all of the opposition to the bill came from the Russian Communist Party, who voted unanimously against with 57 votes. Communists expressed displeasure with the result, as many feel the president already holds too much power.
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