Direction of party is toward renewal: Liberal MPs

Kennedy and Silva respond to Ignatieff’s appointment

By LISA RAINFORD

Michael Ignatieff’s appointment as the new interim Liberal Party leader is a chance for party renewal, say local MPs, after the Liberal caucus confirmed Ignatieff’s new role this afternoon.

Gerard Kennedy, MP for Parkdale-High Park, and Mario Silva, MP for Davenport, weighed in on the leadership change after a week that saw Stephane Dion step down from his post and leadership hopefuls, Bob Rae and Dominic Leblanc, bow out of the race in a matter of days.

“It’s a curious circumstance,” Kennedy said in an interview with The Villager, “that the party wasn’t able to come up with a broader system. (Ignatieff’s) campaign was predicated on the majority of the membership. It’s disappointing in a respect.”

Although, he said that the party’s clear and present goal was to get “better leadership than Harper” in Ottawa by any means, Ignatieff is in a situation where he will have to engage people at the grassroots level.

“We owe it to the membership to find other ways to get them fully engaged,” Kennedy said.

In terms of the direction of the party, a big component is its renewal.

“It’s not just about the leadership,” he said.

Kennedy spoke to reporters after a press conference during which Rae officially announced his plans to withdraw from the leadership race. He had publicly pledged his support for Rae, whom he said he has a lot of regard for.

“I know he can relate to a wide range of Canadians,” he said.

Although it’s a moot point now, Kennedy explained that he had remained neutral until it became apparent on Monday that there seemed to be a tilt towards not having a competitive contest – “I wanted it to be a competitive contest.”

“The party executive wasn’t able to do that well and I understand Mr. Rae made a decision,” said Kennedy.

Rae announced his decision not to pursue the leadership and pledged his support to Ignatieff, his friend and colleague of more than four decades. Silva said Ignatieff’s appointment to interim Liberal leader is an exciting one for the party, citing a few of the politician’s accomplishments. Ignatieff is an author, a university professor and filmmaker, among other titles.

“Michael is someone who is well respected internationally,” Silva said this morning. “He has a good command in the House (of Commons) and respect from colleagues.”