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Liberal board alters leadership rules

Liberal brass have approved rules that would block most of the decimated party’s remaining top MPs — including Bob Rae, Ralph Goodale and Justin Trudeau — from becoming interim leader.
Michael Ignatieff Bob Rae
Liberals Michael Ignatieff

OTTAWA — Liberal brass have approved rules that would block most of the decimated party’s remaining top MPs — including Bob Rae, Ralph Goodale and Justin Trudeau — from becoming interim leader.

The party’s national board issued a final statement Tuesday outlining a plan to defer a vote for permanent leader for up to two years and laying down conditions for choosing an acting leader in the interim.

The final plan, obtained by The Canadian Press, is not much different than a draft plan leaked Monday, which appeared aimed at ensuring Toronto MP Rae would not be chosen interim leader.

There are a few changes, however, including a partial nod to Liberal senators, who were excluded in the draft plan from having any role in choosing an interim leader.

The final plan now stipulates that the interim leader must be bilingual, whereas the draft had suggested a unilingual leader would be acceptable provided that a “native francophone” deputy was appointed.

That would rule out unilingual MPs such as Goodale, a veteran Saskatchewan MP.

As initially proposed, the final plan also stipulates that the interim leader must solemnly renounce, in writing, any intention of seeking the permanent leadership and vow not to pursue any discussions about a possible merger of the Liberals with the NDP.

Combined with the dilution of the senators’ role, those conditions appear aimed at Rae. He has mused about the need to talk about a merger, has considerable support among senators, and has not ruled out running to permanently succeed Michael Ignatieff.

Ignatieff resigned last week after losing his seat and leading the party to its worst defeat in history.

However, most of the party’s highest profile MPs among the 34 left standing after last week’s election debacle could also be excluded from the interim post.

MPs such as New Brunswick’s Dominic LeBlanc, Ottawa’s David McGuinty and Montreal’s Justin Trudeau, Denis Coderre and Marc Garneau need not apply, unless they’re prepared to abandon any thought of running for the permanent leadership.

That narrows the choice to a handful of bilingual MPs, including Scott Brison, John McCallum, Geoff Regan, Joyce Murray and Mauril Belanger.

The Liberal caucus is to meet Wednesday to begin discussions on choosing an interim leader.

The caucus choice must be approved by the party’s 36-member national board, which includes a significant number of LeBlanc leadership supporters.