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Doer stepping down
August 27, 2009 - 12:31pm
Gary Doer is stepping down as Manitoba's premier, ending his reign as the longest-serving of Canada's current premiers.
The 61-year-old, who has held the province's top job since 1999, leading an NDP government, is making his announcement at a news conference Thursday.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2009/08/27/mb-doer-resign-manito...
Before the inevitable attacks start, let me just say thank you.
I hope that Ontario one day is lucky enough to have as fine a Premier as Gary Doer.
It's no secret on here that I intensely dislike Doer. Good riddance.
And Ontario did once have a premier like that: Bob Rae.
I want combat pay. ;)
This is quite the fall surprise. Obviously one of the most popular recent NDP Premiers and going out on top.
So, who's up for the Premiership?
Good question. But I hope Gary realizes that his Senate or G-G opportunities hinge on Iggy winning power... He should have a chat with his predecessor (Ed Schreyer).
Oh, and Michelle: Request denied, unless you can show proof of combat-related disability. You've never fallen in action yet.
Bill Blaikie?
What's Bill Blaikie up to these days?
I never looked into why environmentalists and social justice advocates would have such a strong dislike for Doer. Looks like I'll find out in this thread.
How about Pat Martin?
Why do you tempt me such, o babble?
Please tell me you're joking.
No he is serious and as a green partisan this makes perfect sense.
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Soothsayers had a better record of prediction than economists
NDP MLA MN
http://www.ndpcaucus.mb.ca/newCaucus/?q=mla&constituency=Elmwood
I think that Jennifer Howard should take a run at it. If Blaikie runs, I think he'd get it (and that he'd easily win the 2011, but I doubt that he'd serve for very long). Howard could establish herself as a credible heir apparent. If he doesn't run, I think that the race would be wide open and she would have as much a chance of winning as anyone else.
Think it would be an amazing life time acomplishment for Blaikie, and I also agree about Howard, Scott.
I'm in a bit of shock right now, mostly because this was so unexpected. Gary has been leader of the party since I was eight (!) and was leader the whole time I was active in the party. It's hard to imagine someone else as leader.
Was he perfect as premier? No. Could he have been more aggressive in pursuing certain policies? Yes. But on the whole, he ran an effective, competent, progressive government that has a record of achievement NDPers can be proud of. There will be naysayers, of course, mostly single-issue activist types who want everything on their wish list handed to them on a silver platter, but if you look at the reactions on most mainstream sites people believe that Doer did a good job.
Moving on to the leadership speculation, here's my two cents:
Likely frontrunners: Bill Blaikie, Greg Selinger, Teresa Oswald
Will run, but won't win: Steve Ashton
Possible dark horses: Nancy Allan, Andrew Swan, Judy Wasylicia-Leis
Much as I like Pat Martin personally, I agree with genstrike - he just does not have the temperment to be leader. If anyone from the existing federal caucus makes a bid, it will be Judy WL.
Hats off to Gary and the Manitoba NDP. Just wish we had someone like Gary and his team running the show here in have-not Liberal Ontariariario. Come mr tallyman tally me banana...
You do.
ahahaha ha ha.
unionist: good one!
Yeah, those single issue activist types are a bunch of jerks and naysayers, and we shouldn't listen to them. Damn activists. Like this guy. But he's just another naysayer who doesn't deserve any awards.
I wonder how serious a contender Bill Blaikie would be. I believe he is the same age or older than Doer and while he now has a seat in the Manitoba legislature - he has only been there six months and hasn't even been given a cabinet portfolio yet. All his experience is as an extremely effective opposition critic in the federal parliament. He has never actually run anything. Now its true that the same could be said for Darrell Dexter or Jack Layton or Andrea Horwath or Carol James - but none of these people were chosen as leaders of parties that had been in office for many years where there is a wealth of people with cabinet experience to choose from!
Imagine if Judy W-L ran for the leadership and won and Gary Doer decided to run federally in her seat - just for the fun of it. Forget about any talk of Doer ever being federal leader - he speaks no French and that disqualifies him - no ifs, ands or buts!
At age 61, Doer is 2 years old than Jack Layton, so I don't see him contemplating a switch to federal politics, short of an overwhelming up-surge in NDP support nationally.
Even if he is, which Winnipeg seat would he run in?
Is there another winnable seat in Winnipeg for the NDP, besides the 3 they already have?
Kildonan-ST. Paul?
What about High Commissioner to Australia?
You people have no sense of tradition.
Good luck to him. As long as he's not replaced by one of the many feverish and fanatical Zionists in the Manitoba NDP, of which there are far too many, I'm sure a good replacement will be found. Doer has done his party a favor by bowing out while on top. Let's hope, however, that his successor is more to the left. If she or he was any more to the right, they'd have to be recruited from a different party.
Sorry, it was impossible to resist.
Not just on abortion rights, as genstrike has pointed out, but on a number of other issues such as anti-scab legislation, (Quebec and at least one other province "somehow" managed to pass this) Doer's pro-war public statements, and so on, the Premier could have taken a much better line on a number of issues. He was unwilling to take such a risk, despite his enormous lead in popularity, and one wonders what it would take for an NDP Premier to take any such risks such as, say, the introduction of universal medical coverage as one NDP type Premier in the Prairies once did I understand ...
There were a lot more women elected in the most recent election, especially for the NDP, and one might hope that at least one of them makes a strong showing in the upcoming leadership race.
...as if the views on Israel/Palestine of the premier of one of Canada's prairie provinces are of any relevance to anyone?? Are you planning on grilling anyone running for city council in Brandon over their views on a settlement freeze on the West bank??
Good. Maybe you can answer why the Manitoba Premier kept addressing foreign policy matters, by his endless and nauseating "support of the troops" mantra?
Scrape that off your high black leather boots, big boy.
Yeah, if Pat Martin didn't keep drooling over the troops and Israel and anti-BQ loyalty oaths to Her "Majesty", there would be less reason to feel a faint tinge of disgust whenever his name is mentioned. But of course, when you agree with such positions (as Stockholm does), you say the sorts of things that Stockholm says.
Interesting. No doubt she'd be a fine candidate; highly intelligent, yet likeable and down to earth. She's a relative newcomer, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I wonder if she's interested?
Godddamit, where's Jeff House when we need him? Now that guy could fight dirty.