"Young Liberals prez backing Scott Brison for party leadership"
Young Liberals prez backing Scott Brison for party leadership(Liberal-Leadership)
Source: The Canadian Press
Mar 23, 2006 14:33
By Jennifer Ditchburn
OTTAWA (CP) - The president of the Young Liberals of Canada is throwing his support behind MP Scott Brison for the leadership of the party.
Richard Diamond said he met with most of the prospective candidates and decided to back the former public works minister, and former Tory.
``He's always demonstrated that he's bright, capable and energetic, and I think he speaks to a generational change that is really need right now if we are to appeal to young voters,'' Diamond said.
Diamond's support is significant because the Young Liberals make up a strong voting bloc during leadership conventions. About one-third of all delegates come from student clubs across the country.
Diamond said he would lobby fellow young Liberals to support Brison, but his endorsement doesn't automatically signal the backing of other members.
Former prime minister Paul Martin's team was very adept at securing the vote of young Liberals, many of whom ended up working with him on Parliament Hill. But his team was also criticized for setting up ``paper clubs'' on university campuses, clubs that only existed to send voting delegates to the convention.
Brison, and potential competitors Belinda Stronach and Ken Dryden will be trying to woo other young Liberals this weekend in Ottawa during the youth wing's executive meeting.
Diamond said Brison's relatively short history with the Liberals should not be a deterrent. Brison was a Progressive Conservative MP until 2003.
``His vision is much more Liberal than many members of our own caucus,''
Diamond said.
``In the time that he has been a member, he had demonstrated the he is a true liberal. He believes in prosperity and that should be balanced with a social conscience and a progressive social agenda.''
Brison has yet to formally announce he is running for the leadership. To date, only businesswoman Martha Hall Findlay and MP John Godfrey have revealed their intentions.
Liberals will choose their leader on the weekend of Dec. 2-3.
INDEX: POLITICS
(c) 2005 The Canadian Press
posted by Scott Brison for Liberal Leader at 6:13 AM
4 Comments:
I would give anything to see 59-year-old Ken Dryden "wooing young Liberals." (And before you call some Human Rights Commission and charge me with 'ageism', Mr Dryden is my junior).
Wow - a month between posts and still nothing on "RUHappyNowg8"
There's no bias here....
Way to go Richard!
Brison is appealing to Young Liberals and is representative of the generational change that the Party needs.
Please give Jason $10 so Liblogs can continue. go to Cherniak on Politics to donate. Liblogs is a privilege for us, not a right.
He needs to incorporate to protect his liability. This is what he feels he has to do for his comfort in order to ensure liblogs continues without jeopardizing his future.
Liblogs helps us get read and listened to. It also easily keeps us in touch with one another.
Please donate. It's easy. You can even use a friends credit card and then give them $10 if you don't have one or mail him a cheque. PayPal is a double blind system that is very secure. I checked.
$10 is not very much for what we get to do here.
If you have already donated. Thank-you and ignore this message.
Shoshana
Post a Comment
<< Home