The week or so after a federal election is a period of reflection for political parties. As we speak, the Conservatives might be saying, “Wow, I guess we just didn’t give enough to Quebec—maybe we should give them more.” And the NDP might be saying, “Yes! We did it. We came in last. For the sixteenth time in a row. Well done, people.” And for the Liberals? How do I put this nicely? Let’s just say it’s pretty clear at this point that nobody will ever make a movie of the week about Stéphane Dion. Not even a fully funded CBC.
In politics, of course, people lose all the time. But it always comes as a huge shock to the Liberals, because they like to believe they are the natural governing party of Canada. That’s a phrase that harkens back to 1896—and nothing much in the party has changed since.
Look at the way the Liberals choose a leader. Members of the party don’t actually get to vote for the leader—oh no, no, no, that would be madness. Instead, they choose a delegate. And when they choose their delegate, they hoist them up on their shoulders and they march them down to the train station and then send them off to Montreal somewhere. And then, three days later, some guy named Gerard Kennedy makes a backroom deal and then, suddenly, the guy in third place who can’t communicate becomes the leader. Then there’s an election. Then they lose.
Here’s an idea. From now on, how about members of the party actually get to vote for the leader? And instead of these old fashioned multimillion-dollar conventions, do it on the Internet. Hell, you can do your banking on it, you can buy a kidney on it—surely to God you can figure out a way to vote for the leader of a political party on it.
The point is, if the Liberal Party ever wants to be relevant ever again, it’s time for them to rebuild that party from the ground up. Which is a nice way of saying it’s time to break out the Bic lighter and the gasoline. And the beauty of it is, the time is now—because no matter what changes they make, they can’t screw it up any more than it is already.