Liberal MPs meet to endorse Ignatieff

OTTAWA – Michael Ignatieff is set to be named the new leader of the federal Liberal party before the day is over, following a meeting of the party’s caucus Wednesday when he is expected to get a full endorsement to replace Stephane Dion.

The meeting of 77 MPs and 58 senators got underway at 10 a.m. ET and is scheduled to last for four hours. Their recommendation to have Ignatieff take the reins will go the party’s national executive, which has the right to appoint an interim leader who will be ratified – or could be challenged by another candidate – at a scheduled convention April 29 to May 3 in Vancouver.

The Liberal MPs were in an upbeat mood as they headed into the meeting on Parliament Hill.

Ignatieff, a 61-year-old Toronto MP was left the only man in the leadership contest Tuesday when his chief rival and longtime friend Bob Rae abruptly bowed out after failing to persuade the party’s executive to hold a grassroots leadership election using online and phone ballots and calculating he could not beat Ignatieff.

At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Rae praised his friend that he has known since their youth, saying Ignatieff would make a great prime minister and is talented, wise, compassionate, generous, humourous and has a network of friends and contacts around the world.

Ignatieff was a Harvard professor and globe-trotting writer known internationally for his commentary on conflict and human rights that was lured back to Canada by a group of Liberals a few years ago with the promise of a rising-star political career.

Rae urged his supporters to put their disappointment aside and unite behind the new Liberal leader.

Events leading to the acclamation of Ignatieff as the party’s new chief began to unfold Monday when Dion announced he was prepared to step aside months ahead of schedule so that a new leader could be in place before Parliament resumes Jan. 26. Dion decided to give up the job in October after the election, but was originally going to stay on as leader until the party’s convention in May. Pressure for him to leave early mounted when the Liberals and NDP formed a coalition and vowed to defeat the Conservatives.

The contest to replace Dion was between Rae, Ignatieff and New Brunswick MP Dominic LeBlanc, but LeBlanc withdrew on Monday and pledged his support to Ignatieff. That added to the pressure for Rae to step aside. When the party executive decided early Tuesday morning that to select an interim leader it would only consult with some Liberals instead of all members of the party as Rae wanted, he calculated that he wouldn’t have enough support to beat his friend and fellow Toronto MP.

"From a personal standpoint it’s the right thing to do," Rae told reporters on Tuesday afternoon.

The party constitution provides that when a leader resigns, the party executive appoints a leader in consultation with caucus. The executive, in addition to the Liberal caucus recommendation, is also consulting with about 500 other Liberals by phone and email and that process will be wrapped up by about 1 p.m. ET. Then a formal announcement is expected about an hour later.

Technically, Ignatieff will be acclaimed interim caucus leader and recommended as party leader. He, Rae and LeBlanc are all expected to address the Liberal caucus at the meeting.

Also on the agenda will be the future of the Liberal-NDP coalition that was formed with the support of the Bloc Quebecois.

Ignatieff’s view of the pact that threatened to defeat the minority Conservative government before Parliament was suspended last week is "a coalition if necessary but not necessarily a coalition."

By contrast Rae, the former NDP premier of Ontario, was determined to keep the coalition going and to defeat Prime Minister Stephen Harper, no matter what the Jan. 27 budget contained, on grounds his government is not worthy of confidence or trust.

© Canwest News Service 2008