For the last little while we’ve had a lot of political activity in almost all the provinces across Canada. There are relatively new governments in British Columbia and Quebec. We’ve had parties return to power in Manitoba and New Brunswick. They’re going to the polls in Nova Scotia as we speak and an Ontario election is around the corner.
There’s also a lot of talk about a federal election coming up next spring and a big mayoralty race in Toronto.
It occurs to me however, that the most interesting political activity for all of us is the selection of a new Liberal party leader.
If you are following all this in the media, you may have heard or read that the convention in Toronto is going to be an easy victory for Paul Martin. The word is that he has overwhelming support from cabinet ministers and other liberal insiders. Some folks suggest that this is not going to be a race but rather an anointing. We will soon get used to saying Prime Minister Martin rather than just Paul Martin.
That's fine with me. He seems like as good a person as any to be our prime minister. I had a chance a while back to speak to Prime, or rather Paul Martin and he seemed very capable and confident. He even posed for a picture holding a copy of REM.
With regard to Sheila Copps, she is a good candidate for this job too. Like Paul Martin, she comes from a great political family. Her father, Vic Copps, a former Hamilton mayor, was very well liked and she continues to uphold the great respect that people have for the Copps name and legacy.
But I must tell you that I was very disappoined when John Manley dropped out of the race on July 22.
Manley does not come from a strong political family. Neither has he had the luxury of a wealthy upbringing. This fellow grew up in a family looking for affordable housing. One CBC pundit said he’s a kid from the projects. He has bank loans like a lot of other folks in the country. He is the only person in his family to achieve a university degree. He is a family man, who does not flaunt pictures of his kids but guards their privacy.
Beyond his humble beginnings, he is regarded as an egghead, an intellectual in a world of political motivations. He has handled some pretty heavy-duty portfolios like finance and even deputy prime minister.
He seems to be the only person in our government to gain the respect and friendship of the American government. And regardless of anyone’s opinion of U.S. politics, they are our neighbours and we have to get along with them. John Manley has quietly shown that he is capable of dealing with the challenges of international affairs and running the finances of this country.
So I found John Manley pretty compelling as potential prime minister of Canada both personally and also for the real estate industry.
For years, real estate professionals have tried to catch the eye of our government to address, if not enshrine private property rights into the constitution. Since I can remember, our government has not understood the task of the common family to “get their own place”, or to simply buy a home. There always seems to be other pressing issues for the prime minister to deal with.
It occurs to me that out of all the capable candidates, this fellow may have been the only one with the humanity to appreciate the importance of working toward the dream of simply having a home. He’s a person who has lived that challenge. He has lived that dream.
It's a shame that, come this fall, John Manley will not be the person who will be named as the next prime minister. If he had stayed in the race, I think he had a chance to win it.
Heino Molls is publisher of REM. Email [email protected].
By: Heino Molls
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