Francoise Boivin is a rare find -- a rookie MP who made quite an impression:

From 2004 to 2006, Boivin was a member of the Canadian House of Commons and leader of the Liberal Party Women's Caucus. She represented the district of Gatineau. She is a former lawyer, radio and television host. She made breakthrough in politics as newly-elected Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) by being one of the first to openly oppose the US missile defence system, a point of view that ultimately became the official position of Prime Minister Paul Martin.

Françoise Boivin was also chosen to be the official seconder to the 2004 Speech of the Throne in October of that year. She was also a member of the Committee on Bill C-38 to provide legal recognition of same-sex marriage, which she supported. In Parliament, she was a member of the Subcommittee on Parliamentary Privilege and the Committee on Cities and Communities.

She was also part of the Standing Committee on Official Languages and was recently appointed to the Standing Committee on Finance. She was named "Rookie of the Year" Susan Delacourt of the Toronto Star; she was also one of the rare MP's to have never missed a vote in the House of Commons. As a member of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs which studied the topic of Electoral Reform, on May 17, 2005, when Ed Broadbent proposed a detailed resolution that the government launch a process of electoral reform, she immediately stated that she fully concurred with his resolution, which formed the basis for the Committee's Report the next month.

Now news reports are saying that Boivin is about to announce that she is re-entering federal politics -- on the side of the NDP.

The Quebec riding of Gatineau is a safe Liberal seat, one of many such safe seats that Paul Martin allowed to get away from him and the Liberal Party in 2006.  Currently, Richard Nadeau of the Bloc Quebecois represents the riding.

The latest I can find says that the Liberals have not nominated anyone in this riding yet.

If Francoise Boivin was planning to re-enter politics, why not run for the Liberals again?  Still, the NDP did well to spot this opportunity.  While Stephane Dion is busy contradicting his fellow caucus members on what the Liberal position is on Afghanistan, the NDP made a move.  Apparently she was approached by Thomas Mulcair, then Jack Layton and finally Ed Broadbent. 

You have to assume that there is a block of voters who will vote for Boivin regardless of what party she is standing for.  Even those voters who are usually more loyal to the party than to the MP are going to have second thoughts.

But when the next election comes, is Boivin going to run on a platform that includes an argument about why voters in this riding (and presumably across the country) ought not vote for the Liberal Party under Stephane Dion, similar to the reasons (still unclear) about why she won't run for Stephane Dion?

That will play well with the NDP plan to bill itself as Canada's true opposition party.  With Stephane Dion and his Liberals abstaining on votes and sending out contradictory signals, no one honestly believes the Liberals truly oppose Conservative policies.  The Liberals only oppose Conservatives as long as the Conservatives are in power.  At least that is what the NDP message will be, and getting ex-Liberals like Thomas Mulcair (a former provincial Liberal) and Francoise Boivin (a former federal Liberal), that message will have some added credibility.

The underlying message though, is more powerful.  A former colleague of Stephane Dion has decided that the country is better served if he is not allowed to lead the next government.  And this former colleague has decided to actively help in that regard.

That's a pretty harsh indictment of Stephane Dion's leadership.  An insult, in fact.  Not the first and not likely the last.

Search for more opinions from Canadian bloggers on these related keywords
 Francoise Boivin  Stephane Dion  Liberal Party  Jack Layton  NDP  Gatineau  Quebec  Ed Broadbent  Thomas Mulcair  Richard Nadeau  Bloc Quebecois 

Sphere presents related news articles and blog posts
Sphere It!