Angry in the Great White North

Before we get into this letter, a note to some of my readers.  There is a feeling among some of you that I am somehow after Garth Turner.  Let me explain what has happened.  When Garth Turner lost his re-election bid, I essentially lost interest in Garth Turner.  He had become a private citizen and I felt he had the right to a life outside of the glare of public politics.  Indeed, people sent me emails discussing Garth Turner's pessimistic view of the economy and other tidbits.  I politely declined to pursue those stories.  Garth Turner, private citizen, had an opinion about the economy.  So what?  He's entitled to one.  So am I.  No story there.

Things changed when Garth Turner decided to use his book launch as a Liberal Party fundraising mechanism.  I posted about some of the interesting aspects of this, given that this was a political event.  From that a new stream of information started, from within the Liberal riding association, information that would be of interest to people following Canadian politics.

So where are we now?

As I said, Garth Turner has re-engaged with the Halton Liberals.  Perhaps he never really went away.  In any case, on May 21, Garth Turner is incorporating the launch of his latest book into a Liberal Party fundraiser.  But I've gotten word that all is not well.  Indeed, the rumour is that the HFLA Board of Directors is split on an issue that is not on anyone's radar -- Garth Turner's future in the HFLA.

The full details of these rumours have been kept under wraps...until now.  I've been waiting for some sort of confirmation.

I've already posed this question: Is Garth Turner attempting a comeback?  Does he want to carry the Liberal banner in the next election? 

Steve Savage, the HFLA president, seems to be behind the idea.  The HFLA website makes no mention of today's Liberals under Michael Ignatieff, or of Michael Ignatieff at all.  Instead, the home page announces Garth Turner's book launch, and posts a letter from Steve Savage in which he praises Garth Turner.  Furthermore, he doesn't sound confident that anyone can represent Halton Liberals as well as Garth Turner:

Most callers have been fully supportive of the Hon. Garth Turner and the work that he did. Garth was a good MP who delivered as promised. His town hall meetings and open communicative style made him a favourite in Halton and with Canadians from coast to coast. Other callers have shared concerns regarding who is best to represent the Liberals in Halton.

He definitely sets the stage for a Garth Turner return.

So what are these rumours I've been hearing?

Specifically, the rumour is that Steve Savage, Garth Turner's former campaign manager Esther Shaye (architect of the CPAC debacle), and Don McGowan are pushing hard to have Garth Turner back as the only Liberal candidate for the riding.  Not surprisingly, all three names appear on the book launch flyer.  On the other side is the rest of the Board of Directors, who are opposed to having Garth Turner back.  The suggestion is that they feel Garth Turner is too polarizing a figure, perhaps too closely tied with failed former Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion.

To try to get to the bottom of this, I sent an email to each member of the board.  Thanks to the help of Esther Shaye, I have that email list.  This is what I sent:

Request for comment:

I have a report that at the recent meeting at the Ivey Arms, the Directors of the Halton Liberal Riding Association were at odds over Garth Turner's future role with the Halton Liberals.

As a member of the Board of Directors for the riding association, I am looking for comment on this story.  If you are no longer a member, please ignore this email.

In the report I have, Steve Savage , Esther Shaye and Don Mcgowan are pushing to have Garth Turner carry the Liberal banner in a future election campaign.  However, there is no consensus on this, and indeed some active opposition to the idea.

Any comments you can provide concerning this report would be helpful in adding clarity to the question of Garth Turner's future in Halton as a Liberal.  It is a question that is of interest to many political observers in Canada and would be considered newsworthy.

Responses are for publication, but I will attribute responses to "unnamed board members" if desired.

I haven't received any direct response yet.  But Steve Savage did send an email to the board members, prompted by my request for comment, and I have received a copy from someone within the board membership:

Dear Liberal Team,

Recently you may have received an email  from a professional conservative agitator named Steve Janke. Please ignore his email - do not respond to him. He is merely trying to stir up dirt over internal Liberal matters that I know you will keep to ourselves.

As Liberals we may have different opinions on how to free our riding and our country of the current Reform Party style mis-management that Stephen Harper and his group brought to Ottawa. We are all united on the fact that we want our riding and our country back! We must also not lose sight of the fact that we are the only major political party left that truly represents Canadian values. Because of this - any internal disputes should be resolved internally and not broadcast to the other side. Anyone doing this should truly question their Liberal values and know that they are letting the entire Liberal team down.

Agitators like Janke will try anything to encourage animosity among our Liberal family. Responding to him just feeds his fire.  I know that we can count on each one of to act as a true Liberal and to ignore attempts such as this to stir up our family.

Best regards,

Steve Savage

Professional implies I get paid to do this.  I wish!

But I find it interesting that Steve Savage felt the need to send this email:

• If the rumours about infighting over Garth Turner's future role were completely off base, then there would be no email.  It's not quite as good as confirmation, but it comes pretty close.
• Internal Liberal matters?  So there are discussions about Garth Turner going on.  Discussions that certain people don't want made public.
• The second paragraph confirms that there are "different opinions" concerning the strategy for the next election ("how to free our riding").  The appeal to Liberal unity is a clear indication that emotions are riding high, and that there is disunity in the ranks right now.
• Then there is a reference to "internal disputes" needing to be resolved "internally" and "not broadcast" to the other side.  Well, too late for that.  And thanks for the confirmation about internal disputes.  That's what I've been waiting for.
• Then the veiled threat.  Any one who leaks information is not really a Liberal.  Like the person who sent me this letter.  Shame on you!

So far from trying to "stir up" the Liberals in Halton, I've been able to provide my readers, some of them Halton voters from all parties, with some insight into what his happening inside the riding association.  The hints have been pointing in this direction, and Steve Savage's letter essentially confirms it.  There is a faction within the riding association that feels that Garth Turner is the only candidate that ought to be allowed represent the Liberal Party in the next election.  They are in a struggle with another faction that appears as determined to make certain that Garth Turner is not the face of the Liberal Party in Halton (or at least, that he not simply be handed the job unopposed). 

The exact composition of these factions is still unclear to me.  Perhaps I'll be getting more information on that soon.

That Steve Savage seems so desperate to keep this quiet is interesting in itself.  Of course, there is a sense that this is internal, for now, and that's understandable.  But I also wonder if Steve Savage is worried that if Liberals at large within Halton got wind of a serious attempt to put Garth Turner back as candidate without going through a larger nomination process, they might get involved, and agitate against Garth Turner as a candidate.  Steve Savage and his faction might be hoping that they win the internal fight first, out of the view of the rank-and-file Liberal Party membership of the riding.  They would go public only after having secured Garth Turner's role as the preferred candidate of the board of directors.  Faced with this fait accompli, any dissent would quickly dissipate.

Is Steve Savage worried that Garth Turner's polarizing presence would make a more open debate about a future candidacy too disruptive and damaging to Liberal unity in Halton?

All interesting speculation.  Hopefully more information from within the HFLA will help clear this up, and allow Liberals in Halton to approach the board running their riding association with their concerns, if any, about the decisions being made behind closed doors.