Before I begin, here's a bit of background. Prior to the 2000 federal election, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien tried hard to convince Newfoundland Premier Brian Tobin, Saskatchewan Premier Roy Romanow, former New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna, and former Ontario Premier Bob Rae to run for the Liberals. Only Tobin agreed; McKenna thought the Liberals would be defeated, while, from what I remember, Romanow (a New Democrat) was uncomfortable with switching parties, despite his strong friendship with Chretien. I'm not sure why Rae didn't run, though I believe it had something to do with him wanting to take a break from politics following the defeat of his unpopular government 5 years earlier.
Anyway, this timeline is basically, "What if Chretien got his wish?", and imaging where things could have gone afterward. I'll give a shout-out to CanadianTory, whose timelines have inspired the format for this (i.e. told as CBC news stories).
Anyway, this timeline is basically, "What if Chretien got his wish?", and imaging where things could have gone afterward. I'll give a shout-out to CanadianTory, whose timelines have inspired the format for this (i.e. told as CBC news stories).
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Roy Romanow (left) and Allan Rock (right) watch as Prime Minister Jean Chretien speaks to reporters (CP)
NDP leader Alexa McDonough, whose party is likely to be hurt most by these recruits, said she was surprised by Romanow's and Rae's decision, and “hoped to two of them would have been more principled enough to decline [Chretien's] offer.”
Romanow, Tobin among shocking additions in latest cabinet shuffle
High-profile recruits have fueled election speculation
CBC News Posted: Sep 16, 2000 1:31 PM | Last Updated: Sep 16, 2000 1:31 PM
High-profile recruits have fueled election speculation
CBC News Posted: Sep 16, 2000 1:31 PM | Last Updated: Sep 16, 2000 1:31 PM
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Roy Romanow (left) and Allan Rock (right) watch as Prime Minister Jean Chretien speaks to reporters (CP)
In a stunning move likely to boost the Liberals fortunes nationwide, Prime Minister Jean Chretien has added Saskatchewan Premier Roy Romanow, Newfoundland Premier Brian Tobin, former Ontario Premier Bob Rae, and former New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna to his cabinet, and has confirmed that the four will run for the party in the next election.
The high-profile recruits have triggered an increase in speculation that an election call is imminent, particularly since Chretien is unlikely to want to keep the high-profile group of four out of the House of Commons for long.
In the unexpected cabinet shuffle earlier today, Chretien named Romanow as Justice minister, Tobin as Industry minister, Rae as Transport minister, and McKenna as National Defence minister.
Among the other notable changes, John Manley has been named as Foreign Affairs minister, taking over from Lloyd Axworthy, who previously announced he would not seek re-election. Anne McLellan, who Romanow replaced as Justice minister, has been named Solicitor General, while David Collenette has been named the Minister of Public Works and Government Services.
Speaking earlier today, Chretien told reporters that the cabinet represents the best his government has to offer, and hinted at an election.
Indeed, the group of recruits were quickly named Liberal candidates earlier today, with Romanow taking the nomination in Saskatoon—Humboldt, one of the few Liberal-friendly ridings in his province, and Tobin being nominated in Bonavista—Trinity—Conception, recently vacated by former Liberal MP Fred Mifflin. McKenna was nominated the Liberal candidate in Madawaska—Restigouche, while Rae won the nomination in York South—Weston, the riding he used to represent provincially, and where he will face Independent MP John Nunziata.
While the recruitments of Romanow and Rae, both members of the NDP, may come as a surprise, Chretien’s personal relations with both are expected to have made the decision easy. Romanow has long been a friend of Chretien, dating back to when the two were both Justice ministers during the 1981 Constitutional Accord, while Rae's brother John is a senior Chretien staffer.
Speaking to reporters later in the day, opposition leaders were quick to criticize Chretien's new recruits. Leader of the Opposition Stockwell Day claimed that Romanow and Tobin’s sudden resignations left their provinces “abandoned” and criticized the economic record of Rae, claiming that the Liberals “can no longer claim they are the party of fiscal responsibility.” Progressive Conservative leader Joe Clark echoed these statements, saying that Canadians can't trust a government that includes Rae with their finances.
Janice MacKinnon named Saskatchewan's first female Premier
Served as Deputy Premier, Minister of Finance in Romanow cabinet
CBC News Posted: Sep 17, 2000 9:13 AM | Last Updated: Sep 17, 2000 9:13 AM
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Janice MacKinnon speaking to reporters shortly after being sworn in as Saskatchewan's newest Premier (CP)
Served as Deputy Premier, Minister of Finance in Romanow cabinet
CBC News Posted: Sep 17, 2000 9:13 AM | Last Updated: Sep 17, 2000 9:13 AM
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Janice MacKinnon speaking to reporters shortly after being sworn in as Saskatchewan's newest Premier (CP)
Janice MacKinnon has been named Saskatchewan's first female Premier, replacing Roy Romanow, who announced yesterday that he was making the leap to federal politics – but not as a New Democrat, but as a Liberal.
MacKinnon, who aside from naming Pat Atkinson as Finance minister has kept Romanow's cabinet the same, told reporters that she was proud of her predecessor’s record, and confessed that she had known he had been thinking about making the leap to federal politics “for several months.”
When asked by reporters if she would run for the provincial NDP leadership, MacKinnon (who at the moment is only the interim Premier and interim leader) said that the party was in the midst of determining the date and rules of the contest, and that she would make that decision when the time comes. Other candidates rumoured to be interested in the job are former cabinet ministers Lorne Calvert and Dwight Lingenfelter.
MacKinnon dismissed suggestions that Romanow's party switch would hurt her party, saying that the political dynamic in Saskatchewan is much different at the provincial level than it is at the federal level, adding that “if [Romanow] was running in my riding, I'd be voting Liberal.”
Still, New Democrats in Saskatchewan have voiced their concern that Romanow's departure could hurt the NDP, both provincially and federally. Regina MP Lorne Nystrom told reporters that he was “disappointed” that Romanow chose to run for the Liberals instead of the NDP, and admitted that Romanow alone could possibly cause a handful of ridings to switch from the NDP or Alliance over to the Liberals.
Indeed, the NDP was already dealt a hard blow earlier today, as Churchill River MP Rick Laliberte announced that he would be crossing the floor to join the Liberals.
Nystrom said that he expected the NDP to remain in a strong position, but that he wouldn’t be surprised if the provincial Liberals saw an uptick in fortunes as a side effect.
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