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OTTAWA - (Web
posted March 8, 2002 @ 12:10 p.m.) Stockwell Day admits the race to lead the
Canadian Alliance into the next federal election is a close one, but he said on
Friday he has the support of the majority of Canadians.
.JPG) "By
a margin of two to one Canadians, who are not supporters of the Canadian
Alliance, would vote for me over my nearest rival in this race," said the
former CA leader.
"We're feeling encouraged but I do feel
it's going to be close."
Day mailed his ballot in the leadership contest on Friday in Ottawa.
The deadline to mail the ballots is March
15, and the results will be announced in Calgary on March 20.
He's up against
former Reform member of Parliament Stephen Harper, and two CA MPs from Alberta
Grant Hill and Diane Ablonczy.
Harper and Day are the acknowledged
frontrunners in the campaign, and have done most of the public bickering over
who's best suited to lead the party.
Hill and Ablonczy have spent most of the
campaign advocating a unity platform with the Tories.
During the leadership race more than 50,000
new members joined the Canadian Alliance, the bulk of those people were signed
up by Day's campaign team.
"I'm ahead in the membership and also
among Canadians," said Day during a media scrum.
Harper, however, is the clear winner in
caucus support. A total of 28 Canadian Alliance MPs have said they intend to vote for Harper.
As party members mail in their ballots, the public
squabbling between Harper and Day is heating
up in the process.
A Harper-Day debate, televised on the CBC
Newsworld program Politics on Thursday, contained lots of verbal sparring as
both candidates tried to woe last-minute voters.
.JPG) Day
continued that tradition on Friday, by questioning Harper's commitment to the
Alliance.
"Three of us (Day, Hill and Ablonczy)
have said absolutely that we aspire to be MPs whether we win or lose," said
Day. "So it's a situation of do you only want to be in this race if you can
be the quarterback of the team. If
you can't be the quarterback are you still going to play ball with the others.
I'm still in this for the team."
And if Day succeeded in being elected CA
leader for the second time in almost two years, he said Harper would be a key
member of his caucus.
"He has a lot to offer," said Day,
"as do the other two candidates and I would want them very keenly
involved."
A candidate must win 50 per cent plus one of
the ballots cast to become party leader. If a clear winner is not decided a
second round of voting will be launched.
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