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Day
prepares to ask
for his old job back |
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 By
Alan Martin and Paul Northcott,
PoliticsWatch.com. First web posted @ 5:30 p.m., January, 7,
2001
Ottawa - Stockwell Day's bid to
regain control of the Canadian Alliance, the party he led for 18 tumultuous
months is expected to begin in Montreal on Monday.
Day's tenure began in July 2000 when he defeated Reform Party leader and founder
Preston Manning for the leadership of the Alliance, which emerged from Reform's
dissolution.
With Day at the helm of the CA, there was some hope on Canada's political right
that they had a leader who could unite conservatives and prevent the Liberals
from winning a third straight term in office.
That optimism was short lived.
Day stumbled during the November federal election campaign, and when the votes
were counted the Alliance captured 66 of Parliament's 301 seats.
The seat count was enough to put Day in Stornoway - the residence of the leader
of the Official Opposition - but it fell short of expectations and there was no
major breakthrough in seat-rich Ontario.
Disillusionment
with Day's leadership culminated
last summer with the defection of eight Alliance MPs, including British
Columbia's Chuck Strahl, and Alberta's Deb Grey, who was the first Reform MP elected to
the House of Commons.
The eight, who eventually became known as 'the dissidents', eventually formed a
coalition with the Conservative Party last summer.
Despite the criticism Day refused to leave, and was able to hang on by promising
there would be a leadership campaign for his job this year.
Former Calgary Reform MP Stephen
Harper and Canadian Alliance MPs Grant Hill and Diane Ablonczy have already
announced they want the CA's top job. A Toronto transvestite known as Enza
'supermodel' Anderson has also expressed her intention to run.
The new leader will be elected by mail-in ballot beginning in early March.
The winner will be announced at the party's National Convention in Edmonton from
April 4-7.
Read related stories and information:
Follow all
the latest events in the Alliance leadership @ PoliticsWatch
Day
enters campaign with blast at 'elites' (Globe and Mail)
Day
vows 'stupidness' will stop (National Post)
Day in the leadership race, blasts 'party elites'
(CBC)
Day
won't let CA 'be held hostage' (Calgary Sun)
Day
says he'll try to regain Alliance leadership; blames 'elites' for trouble
(National Post)
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