Inspiring Leadership

Good on Canada, the political aspirational field is just bursting with a new field of leaders prepared to surpass all expectations, fired by the enthusiasm experienced second-hand, south of our border. We'll look for our own fiery, yet quietly controlled leadership material, those that are imbued with a vision for the future, and the calm resolve to meet adversity head on, leading us steadfastly through the disasters of our time toward success.

Worried about our fragile environment and the manner in which Canada may best cope with the responsibilities inherent in a wealthy country's abilities to innovate and make sacrifices for our future? Look no further, the Green party is ready to take us into victory on a scale hitherto not yet imagined. Look what happened in America! And here is the redoubtable leader of the Greens, Elizabeth May.

Her leadership throughout the course of our just-completed election was truly inspired; to cross Canada via train, and greet small-town Canada, inciting us to vote. And vote we most certainly did, for no fewer than 840,747 Canadians gave their votes to the Greens. Result? Not a single seat in the House of Commons. What? Their leader lost in her choice of ridings?

Well, stubborn is as stubborn does, and Ms. May in her wisdom, determined the riding for her was one where she was up against Conservative Cabinet Minister Peter MacKay, a family dynasty of leadership in Nova Scotia, where most voters would never see past the gravy train that the MacKays have presented over the years. Yet she vows to run in that very same riding of Central Nova again. That's some leader.

Then there's the Liberal Party, the once-labelled 'natural governing party of Canada', come undone through the unspeakable shenanigans and outright wink-wink corruption ladled on with the Jean Chretien successions, patching up differences, and re-assembling to present as a brand new party for the future. Our future, with, once again, a chastened and determined Liberal government.

The three leadership candidates have been engaging in a bit of a scrum resulting in a rather unseemly public row of acerbic blame and finger-pointing. These are two adults in their early 60s, whose friendship has somehow come undone with both butting heads against their perceived privilege of 'me first' on the inner edge. We've the complacently smirking Michael Ignatieff and the whining floor-crosser, Bob Rae.

Almost forget the third candidate, the young pup of 40, son of a former Governor-General. Dominic LeBlanc whose major platform appears to be that the party cannot move forward under the direction of tired old sticks, but is in dire need of young blood; like his. Dominic LeBlanc, distinguished by his father's appointment as head of state, while he, sitting in parliament for the last 8 years remains an unknown quantity.

This is leadership material? Almost forgot; we, the Canadian public, have recently undergone a vote and look at that, we've got someone with a vision for Canada, a moderate, intelligent, young political figure of integrity and good judgement whose accomplishments for Canada's well being are many, and we've good reason to anticipate much, much more to come.