Liberal chiefdom race: the battle before the battle

It is a fight that is leading far from the cameras, with telephone calls, signatures and hand handles.

We make people signexplains a source in the camp of Mark Carney. It is the priority from evening to morning. The former governor of the Bank of Canada spends his days on the phone to mobilize organizers. He begins with his Atlantic contacts in the morning and finished with the Pacific Coast in the evening, following the time zones.

Chrystia Freeland also saw her phone taped. The former Minister of Finance spends 11 hours a day to the phone calls she gives to activists and organizers from one ocean to another. She even published a photo of her on social media, where she is seen with four cellular.

The candidates for the succession of Justin Trudeau have only one goal in mind: to register as many new activists as possible, in the four corners of the country, who will offer them their vote when choosing the new Liberal chief, March 9 next.

Time is running out. THE PLC set for next Monday, January 27, the deadline to become a member and be eligible for the vote to choose the next chef.

The important thing right now: getting in touch with local organizers who can help recruit members.

The various camps focus on the constituencies say orphans In the country, those who are not represented by liberal deputies. For what? They often have fewer activists registered and are easier to grasp for a camp or the other. This is the key.

All the districts of Canada have an equal weight, with a score system, in the chief’s choice. A county that has only a few dozen liberal activists registered in the north of Saskatchewan is as important as another who has hundreds in Toronto.

It’s really a background and field campaignexplains a liberal source.

In other words, it is the battle before the battle.

A race for the chiefdom should not be confused with an electoral campaign. It is not the same strategy.

Once the deadline on Monday has passed, the dynamics in the campaign will change, warn several liberals. We will go from a recruitment phase to a persuasive phaseexplains a relative of Chrystia Freeland.

Carney advantage?

To recruit activists, you need trendy and experienced organizers in each province.

In Quebec, Mark Carney can count on the extended network of Minister Mélanie Joly, who co -chaired the national campaign in 2021. Former Minister David Lometti gives a hand to mobilize the troops in his former district of Lasalle – Emard – Verdun. Minister François-Philippe Champagne will also be able to get involved outside the Montreal region.

Mark Carney will also take his first steps in Quebec field in Shawinigan on Sunday, where Minister Champagne will confirm his support during an event.

In Ontario, the former central banker managed to grapple the former liberal minister Navdeep Bains and his patriarch Papa Bains, two influential organizers of the Sikhe community. Mark Carney also has support in the Muslim community, according to a high -placed liberal source.

In British Columbia, the Minister of Confession Sikhe Harjit Sajjan also activates his network in favor of Mark Carney, as did the president of the provincial section of PLCDuncan Wlodarczak.

In the liberal ranks, several sources consulted by - believe that Mark Carney has the advantage from the point of view of the machine Currently, but that nothing is played.

The Freeland camp has not said its last word. First because the former Minister of Finance also counts on key politicians on the ground, for example the president of the Caucus du Québec, Stéphane Lauzon, that of Ontario, Michael Coteau, and ministers like Mark Holland or Terry Beach.

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The national director of campaign of Chrystia Freeland, Tom Allison, is also used to leadership races. He worked on fifteen of them in total, including the one Kathleen Wynne won in Ontario.

And then, even if Mark Carney seems to be taking shape like the leader, recognizes a source in the Freeland camp, everything could change in the end.

Chrystia Freeland has a lot of political experience, while Mark Carney has embarked in something he has never done so faradds this source close to the former minister. We do not know if he is going to be as good in this job as in the other positions he has held. It is a risk for him and for all those who support him.

Until now, more than forty liberal elected officials have supported Mark Carney, against about 25 for Chrystia Freeland.

The next liberal chief will be chosen on March 9.