Ken Dryden could not lead a Liberal resurgence
After Ken Dryden's somewhat muddled tenure as leadership, the Liberals were looking for a successor. With a newfound influx of moderate ex-Progressive Conservatives following the PC's merger with Reform, the party was at an ideological crossroads. The Liberals went into the 2008 leadership election without a favorite.
Scott Brison, former MP for Kings-Hants ? The openly gay ex-PC leadership candidate is running as a voice of new Liberal members. Running as a social liberal and fiscal conservative, Brison is the first person to run for the leadership of two different federal parties.
St?phane Dion, MP for Saint-Laurent-Cartierville ? the runner up in the 2004 election, Dion is running a bit of an "I told you so" campaign. The Quebecer holds up the left flank of the party, running as an environmentalist and problem-solver.
Michael Ignatieff, MP for Etobicoke-Lakesore ? Ignatieff is an academic, author and rookie MP. Running as a pure centrist, he lived in the United Kingdom for most of his life. Seen by some as smart and witty, and others as arrogant and haughty, Ignatieff's inexperience in Canadian politics could hurt him, but his outsider perspective has some looking to Ignatieff as the only hope for the Liberals.
Yasmin Ratansi, MP for Don Valley East ? An Ismaili Muslim and immigrant from Tanzania, Ratansi is a lifelong Liberal activist and longtime MP for Don Valley East. Running to be the first visible minority to lead a federal political party, Ratansi is seen as a compromise candidate, acceptable to all wings of the party.
Deputy leadership candidates:
Diane St-Jacques, former MP Shefford ? St-Jacques is running as Brison's running mate, occupying very much the same ideological space as Brison (she was one of the earliest backers of same-sex marriage from any party) and as a former PC MP.
Herb Dhaliwal, MP for Vancouver South-Burnaby ? Dhaliwal received little backing during his 2004 run for leadership, but he comes back as St?phane Dion's running mate in 2008. Still representing the left-wing of the Liberal Party, Dhaliwal has made marijuana decriminalization a major part of his platform.
Dan McTeague, MP for Pickering-Scarborough East ? McTeague occupies very much the same ideological space as Michael Ignatieff, a pure centrist. A foreign policy expert who is nationally famous for his negotiations releasing Canadian citizens from prison abroad, but was the subject of controversy for attempting to prevent the rapper 50 Cent from entering Canada on tour.
Gurbax Singh Malhi, MP for Bramalea-Gore-Malton ? Malhi, the first turbaned politician elected in the western world, has long been a prominent face of the Liberal Party. Convinced to run for Deputy Leader by his close friend Yasmin Ratansi, he like her is running as a compromise candidate to unite the party. He seeks to make the Liberals the party of visible minorities in Canada.
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