Persona non grata

Liberals wasted no time erasing MPP Tim Peterson from their consciousness yesterday.

Barely five hours after he announced he was quitting Ontario's governing party to run as a Progressive Conservative in next fall's election, Liberal apparatchiks printed up new full-colour posters with head shots of their 68 caucus members.

Absent was Tim Peterson, brother of former Liberal premier David Peterson.

So quickly were the posters rushed off the press that the ink was still tacky when they were delivered to Queen's Park reporters.

For David Peterson, the defection was particularly galling, which makes it all the more ironic to note he attended an event for the president of Liberia at the University of Toronto yesterday with dignitaries including Liberal MP Belinda Stronach, whom he helped lure from the Conservatives.

The biggest vacancy in Ottawa

Shifting policy positions, infighting and backbiting, the language difficulties of leader Stephane Dion... The problems for the federal Liberal party are apparent to all.

But pundits and political strategists trying to figure out the problems that have beset an organization most often described as the most successful political party in North America -- can put down their pens.

A not-so-exhaustive Toronto Star investigation has pinpointed the source of the Liberal woes.

From the National Executive list....

 

            Leader Stéphane Dion
            President Senator Marie-P. Poulin
            Past President Mike Eizenga
            VP, English Douglas Ferguson
            VP, French Brigitte Legault …

Chair, Standing Committee on Policy Development Joan Bourassa
Chair, Standing Committee Organization Vacant
Chair, Standing Committee Constitution & Legal Affairs Johanne Brodeur
Chair, Standing Committee Constitution & Legal Affairs Martin MacLachlan
Chair, Standing Committee Communications & Publicity Richard Diamond
Chair, Standing Committee on Multiculturalism Amarjit Grewal

Feeling each other's pain

Premier Dalton McGuinty had some words of solace for his new best-friend-forever Prime Minister Stephen Harper after Ottawa doled out $1.52 billion for transit infrastructure in the Greater Toronto Area on Tuesday.

When the Star's Richard "The Badger" Brennan dared to shout out a question to McGuinty -- in violation of Harper's heavy-handed media strategy -- the premier turned to the PM and flashed a grin.

"Let me just take the opportunity to offer you my deepest sympathy. I understand that Richard Brennan now finds himself on Parliament Hill," said McGuinty.

"But to make matters even worse, he's assumed responsibility as president of the press gallery there," quipped the premier.

"My deepest sympathies."

Harper seemed almost overcome with emotion at the kind gesture.

"Well, thank you for that," beamed the Prime Minister.

Brennan, who badgered McGuinty for years at Queen's Park, is the first person to have been press gallery president at both QP and Ottawa.

And, no, McGuinty did not answer the question because Brennan wasn't on Harper's sanctioned list of questioners.

ROAD TO DAMASCUS

The official thank you for Premier Dalton McGuinty at the provincial Liberal fundraiser Thursday night in Toronto was delivered by Geoff Smith, president of EllisDon, the big construction company, and chair of the Ontario Liberal Fund.

"My name is Geoff Smith and I'm standing up here for one reason, and that's because I think the premier is a terrific fellow," said Smith.

Smith didn't always think so highly of McGuinty, however. Back in 1999, when McGuinty was Leader of the Opposition and heading into a provincial election, Smith formed a group called Liberals for Harris to help campaign for the re-election of Mike Harris and the Conservatives.

Asked on Thursday night what prompted his conversion from opponent to supporter of McGuinty, Smith responded rather lamely that in 1999 McGuinty "was a guy that I didn't know."

McGuinty himself said: "I like to think that we're making progress and converting doubters along the way."