Party faithful rising to Tory caucus challenge
Members of the Island’s Progressive Conservative caucus took a calculated risk when they declared publicly that none of them would be seeking fellow caucus member James Aylward’s job as party leader.
Aylward announced on Sept. 17 that he would be stepping down once a successor is chosen.
The timing of Aylward’s announcement, less than 11 months after being elevated to the position and just several months before an anticipated provincial election, was surprising. His leadership was never tested in a provincial vote, but his decision followed some disappointing polling results that have shown support for the Progressive Conservatives to be on the decline, and support for the Green Party on the rise. Aylward chose to step aside for the good of the party.
Just as surprising, though, was the announcement that came soon afterwards, that no sitting PC MLA would be seeking Aylward’s position.
It could have sent a signal that sitting members were not willing to take the wheel of a sinking ship, but it appears their announcement has worked as it was intended: It threw the door wide open to any party member interested in helping to right that ship. Already, several Islanders have expressed interest in doing so and two – Allan Dale and Dennis King – have made official public announcements that they want to be the leader of the party after the Feb. 9 leadership convention. Sarah Stewart-Clark, already nominated as the PC candidate for CharlottetownHillsborough Park, is expected to officially enter the race on Monday.
So, that’s already one more than the number of candidates who sought the party leadership in October 2017, when Aylward beat out fellow caucus colleague Brad Trivers for the top job. Others are kicking the tires, including Shawn Driscoll who made some waves within the party this week by calling into question the impartiality of the nomination process.
Driscoll also casts attention on the party’s so-called ‘Old Boys Club’ – and that’s fine. If the party is to get back to its glory days, it has to finally shed that ‘Club’ image and move forward with a fresh approach. Driscoll has put that discussion out in the open The party and the leadership candidates have a little more than two months to demonstrate a fresh approach to provincial politics and to emerge from the Feb. 9 convention united and ready for the next provincial election. The party’s current caucus got the ship sailing in that direction by tossing out the challenge for someone new to take the wheel.
The more people who join the party’s leadership race, including those who challenge the way things were done, the better. Individual candidates help build a party’s membership and they create renewed interest in the party.
Debate, dispute and discuss, and then turn it over to the party’s growing membership to decide who is the best choice, from all of the interested contenders, to resonate with the voters and get the party back on course.