Liberal Leadership Convention 2006

My name is Derek Tsang, and I was elected as a Stéphane Dion delegate from St. Paul's, in Toronto. This is the story of one delegate's journey to Montreal.

The pre-game

Just four hours before the delegate deadline, I receive an e-mail from Steve MacKinnon of the Liberal Party, encouraging rank-and-file members to stand as a delegate. I figure, 'why not', after all, it doesn't cost anything! So I submit my Form 6 'Intention to Stand as a Delegate' to the Stéphane Dion campaign in Ottawa by fax.

Super Weekend

Sunday, October 1, 2006 - I've done no campaigning whatsoever, and I have few connections to our riding association. I close my eyes, cast my ballot, and hope for the best. Stéphane Dion is nearly relegated to the four 'fringe' candidates in results:

Delegate Selection Meeting Results
Ignatieff137729.3%
Rae94320.1%
Kennedy82017.5%
Dion75316.0%
Dryden2385.1%
Volpe2264.8%
Brison1813.9%
Hall Findlay461.0%
Undeclared1122.4%

Wednesday

November 29 - 9:15 pm - Arrive at Gare Centrale, with jubilant Dion volunteers greeting arriving delegates at in the station hall. Very nice - there weren't any people from other camps around! I head to my hotel because I know there's a big day ahead...

Thursday

November 30 - 9 am - Youth delegate meeting at Hôtel Place D'Armes. We lay out the plan of the day, including heading to the Young Liberals of Canada (YLC) meeting and a Dion rally. Apparently there are a handful of delegates flying in from St. John's tomorrow morning at 7:30 am, so we'll need the best Montreal drivers in the city to ferry them from Trudeau airport to the Palais des Congrès in possibly rainy weather during rush hour, before the 9 am closing for delegate registration. Every vote counts.

10 am - At the YLC meeting! Paul Martin was scheduled to speak early but he was a no-show, choosing instead to make a dramatic entrance later. We arrive shouting and waving placards with Dion outside, where he and the rest of the candidates delivered short speeches. Ignatieff started thanking the other candidates as he had already won.

12 pm - After the YLC meeting I head to Université de Montréal to meet up with former chemistry supervisor and lab-mates - and I was sure to take off all my Liberal buttons and other possibly identifying items.

1 pm - Meeting at Place D'Armes for youth delegates. Here, Denise Brusdon (National Youth Chair) lays out a plan of attack: talk to delegates, inform them about Stéphane, get their contact information, and encourage them to vote for our guy.

2-5 pm - Running around! I'm in-and-out of the first Constitutional Plenary, where the Red Ribbon Constitution was passed but One-Member-One-Vote (OMOV) failed by a margin of about thirty votes. Schmoozing with delegates, chatting with Carolyn Bennett, meeting people... this is what it's all about!

7-9 pm - Tribute to Paul Martin. A wonderfully put together collection of irreverent entertainment, moving praise of Paul's accomplishments as Minister of Finance and Prime Minister, a rousing performance by Natalie McMaster, and a reconciliatory tone from Paul ("I'm proud to have served under Chrétien!") For unity - both in the party and our nation - is the theme of the weekend.

11 pm - Young Liberals of Canada at the Metropolis! Drinks are expensive, but the party is lively. More schmoozing and converting of members... though it's not very effective in the dark and with blaring music... Ken Dryden shows up after a little while...

Friday

December 1 - 9 am - Riding captain meeting. Our job is to target the more than 80% of delegates out there who aren't Dion supporters. We're ready.

10 am - Marie Poulin, who was running for the presidency of the Liberal party, gave a wonderful, eloquent speech en français and in English. This led into the Constitutional Plenary, where there was a heated debate with Quebec Liberals over letting out-of-riding members join Riding Associations. The constitutional amendment was voted down, despite the screaming and high-pitched defence (or passionate, depending on what you think) of a member from Westmount-Ville-Marie, due to concerns about interference from other associations in the affairs of a particular riding.

1 pm - Dion rally. Dressed in red and holding red signs, we march into the main convention hall and take over: a rousing, spontaneous O Canada broke out in both official languages.

2 pm - I run up and down between the Dion war room and the convention floor looking for a stapler that can nail our giant 1.5 metre Dion signs onto pieces of wood. No luck: the long staples are nowhere to be found.

3:07 pm - Still chanting and exerting our presence in the convention lobby. Apparently, voting's been delayed, so we're still hanging around!

5:48 pm - After a long, agonizing wait of almost three hours, and confusion as to where voting was taking place, the big black curtain finally lifts and we're able to vote. Volpe has delivered his speech already...

7:14 pm - The moment we've been waiting for. Glen Pearson (London North Centre) introduces Stéphane Dion... Is Dion going to deliver a barnburner?

7:22 pm - It's our man on stage. Delivering speech that slams Stephen Harper's record while emphasizing the importance of the 'third pillar of environmental sustainability' to Canada's future prosperity, Dion's speech goes well. His English is decent, his points draw applause throughout the convention floor. All is great... until the music starts to kick in. Stéphane continues speaking, but the microphone fades out... an audible gasp of disappointment emenates from the Dion crowd, and then we break into cheering. Not even a 'merci beaucoup' was possible from Dion. We escort him off the stage while convention organizers demand that we "clear the stage area".

8:30 pm - What a disappointment - the speech was a disaster - though we can't actually say that. The media had emphasized that the speeches were going to be very important in swaying undecided delegates, and it certainly looks like that this fell utterly flat. I head back to my hotel room to hear the rest of the speeches from my hotel room.

9:00 pm - Ignatieff delivers the final points in his speech. Mixing English and French in a polished, fluid allocution, it was heartbreaking to see!

10:05 pm - The National comes on, and all the analysis is on Ignatieff and Rae. Rae is said to have used very little French, which the pundits seemed to think would hurt his image with delegates. However, it is also known at this point that Joe Volpe went to Bob Rae. Moreover, the consensus is that Ignatieff gave the best speech. Tired and dejected, I climb into bed... but then my resolve kicks in and I decide that we're not going down without a fight. I dig out my calling card and give Alex Nanoff (Volpe supporter, youth delegate, Eglinton-Lawrence) a call. We chat about the speeches and voting preferences, and I promised to meet up with him on Friday...

Saturday

December 2 - 6:32 pm - My alarm goes off to CBC Radio One. Of course they're talking about the convention. I then hear than ranking of delegates: Ignatieff, Rae, Dion, Kennedy! I jump out of bed with a newfound energy, picked up The Globe and Mail at my door and saw the headline: Dion fails to finish speech. The fixation on Ignatieff and Rae continued - but the paper was published before the critical first-ballot results were known. Despite the razor-thin two votes Dion has over Kennedy, it invigorated our campaign with momentum.

First Ballot Results
Ignatieff141229.3%
Rae97720.3%
Dion85617.8%
Kennedy85417.7%
Dryden2384.9%
Brison1924.0%
Volpe1563.2%
Hall Findlay1302.7%

7:30 am - At Place D'Armes, the final meeting of delegates takes place, and I walk in to see everyone wearing green! Green t-shirts, green scarves, green hats. Senior organizers walk in to announce that we're going to make une mer de vert - a sea of green. Another organizer walks in to proudly announce that Dion will be arriving at the Palais at 9 am in a big red bus - Martha Hall Findlay had backed Dion. A new energy surged through our campaign.

8:35 am - We head over to the Palais des Congrès, a short four-minute walk away. As we cross the street, a driver peeks out the window and shouts something at us... I didn't catch the French but apparently it doesn't translate well...

9:15 am - Dion arrives at the convention hall to the passionate chanting of Dion! Martha! Dion! Our signs are now all green - a fundamental, symbolic shift that signified new momentum, new ideas, new energy. Dion arrives and shakes hand with people - including myself - and walks towards the main convention floor with Martha Hall Findlay at his side. At this time, I give away all my green scarves, my two red t-shirts, and my remaining black "Dionista" shirt - even though I told the delegate I wore it all day yesterday! But if it means bringing delegates on board, then so be it: take my stuff!

9:35 am - We're in the convention hall. Voting's begun, and I get a frantic call to "drop everything immediately and vote now". Hoarding delegates, we make for the voting room. Little did I know that Brison had just backed Bob Rae. I give Alex a call, and he tells me he's going Dion...

10:30 am - I meet up with Alex inside the Volpe war room, and we can finally put a face to a voice and name! Bearing a bright green scarf, I'm delighted to see that he's switched to Dion. Fortuitously, Dion walks by and chats with Alex, and I manage to get a wonderful picture. I also get a call from my whip (Joe Killoran-McKibbin) who puts me on the line with a campaign co-chair...

11:30 am - We also hear that Ken Dryden will release his delegates, so Dion supporters gather round Ken Dryden's box. I chat with those wearing Ken's gear, only to find out that they're ex-officio and alternates... ten minutes after, second ballot results come out. Bob Rae makes extraordinary gains, Kennedy falls further behind Dion (a margin of 90 votes), and Ignatieff gains a small handful of votes (69 delegates). Although Rae only gained 155 votes, it was the most of all the candidates. The conclusion: Rae is threatening Dion's near-bottom position, Ignatieff's campaign has stagnated, and Kennedy is losing ground and is very unlikely to recover votes. Dryden did release his delegates, but he also walked over to Rae's box and shook hands, giving the incorrect impression that Dryden backed Rae. Apparently (though I could not see this), Kennedy also made a dramatic, slow walk to Dion's box to support his candidacy. At this point, I'm already in line for the next ballot. It is a little disconcerting that it seems Canadians watching their TV sets know more than delegates on the convention floor.

Second Ballot Results
Dion97420.8%
Dryden2194.9%
Ignatieff148129.3%
Kennedy88417.7%
Rae11324.9%

12:30 pm - Third-ballot voting begins. I give Ryan Gilmour (Kennedy delegate, St. Paul's) a call, and he tells me he'll be supporting Dion.

12:45 pm - Schmoozing with delegates again. Our job now is to shore up support, when Ignatieff or Rae drops off the ballot. I notice an extraordinary number of former Kennedy supporters (who can be identified by their red KENNEDY scarves draped over their shoulders) also sporting a Dion button or a green Dion scarf. Hybrid, stapled-together Dion-Kennedy signs can now be found. I have little doubt in my mind that Kennedy's delegates followed his decision - but would it be enough to surpass Bob Rae?

1:16 pm - Voting is about 15 minutes from being over, as supporters bombard delegates entering to vote with chants and signs.

2 pm - Walking round the convention floor, finding delegates to talk to - be it offering to take a picture, then introducing myself, or simply chatting with a lonely delegate. The mood is lively, as we await results...

2:40 pm - Third-ballot results announced. To make it even more thrilling, Dion's numbers are always announced first (because his name is alphabetically ahead of all the others). A seismic shift has occurred - Dion has been propelled to first-place, forcing Bob Rae off the ballot. We're thrilled - but reminded that our work is not complete. Bob Rae releases all his delegates. The result is stunning: Dion not only managed to kick Rae off the ballot but surpassed Ignatieff by a margin of 122 votes. I believe that Dion supporters had hoped for this, but did not expect it. Kennedy's loyal supporters made the difference.

Third Ballot Results
Dion178237.0%
Ignatieff166034.5%
Rae113228.5%

3:12 pm - After voting on the fourth and final ballot, I head outside for a breather in the fresh, nippy December air.

3:30 pm - I find a gathering of Rae delegates being addressed by a devout Ignatieff supporter. These people need a counterbalance. No sooner than I join the debate than does Jean Chrétien himself walk over to shake hands with everyone, including myself... he tells us he'll be addressing the convention. The debate breaks up, but not before I pitch Dion's campaign of unity, and I tell them to vote with their heart...

3:50 pm - Ignatieff supporters have gathered around the entrance to the voting room and are shouting at the top of their lungs. To make things worse, Ignatieff volunteers are distributing leaflets titled "Ignatieff vs Dion - Who will Beat Harper?" Are delegates truly going to be responsive to literature produced by a war machine that is so well-financed, it can crank out pamphlets at a moment's notice? Anyhow, Dion is well represented in signs but not in acoustics... we start a futile attempt to out-shout them. As the minutes wear on, Ignatieff supporters even take over the stairwell above the voting room, waving signs and scarves...

4:05 pm - Running upstairs, I find a Dion volunteer carrying giant signs down the hallway. I grab one from him, I snag another volunteer, and we hold it over the same stairwell. We're still being out-shouted but at least we have a psychologically and visually significant presence. After voting closes, we head down to the convention floor...

4:52 pm - Chrétien takes the stage and delivers a barnburner speech. "Stephen, Stephen. May I call you Steve, like George W. Bush?" Chrétien also delivers a knock against Harper and proudly declares that the Liberals kept Canada out of the war in Iraq - a delight to our ears but met with tepid applause from Ignatieff supporters. However, slightly awkward moments came about when Chrétien always ended his accomplishments with "Turner, Martin and myself", with particular emphasis on the last word. Nonetheless, this wonderful speech helped pass the agonizing wait for fourth-ballot results...

5:50 pm - We're told to clear the area in front of the boxes for safety reasons. I learn later that Dion already knew that he had won and had asked for more time to prepare a speech, and was given it.

6:08 pm - Fourth-ballot results are announced - deux milles, cinq cent... - We erupt in loud cheer as fireworks and brilliant pyrotechnics burst from the rafters and the stage.

Fourth Ballot Results
Dion252154.7%
Ignatieff208445.3%

6:19 pm - Ignatieff delivers his concession speech - "tous ensemble". It seemed surprisingly short, but he was gracious, honourable, and stated that the vote be "unanimous".

6:28 pm - Dion delivers his victory speech. What an amazing victory - to come from fourth place, to leap over everyone on the third-ballot. It is a stunning upset and one that takes some time to digest. Dion supporters wave Canadian flags over the boxes. This truly proves that it isn't money that counts, but determination. With a modest budget, Dion's organizational team managed to provide a visual and psychological shift by a brilliantly conceived colour change, bring out great symbols of Canadian unity, and do it without the massive dollars spent by Ignatieff and Rae.

10:15 pm - At the Liberal Party of Canada celebration at the Palais des Congrès, nothing's happening at all. We head over to Kennedy's campaign central at the Hyatt...

Sunday

December 3 - 9:57 am - Waking up and packing. It's a chilly Montreal morning, but who knew that snow could blow in with such ferocity? (The first two pictures below are taken from the same hotel window.)

3:49 pm - Leaving on the train and leaving the snow... what an experience!

Debriefing

Overall, what the media missed is what ordinary delegates do on the ground. They cover the grandiose movements, they cover how Gerard Kennedy and Martha Hall Findlay backed Stéphane Dion, they cover the handshake between Brison and Rae, but they failed to adequately emphasize the work of the actual grassroots, the foot-soldiers who tirelessly ensure delegates vote, who call friends and contacts to sway delegates, the confusion and ambiguity behind who supported who among those on the convention floor. Not everyone has BlackBerries for up-to-the-minute convention updates. A lot of things spread by word-of-mouth or via guesswork, and a lot of it is wrong. Thus, the mechanics of successful campaign depends on common sense and instinct from individuals: from the very upper levels of a campaign down to the delegate who thinks of grabbing extra signs to give to those who want them, or carrying extra buttons to give away to newly swayed delegates.

Little things do count. The actions or inactions of one organizer won't affect the overall outcome of the convention, but it is the combined actions of everyone on the floor, everyone who supported Dion, that made this victory possible. This was truly a convention of the grassroots, and this is an attempt to tell the story from the eyes of one delegate.

More pictures...

- Derek Tsang, St. Paul's