The rumour mill is already hard at work churning out potential appointees for the Mississauga-Erindale seat that MP in waiting-to-leave Carolyn Parrish is keeping warm.
And we don't mean the obvious potential selection of Parrish's arch-enemy, Steve Mahoney.
Believe it or not, high-profile names like former NDP Premier Bob Rae, whose star is rising fast in the party that thinks it will rule forever, and Michael Ignatieff, acclaimed author, academic and broadcaster, are floating around as potential appointees to the seat by Prime Minister Paul Martin.
While those names seem far-fetched, one rumour really is gaining Ben Johnson-sized legs. It says that the Grits will appoint the Prime Minister's frequent golfing buddy, Charles Sousa, a senior manager at the Royal Bank of Canada who tried but failed to wrest the nomination in Mississauga South away from Paul Szabo last time around.
Sousa is bright, connected, and capable and has the potential to step right onto the front benches. The Gordon Graydon graduate was co-chair of John Tory's unsuccessful campaign for Toronto mayor in 2003.
The likelihood of an appointment by the PM has many noses out of joint in Mississauga-Erindale, of course. Parrish announced her intent not to run now mainly because she doesn't want Ottawa to have any excuses for not holding an open nomination for the post.
Many of Parrish's supporters from various local communities have aspirations to succeed her. The screening process has already begun and three have already submitted their applictaions to become candidates, with a half-dozen more waiting to do so. The names don't get officially released until after they've been screened.
Among those not yet applying but definitely interested are Elias Hazineh of the Palestinian community who works in Parrish's constituency office and George Winter, former school board trustee and a teacher with the Toronto District School Board.
However, before anyone commits to selling a lot of memberships in the association, which already has nearly 3,700 members as a result of the Mahoney-Parrish fracas, and putting together a campaign team, they'd like to know if Ottawa will pull the rug out from under them at the last minute and simply appoint a candidate.
The association has already decided to seek a nomination between mid-November and mid-December.
Can't you imagine the Prime Minister opening the envelope, stomping on a Carolyn Parrish doll and whispering just loud enough to be heard by nearby reporters, "Damn Mississaugans. I hate the bastards."
Comments (2)
I've heard Rae's name come up in just about every major liberal appointment. At one point he was considered a candidate for Governor-General.
I rather doubt as well that he will be Mississauga's candidate. His NDP gov insisted on keeping the hated Brittania landfill open and i don't believe he has any strong roots in the city.
He's a nice guy though, he returned my e-mails when i was doing an investigative piece on the U of T governing council 3 years ago when i was a news editor at a small U of T newsmagazine.
Posted by OJ | October 23, 2005 6:59 PM
Posted on October 23, 2005 18:59
If it’s for whom the 905 bell weather tolls, the Region’s been undermining Mississauga residences from the swing riding of Caledon’s dairy farms since the beginning of the Amalgamation and delisting us from the Emancipation Act. The region’s chair would be the ideal area for Mississauga to have it’s “Fair Share Chair” if Stephen Mahoney has been looking for new seat to fill. But then again, he’d have to contend with Carolyn’s tossing spit balls and erasers at him.
Posted by wayne nagy | October 22, 2005 1:56 PM
Posted on October 22, 2005 13:56