Thank You Gerard

Gerard Kennedy has dropped off the ballot. He delivered a bold speech telling Liberals an important message last night. We lost the last election for a reason. It wasn't just a time out, it wasn't just a quick break, it was a very important message to Liberals that arrogance and waste and scandal is just not acceptable. Kennedy spoke up and said we need to convince those people we've changed. We need to reach out to the West of Canada and show them that the Liberals are not just an Ontario East party. It's a strong and important message.

Kennedy was 100 delegates from being in a real position to win. The ex-officio delegates - MPs, Ministers, Cabinet ministers - lined up behind Dion instead of Gerard. Ken Dryden and Scott Brison went to Rae. Kennedy needed one of those men at least to make the leap.

He didn't get it.

I think Gerard did a hell of a job to make it as far as he did having had no national profile before this campaign. Now people know who his name. They know his face. Hopefully he now has a very important role in the party as they move forward.

Stephane Dion is a man of integrity and brilliance. He is a man who worked in important roles for both Chretien and Martin. I hope he will be a uniter, and I hope with Kennedy's support Dion wins this thing.

But thank you to Gerard Kennedy and his passionate campaign for winning me back to the Liberal Party. I have been very cynical because of the Chretien/Martin wars (as a big Chretien man) and had moved away from the Liberals. I'm excited again to be a supporter of this party.

Gerard in 2016!