OTTAWA - Federal Liberals are inviting all liberal-minded Canadians to help choose the party's next leader.
They hope the bold -- some say risky -- move will help them reconnect with Canadians, who turned their backs on the Liberals in last May's election, reducing the once-mighty party to a third party rump.
Delegates to a crucial party rebuilding convention voted late Saturday to allow anyone willing to register as a "supporter" -- not just fee-paying, card-carrying party members -- to vote for party leaders in the future.
However, they drew the line at giving supporters the right to vote in local nomination contests. Instead, the privilege of choosing the candidates who will get to carry the party banner in elections will remain strictly with party members.
The idea of creating a new supporter class of Liberals was fiercely debated, meeting stiff resistance among delegates who feared it would create a two-tier party and give political opponents and special interest groups a chance to hijack the party.
But interim leader Bob Rae threw his weight behind the idea, "imploring" delegates to throw open the doors of the party.
He said the move "is about how we as a party are going to proceed, how we're going to reach out to fellow Canadians, how we're going to break down walls and barriers between us and the people of Canada.
"It's an extraordinary opportunity for this party. We have an opportunity ... to say clearly that the Liberal party is not a closed club, that the Liberal party is an expression of a liberal movement across the country."
The move was heavily supported by young Liberals, who argued that the nature of political engagement has changed.
"Today only about one per cent of Canadians are members of political parties," noted one Edmonton youth delegate.
"Canadians, particularly young Canadians, want to engage in different ways. When it comes to political parties, they want to date, not marry. The type of engagement they want is not the type of engagement we are currently offering."
Numerous supporters argued that rejecting the move would send the message that the party remains a closed shop, having learned nothing from last May's rout.
"If we turn down all of this, what would be the headline?" asked Toronto MP John McCallum. "The headline would be: Liberals stuck in status quo. That is the last thing we want at this time."
However, veteran Toronto Liberal Jack Siegel called the move "a gimmick" and argued against the creation of two tiers of Liberals. He pointed out that 14 year olds can become party members for a nominal fee but that one would need to be voting age, 18, to become a supporter for free.
Others argued that the move devalues members who do all the grunt work in the party.
As one Ontario delegate put it, "Why would I pay $10 to be a member when I would have the same important voting rights as someone who pays nothing."
Fears that opening up the party could allow it to be hijacked by opponents or single interest groups were not persuasive, at least when it came to nationwide leadership votes.
One Toronto delegate mocked such concerns, recounting how he'd supported the party for several years, become a member in November, a donor in December and now a delegate.
"I'm here with friends to hijack this party and I think this party needs a heck of a lot more hijacking."
But the hijacking argument proved much more persuasive when it came to the idea of allowing supporters to vote in riding nomination contests.
Guelph MP Frank Valeriote reminded delegates of his experience in the last election, when the Conservatives targeted his riding. Allegations of dirty tricks abounded, including an attempt to steal a ballot box and phoney calls to voters on election day giving them false information about voting locations.
"If you don't think that they're capable of sabotaging a local riding nomination, then you're very, very naive," Valeriote said.
He noted that Montreal MP Irwin Cotler has been "under siege" even after the election. The Tories have admitted to conducting a poll that left Cotler's constituents with the impression the MP had quit or was about to resign.
