One of the most interesting story lines in Canadian politics over the past year has been the fate of the three Liberal Titans – Dalton McGuinty, Jean Charest, and Gordon Campbell. Their political background, beliefs, and styles are very different, but they’ve dominated the political landscape in Canada for close to a decade. Hell, the federal Liberals have gone through four leaders since this trio took power of the country’s three largest provinces at the start of the decade.
Sure, they all had setbacks – Campbell’s famous DUI, McGuinty’s broken promise, and Charest’s near-defeat in 2007. But up until recently, things were going swimmingly for them.
McGuinty trounced John Tory in 2007, leaving the provincial PCs in complete disarray. Charest bounced back in 2008, capturing a majority government. Gordon Campbell took a third straight majority in 2009, in a province where Premiers usually wear out their welcome before the paint dries in their office.
But ever since Campbell’s re-election, the trio has fallen on hard times. The HST burned McGuinty first, then Campbell. And Jean Charest has had to fend off daily scandals. In a recent Angus Reid survey, Campbell’s approval rating came in at 9%. Charest and McGuinty haven’t done much better themselves lately.
So Campbell decided to pack it up, in an attempt to save his party from an electoral wipe-out in 2013. McGuinty is ready to run for a third term and might very well win it. As for Charest – the man is a fighter and comes back to life more often than slasher film villains, but it wouldn’t at all surprise me to see him make the same call as Campbell early next year.
Outside of the three Liberal Titans, Danny Williams is the only current Premier who has managed to win re-election. And Danny, being Danny, is an exception in every sense.
Maybe it’s part of a larger “time for a change” mood sweeping the nation. Maybe it’s just a coincidence in timing. But even if McGuinty is re-elected next year, he’s going to be surrounded by a lot of fresh blood on the provincial scene.
