News

Politics is about symbols, and there was one huge symbol yesterday at the official opening of this Liberal leadership convention. The fake wood podium built especially for the 1968 convention that elected Pierre Elliott Trudeau has been put to use again.

Convention co-chairs MP Dominic LeBlanc and Tanya Kappo stood behind it to launch the 2006 convention. It was from this podium that Mr. Trudeau made his famous statement: "Mon nom est Pierre Elliott Trudeau." Paul Martin Sr. also spoke from it, as did John Turner. The flag behind the podium was also on the stage at the 1968 convention.

The items had been sitting in Dan Coates's barn in Almonte, Ont. He had been a staffer at that Ottawa convention and had worked so hard that the party brass told him to take the podium and flag home as souvenirs. About two months ago, Mr. Coates e-mailed the party's national director, Steven MacKinnon, asking whether he wanted his souvenirs for this convention. Mr. MacKinnon jumped at the offer and so out they came from the barn.

Language watch

The francophone press is all over the fact that very little French is being spoken at this convention, a gathering that was deliberately situated in Quebec to help the Liberal Party rebuild.

Yesterday, only English was spoken at the majority of policy workshops, provoking a frustrated Montreal Liberal MP, Pablo Rodriguez, to ask that more French be spoken.

Prime ministers past

The most recent Liberal prime minister, Paul Martin, will be feted tonight at the convention. Expect fiddler Natalie MacMaster to play and Colin James to sing. There is also video tribute that will feature some of Mr. Martin's accomplishments. Insiders say the Martinites will heavily play up his successful years as finance minister.

Meanwhile, his predecessor, Jean Chrétien , is expected to make an appearance Saturday morning during the counting of the third ballot. Liberals still want to hear from him. He has been in China but is expected to wander into the convention at that time.

Hot and not and buzz

Buzz: In the hallways yesterday, the chatter was all about who will go where on the second ballot. There was some buzz going around that former senior Martin cabinet minister and leadership candidate Joe Volpe will announce after his speech tomorrow night that he will be going over to Bob Rae.

As well, some Rae delegate-tracking shows that three of four Scott Brison delegates will go to Mr. Rae when Mr. Brison drops off the ballot. The Rae camp was pumped yesterday after their candidate was endorsed by the Toronto Star. (Meanwhile, The Globe and Mail's editorial endorsing Stéphane Dion was e-mailed by Dion strategists to every Liberal they knew with an e-mail address.)

Is this hot or not?: The former prime minister, Paul Martin, was seen shaking hands with Bob Rae. You decide.

Hot: The Trudeau boys were angry with the "nation" motion debate, arguing their father would never have supported a motion to recognize Quebeckers as a nation.

Although the elder Trudeau son, Justin, is at the convention (supporting Gerard Kennedy), his brother, Sasha, is not. He's in Cuba, helping an ailing Fidel Castro celebrate his 80th birthday, festivities that were put off until Saturday because of ill health. Mr. Castro, who was a great friend of Pierre Trudeau and attended his 2000 funeral in Montreal, keeps in touch with the Trudeau boys.

Not: Penny Collenette. Some Liberals are a bit huffy over the fact that earlier this week, Ms. Collenette (a long-time Liberal backroomer and former Chrétien aide) launched her exploratory bid for the Liberal nomination for the riding of Ottawa Centre. She did this in the midst of the leadership race, some complained, and while the party was eating itself up over the "nation" motion.

jtaber@globeandmail.com