Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff announces his party's position on government HST legislation after an emergency caucus meeting in Ottawa on Tuesday December 1, 2009.
I remember feeling surprised that one of the first things Michael Ignatieff did upon assuming the leadership of the Liberal Party was to allow his members to vote their personal views on a controversial piece of legislation, even though it would reveal disunity in his party. On the heels of the turmoil that marked the Dion era, item one on the priority list might logically have been strong, confident, clear direction. Not benevolent, flex to the max leadership.
That early signal planted a seed of doubt within his own party about what kind of leader Mr. Ignatieff was going to be. And of course, partisans are highly tuned to these signals. When led by someone with an iron fist, they crave more respect and freedom. With a leader whose spine seems soft, they wring their hands about a lack of toughness. Err too much in either direction, and the price paid can be dear.
Of those two scenarios, the second carries a lot more risk. Vulnerability is best left at the breakfast tables of 24 Sussex or Stornoway, before heading out the door for work. Strong leaders may not survive horrid defeats any better than weak leaders can, but they absorb a lot less friendly fire between election days.
But the most dangerous situation of all is being seen to lurch between iron-fist some days and yoga-flexible leadership styles on other occasions. Doing this satisfies no-one and invites double trouble. Partisans who want strong leadership feel they can't always count on it being there. Those who prefer attentive and flexible leadership want to believe that it is borne of a heartfelt philosophy, and is not simply a tactic to be discarded at will. Net result, nobody's happy.
Free votes are the stage upon which leaders reveal where they fall on this spectrum. And the honest truth is that while everyone loves the ideal of a democrat, almost nobody is willing to stand beside a weakling. Forced to choose, people want leaders to lead, not follow or flounder.
That's why the recent decision by the Liberal Leader to firm up the party line on issues like the gun registry and HST are a risk for Mr. Ignatieff, but the right risk to take. He needs to end the sense of indecision that has marked his leadership, and quickly. The downside to bringing this new discipline will come only if he wavers in its application.
(Photo: Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)