Federal Liberal leadership candidate Justin Trudeau takes part in a debate in Vancouver, Jan. 20, 2013.JONATHAN HAYWARD/The Canadian Press
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There are longstanding tensions between Justin Trudeau's campaign team and Liberal Party headquarters. Even if there weren't, some people at that headquarters will be looking for a new job come April 15, through no fault of their own.
While everyone likes to talk about the importance of grassroots politics, cold reality dictates that political parties must be run from the leader's office. Victory in an election relies on command and control. There's no other way.
A party leader must have complete ownership of the apparatus of the party itself. The fundraising machinery, the complex and vital task of identifying and tracking voters, the outreach to riding associations and the vetting of candidates can only function smoothly if the leader and his advisers work hand in glove with the party itself.
When Stephen Harper took over the leadership of the Conservatives back in 2004, he moved quickly to have his own advisers and supporters placed in key positions within the party executive. In the years that followed, staff moved back and forth between jobs in the OLO (Office of the Leader of the Opposition) and Tory HQ. It isn't just the Harper government. It's the Harper party.
The situation among the Liberals is different. In part, it has to be. The party has been without a permanent leader for almost two years. During the leadership campaign, the national executive and party staffers are required to be neutral.
That didn't stop Paul Martin from exercising so much control over the party that during the 2003 leadership race other contestants complained they couldn't even get party headquarters to send them membership forms.
The Trudeau team consists largely of individuals from outside the old inner circles who fought for control during the Chrétien-Martin wars. Gerald Butts, Mr. Trudeau's most senior adviser, was former Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty's principal secretary. Katie Telford, the campaign manager, also has a Queen's Park background, though she also worked in Stéphane Dion's office.
Although both the Trudeau team and party officials understand the importance of good relations, there have been tensions. The Trudeau camp grumbled at spending limits imposed by the party, arguing that the caps rewarded mediocrity and punished success.
Now the Trudeau team is openly fighting with the party brass over the inability to identify and register party supporters, so that they can vote for leader in April.
Only a fraction of the 300,000 supporters signed up to vote for the leader have been properly registered. The total won't affect the outcome – Marc Garneau's decision to drop out of the race Wednesday and support Mr. Trudeau was simply another confirmation of the already-obvious – but the whole purpose of inviting supporters to join in the vote, even though they aren't full party members, is undermined if they can't be fully identified and registered.
The party agreed Wednesday to extend the registration process for another week. But neither side is happy with the situation.
Once Mr. Trudeau is leader, one of his first tasks will be to get his own people onto the party executive. He may also want to look at reforming the Byzantine regulations that, despite efforts at reform, still give the provincial wings of the party influence over party operations and spending.
The sole purpose of the Liberal Party of Canada must be to elect a Liberal government. That means giving the leader and his team total control. There's no other way.
John Ibbitson is The Globe and Mail's chief political writer in Ottawa.