Ask Jim Dinning the Question Everyone Forgot to Ask
December 1, 2006 · By Tom Cerber
Earlier this year Michael Ignatieff got into trouble when he demurred in answering whether he would run as an MP if he did not win the Liberal Party leadership.
Has anyone asked Jim Dinning this question? After all, he has been out of Alberta politics for a very long time and plays the role of “heir apparent” to Klein.
But is Jim Dinning faithful enough to the Progressive Conservative Party to serve it if Ted Morton or Ed Stelmach were to win Saturday’s vote?
If one considers his decidedly nonpartisan rhetoric and political support (i.e., support from Liberals), one could draw the conclusion that Dinning is more interested in being Premier than in leading a party. Which is to say, he’d be happy being Premier regardless of which party brought him to power.
If Dinning is serious, he could run in one of the Liberal Calgary seats.
Good comment, Aaron.
Then Dinning could show Albertans what a good Premier/Business manager he could be.
Alternately Dinning could start his own Progressive Party of Alberta to demonstrate his integrity and then all the Liberals he now sells PC memberships to in the cities could finally shed the rejected Liberal brand and win a few seats.
It looks like win-win for Jim!
8oD
I betcha Dinning was disappointed he couldn’t attend the tribute to Paul Martin last night. It was rather impolite of the party to schedule the leaders’ debate on the same night.
I guess we’ll know sometime next week after Morton wins. (am I assuming too much?) I would say, NOT A CHANCE!!!
Dinning will not stay. He’s been asked the question and has always danced around it.
Dinning worked for the Nancy Betkowski campaign for the Tory leadership in 1992. My guess is that he will follow in her footsteps and reincarnate later on, hands washed and all, as a candidate for the Alberta Liberals.
[...] Gail Asper donated - I’m impressed! Finally, Bell points out what most of us already know, Dinning was more interested in being Premier than serving Albertans in Edmonton. “Putting my name on a ballot is not in my future. This is the end,” says Jim, of a [...]