Anglo News Talk in Montreal Assumes New Leadership race

Cauchon jockeying to replace Paul Martin
2006-01-17 08:16:28

New polls out this morning paint a dismal picture for the Federal Liberal party heading into next Monday's election.
And with Paul Martin so far unable to stem the tide of Tory support sweeping the country, Liberals are already positioning themselves to take his job if he's forced to step down.
Front and centre in that political jockeying is Martin Cauchon, the former justice minister who used to be the MP for Outremont, a riding that Jean Lapierre may lose to the Bloc Quebecois.
La Presse reports that Cauchon will be making a public appearance Thursday to help the Liberal campaign in one of the only strongholds they have left, the Greater Toronto Area.
The paper suggests the Liberal candidates from the Toronto region are ready to back Cauchon as Liberal leader.
Cauchon tells La Presse, however, that he has not made his final decision, adding he will speak with former Prime Minister Jean Chretien first.
La Presse also names other possible replacements: Ambassador to the United States Frank McKenna, former finance minister John Manley, Liberal candidate in Etobicoke Michael Ignatief, Immigration minister Joe Volpe and Toronto Liberal MP Maurizio Bevilacqua.
At 44-years-old, Cauchon would be one of the youngest candidates to succeed Paul Martin, who's 67.