Toronto – One of the least rewarding jobs in Ontario politics is interim party leader, but a veteran Progressive Conservative MPP who once was the legislature’s best-known rebel is making an unusual go of it.
Bob Runciman was named interim, or temporary, leader by his party’s MPPs after leader John Tory lost a general election last October and failed to win a seat for himself.
Tory, chosen by party rank and file at a convention, remains leader, while the party gives him time to find another seat. Runciman leads in legislature debates, but his post gives little other power.
Runciman nonetheless has been able to raise his party’s profile. After a series of shooting deaths, blamed on people who have criminal records and been allowed free on bail or parole, he has managed to arouse concerns Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty’s government is missing opportunities to protect residents.
The issue is largely under federal jurisdiction, but Runciman has pointed out the province could appeal some releases and request electronic monitoring of those who have records of violence and are allowed back on the streets.
Runciman is making ground with his claim McGuinty is doing little to inspire residents he can soften the impact of the sharp decline in the economy. McGuinty has programs, but people do not associate him with inspiration.
Runciman also is making a strong effort, which no other party is doing, to nail McGuinty for investing $100 million of taxpayers’ money in hazardous sub-prime mortgages and risking losing most of it. He is having difficulty convincing Toronto media this is worth raising and is blunt enough to say so.
Runciman also objected publicly to Davis making decisions without consulting his backbenchers and continued this protest, although he was snubbed by Davis and lost any chance of being in cabinet.
Interim leaders over the years have been admired MPPs who generally did not seek the top job. They included Liberal Jim Bradley, an MPP since 1977, who would be on any list of the most solid contributors to debates in the last 30 years.
He once said he felt honored to be named interim leader, but it was almost impossible to do the job adequately because a holder of the office lacks authority.
MPPs named interim leader have to promise not to run in the next contest for permanent leader to prevent their using the temporary job to promote themselves.
Murray Elston, a Liberal and former health minister, gave this undertaking before being made interim leader in the 1990s, but so many pressed him to run for full leader he broke it.
Despite being handicapped by starting so late some of his potential supporters had declared for other candidates and breaking his promise, Elston came within nine votes of winning leadership. Clearly, he would have won if he had not opted to be interim leader.
Andy Brandt, a good-humored Conservative interim leader in the1980s, restrained potential candidates for full leader from fighting among themselves while their depleted party delayed a convention for three years and, soon after, the Tories were back in government – interim leaders are not totally powerless.
Eric Dowd is a veteran member of the Queen’s Park press gallery.
