| Key Chrétien organizer withdraws support By CAMPBELL CLARK and SHAWN MCCARTHY From Saturday's Globe and Mail July 13th 2002 Ottawa — One of Jean Chrétien's key Toronto organizers from the last Liberal leadership race has turned down the Prime Minister's personal request for help and is now publicly calling for Mr. Chrétien to resign. Scarborough-Agincourt MP Jim Karygiannis, known for signing up large numbers of party members in organizing battles, said Friday that he will not support Mr. Chrétien in the Liberal leadership review next February. "I am not supporting the Prime Minister for the leadership review," he told The Globe and Mail. "I have spoken to the Prime Minister and I've said to him that in my estimation he should consider going out with dignity and grace — and with a bang, versus with a whimper." His comment comes amid increasing evidence that the Chrétien team has been slow to get people in place in its bid to win him support in the leadership review vote. Fraser Picott, a Chrétien loyalist and ex-president of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador, said yesterday that he is willing to help the Prime Minister, but hasn't been asked. Mr. Picott called the internal rebellion against Mr. Chrétien "inappropriate and very distasteful." "If the PM wants me to do something, I'm there. I'm 100 per cent behind him," he said, although he acknowledged he has seen no sign of an organized defence. Mr. Chrétien's strategists insist they do have organizers working across the country and reject claims the Prime Minister has already lost the battle. Mr. Chrétien's closest advisers have angrily rejected suggestions he may have to cut a deal with former finance minister Paul Martin this fall to avoid a humiliating defeat at the review vote by announcing his decision to step down. But many of Mr. Chrétien's loyalists are either no longer active, like former key organizer Ron Irwin who is now Canada's consul-general in Boston, or have publicly called on him to resign, like former B.C senator and long-time Chrétien friend Leonard Marchand, who said this week that it is time for the Prime Minister to step down. Mr. Karygiannis said Mr. Chrétien called Wednesday to ask for help in signing up supporters to Liberal Party membership. The call came on the heels of calls from Transport Minister David Collenette, the Prime Minister's chief Toronto organizer, and from Patrick Lavelle, a well-connected Liberal activist close to Mr. Chrétien. But Mr. Karygiannis did not sign up. He will now sign up Liberals who support Mr. Martin. "The Prime Minister has been there for nine years. He's a fine individual. He's done excellent work for Canada," Mr. Karygiannis said. But the time has come for him to move on and the public wants change, the Liberal MP said. "I hear nothing else but he's got to go and we've got to support Paul Martin. "I say this with sadness. But you've got to move forward and you've got to listen to what the people are saying." While Mr. Karygiannis is a backbencher, he is considered a key ground organizer in Ontario, especially in greater Toronto. In 1990, he was an energetic Chrétien organizer much hated by the Martin forces, and accused of heavy-handed tactics in signing up large blocks of ethnic voters and thwarting opponents. One Martin organizer even told The Globe and Mail at the time that he had used bubblegum to block the coin slot on a pay telephone that anti-abortion, pro-Martin activists used to call their delegates. Mr. Karygiannis denied the allegation but few questioned his ability to pack meetings with party members who would support his candidate. Mr. Karygiannis's public call for the Prime Minister to quit will come as a blow at a time when his organization appears to be behind in organizing for the February leadership review. Mr. Martin's organization controls large swaths of the party and several riding presidents say members are willing to oust Mr. Chrétien. And some pro-Martin organizers are already planning on "raiding" the ridings of Mr. Chrétien's supporters, including cabinet ministers. |