By Ryan Baker
Amid reports that members of his riding association have been trying to push him out, Ottawa Centre Liberal MP Mac Harb says he’s running again and his riding is behind him.
In a recent association meeting at which 12 delegates were elected to attend the Liberal convention scheduled for next month, Harb announced he would run again in the next election and predicted Prime Minister Jean Chretien would run again too.
Harb made the declaration to squelch premature campaigning for other potential leadership candidates, such as Finance Minister Paul Martin or Health Minister Allan Rock, before Chretien announces his retirement.
Recent reports indicate association members support different potential contenders for the leadership. Accounts also say that before the meeting some of the camps tried to recruit new members in hopes of amassing enough votes to elect their delegates for the convention.
“There have been signals going on that there are people who have interests in supporting leadership candidates,” says Harb. “My speech was to lay down the law of the land before going to the convention to ensure that we go to the convention as a united party.”
There can be no internal campaigning now that Chretien and Harb have both decided to run again.
Local lawyer Richard Mahoney is among those at the centre of the controversy. Formerly an executive assistant to Martin, Mahoney makes no secret of his desire to one day run for the Ottawa Centre leadership. But he denies taking part in any backroom recruiting.
“There was no attempt made by anybody – by me or anyone else – to take over the executive,” says Mahoney. “I’d love to run, but I’m only going to run if Mac’s not a candidate. I’ve assured Mac I’d never run against him for the nomination.”
Mahoney adds he wouldn’t run for office right now anyway because of his job at Fraser Milner and his three young children at home.
Harb denies anyone has been plotting against him.
“They are one-hundred per cent behind me,” he says.
“We have one leader and that’s the prime minister. When that leader in 10 or 15 years from now decides that he wants to do something else, then it’s an open field for anybody to run.”
Long-time Liberal activist Isabel Metcalfe is one association member who isn’t worried about Harb’s future as the local MP.
“He’s got the support of the executive and the association,” she says. “He’s done a good job representing the people and he’ll get re-elected.”
Harb has set up a committee to begin preparations for the election.