IS AITCHISON EYEING DISTRICT CHAIR JOB? OR HAS MP ALREADY ACCEPTED PROVINCIAL APPOINTMENT?
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com OPINION
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PARRY SOUND-MUSKOKA — I remember a phone call I got from Huntsville maor Scott Aitchison late in my political career when I was on the Muskoka District council.
He wanted to know if I’d support him if he ran for district chair. And could we sit down and talk. “Sure,” I said, open to all callers.
He thought that I being a two-term Town of Gravenhurst councillor would automatically be supporting mayor Gravenhurst John Klinck in his eventual victory.
Little did he know.
Alas we never did meet — as I’m always open to talking with anyone, including politicians.
Aitchison ultimately never ran and went on the become MP and I returned to journalism.
Over the years we did sit down many more times — not of across the district council table — but as a politician and reporter and had courteous, professional good back and forth conversations and interviews.
That may yet prove to be the case again following his sudden departure announcement this week that he’s stepping down following the fall House of Commons sitting — after making the “difficult decision.”
The House session is scheduled to end Dec. 11, but could stretch to Christmas with so much on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s busy plate.
Which means when the municipal election ends Oct. 26 and the vote counting dust settles around the local council tables, Aitchison would be back home in Huntsville waiting and reading the results.
And making more phone calls?
Not necessarily.
Speculation is he may be sitting back waiting for Premier Doug Ford’s call to follow through on his “strong mayors, strong chairs” promise.
Could Aitchison be Muskoka’s next District of Muskoka chair?
Applications opened in July and the official provincial appointment is set to happen Nov. 15, with the term to run to Nov. 14, 2030.
The province has not released the names of any applicants.
Provincial appointment for Aitchision?
But word this weekend is that Aitchison has already accepted an unknown provincial appointment. Perhaps regarding housing.
Aitchison is known for his aggressiveness.
Just ask MPP Graydon Smith about their time as mayors of Huntsville and Bracebridge when they fought for their towns when word emerged of Port Sydney as the possible central location for a giant joint Muskoka hospital.
Certainly Aitchison has received more attention the past week than since he ran for the Conservative leadership.
I’ve called him Waldo — as in often where’s Scott? Outside his hometown he’s seldom been a frequent sight throughout many parts of his riding.
Not too surprising for a “guy” who works in Ottawa and weekends in Muskoka. And an MP who some constituents bemoan being more like a cottager or seasonal resident. Many past MPs have been more main street Muskokans.
Policy wonk and ‘model Parliamentarian’
Although most of this week’s official news commentary tended to be more complimentary — one did question his timing in terms of his MP’s pension.
Smith was also noticeably publicly absent in offering any congratulatory remarks online or elsewhere I could find.
And the Globe and Mail’s Andrew Coyne was tempered offering of note of “caution” on CBC TV’s “At Issue Panel with Rosemary Barton” the evening of the announcement.
“I have no idea, particularly, why Scott Aitchison has decided to call it quits. So I think we have to be a little bit careful there,” Coyne responded to Barton when she moved the final segment to the resignation Thursday night.
She began saying “certainly, people that know Scott Aitchsion, he’s the housing critic, he is one of those MPs who works really hard on policy and has lots of ideas he tries to put forward.”
Althia Raj, of the Toronto Star, spoke highly about Aitchison.
“I think you mean to say he’s reasonable and kind and works on both sides of the aisle. And is kind of like almost in a way a model parliamentarian.”
But she said it’s not good news for Leader Pierre Poilievre and is a “further sign that there are big caucus divisions. And a number of MPs do not have faith that Mr. Poilievre can win in the next election.”
She added the eight MPs who have stepped down since the last election “don’t really feel like stomaching a battle. Or they don’t think that there will be a battle before the next election. They don’t want to spend another five or seven years on the Opposition benches. And frankly don’t see themselves reflected in kind of this more populous, angry, troll online version that they feel they that part of their party has been captured by. And they feel their leader is too weak to do anything about it. So, yeah, not good news for Mr. Poilievre.
“I think it will be hard on some of Mr. Aitchison’s colleagues, who really respect him and will miss him. But, you know, not necessarily unpredictable.”
‘Moderate’ best word for Aitchison
Barton said “moderate is probably the word most people would use for Scott Aitchison.”
She asked Coyne if that indicates about what’s happening in the party?
Coyne replied: “When you’re on to eight MPs now that by one means or another have left the caucus or left the party, then you start to draw some conclusions.”
He said: “They could see enough of themselves reflected in the party, circa January of 2025, when they thought they were gonna win a big majority. So part of it is just people taking a look and saying ‘There is no way we’re going to win the next election.’
“And that shouldn’t necessarily be the be-all and the end-all. It’s a perfectly honourable occupation to be an Opposition politician, to be criticizing and poking holes in the government, trying to make government better. But for a lot of them, that’s their main aim in life is to get into government.
“That’s partly because of the leadership and of the particular courses they pursued. And that’s the real question, whether they can ever win with Pierre Poilievre as their leader.
“But it’s also just the conundrum the party is in when your main opponent has decided to take all of your policies and basically govern as you. What do you do? Where do you go?
“It’s a very difficult conundrum. The Carney government has invaded so much of Conservative turf that they really left them very little room to manoeuvre.”
Chantal Hébert wrapped up adding: “But there is also a lot of fatigue among like-minded MPs like Scott Aitchison. With the self destructive battles with the Trumpian wing of caucus and the Conservative Party.
“And you talk to some Conservatives — and I haven’t spoken to Mr. Aitchison — but some Conservatives who would feel comfortable in this kind of conservatism, thinking that they’re wasting their time. They don’t recognize their own party at this point.
“It’s not good news when people like (Aitchison), who would have been senior members of any Conservative cabinet, had Pierre Poilievre won, decide that they need to do something with their lives that is more useful than having battles inside caucus. And not really being heard or showcased in the way that they should be in the House of Commons, because that is also part of the problem.
“You wonder,” added Hébert, “is this what finally breaks the back of the leadership of the leader? I don’t think so?
“I think there are many Conservatives now who believe that they might as well just sacrifice the current leader to the next election. And then move on.”
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