after 19th century UK Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel, namesake of @peelregion.bsky.social and father of modern policing (and the reason why cops are called "bobbies" in Britain...)

by tracing back to the wholesale elimination of accountability and governance provisions from party constitution on the urging of that same leader at the height of his popularity a decade earlier.

A related but distinct topic in 2nd-half, also timely given LPC's announcement this week of the date/city of its next party convention. It retells the story how Liberals found themselves the only party w/o any defined mechanism to oust its deeply unpopular leader

(Stuck behind paywall? Send me a message!)

Given the coverage about whether the Liberal caucus would adopt the Reform Act, re-sharing this (published by the Hill Times 4 hours b4 PM Trudeau resigned), the first half on why it is illegitimate for caucus to unilaterally remove their party leader.

9 Visa students are not the only non-PRs. From refugee escaping gay bashing, to postgrad researchers on medical breakthroughs, we took a stand to say they have enough shared interest in our community. In fact, they may have more at stake in getting a Liberal MP than us who are secured in our status.

8. Vilifying democratic participation by young visa students only weaken, not strengthen, our system against interference, because it breeds cynicism and deter active engagement by our citizenry, some of them just a couple years ahead of those visa students in their journey to a freer lives

7. As long as there are rival foreign interests, there will be foreign interference. We can’t stop it but we can mitigate its impacts by strengthening civic engagement. A few dozen visa students would not be so consequential if more citizens and PRs bother to show up.

5. Moving fundamental elements from constitution to by-laws (Wpg'16) so a small close group can amend them at will without debate is just wrong.

6. It's shortsighted to abandon our strength in openness and let Cons dictate our rules over 1 messy nom when impact of Foreign Interference is unproven

4. Our membership requirements convey fundamental Liberal values. When Cons see subversive agents with plots, we see new neighbours with aspirations for freer lives. When they close rank with their closed mind, we open our arms and our hearts.

3. ↑ also let Cons drag us into their current McCarthyism fad of demonization of Chinese Canadians, not just visa students. When we shy from our values of openness and inclusivity, we a complicit in the evil.

Once bewildered by a never heard of, never sought public office lawyer running 4 @ontarioliberal.bsky.social leadership, someone pointed out the $100K fee would get the candidate exponentially more airtime and good will than if spent on TV commercials for the candidate's personal injury practice.