More than ever, star federal political recruits are crowded out by minor league players who have less incentive to hang up their skates

In the lead-up to the last federal election, Claudette Bradshaw resisted pressures to retire so that former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna could run in her Moncton seat. Sixteen short months later, Bradshaw has had a change of heart; she will not be running in the coming election but neither will McKenna. He is otherwise occupied as Canada's ambassador to Washington. Moncton voters may have come close to having another New Brunswick premier vie to become their MP, albeit under a different flag. In the turmoil of last week's pre-election fever, the defeat of Bernard Lord's candidate in a provincial byelection went largely unnoticed - except, of course, by the Conservatives who dream of enticing him into the federal arena. With his provincial government more fragile than ever, Lord - for whom Bradshaw's riding would also have been a good fit - is likely to be in Fredericton rather than on Parliament Hill for the foreseeable future. McKenna and Lord's missed double date with a suitable federal riding will not be easy to reschedule in a future election. These days, federal politics has become a seller's market. In Toronto, Michael Ignatieff has been shopping for months for a seat to make the jump from academia to politics. So far, the only vacant Liberal riding in the GTA is that of Carolyn Parrish and it is home to a significant Muslim community that is unlikely to be enamoured of a Liberal candidate such as Ignatieff, who supported the Iraq war. Since no other Liberal MP has seemed inclined to voluntarily step aside, the Prime Minister may have to step in with incentives to create vacancies for Ignatieff and any other star recruit he may have lined up. In the lead-up to the last federal election, Martin freed up a Montreal riding for Pablo Rodriguez, president of the Quebec wing of his party. Shortly after the vote, the freshly retired Yves Charbonneau landed in Canada's chair at UNESCO. Under Jean Chretien, MPs and Senators received a substantial raise. Back then, the move was widely seen as an antidote to the declining quality of political recruits. It has had the opposite effect. Take the case of John Efford. Until last week, it had been six months since he had graced a Cabinet meeting. Relieved of the Natural Resources portfolio last summer for health reasons, Efford remained in Cabinet by virtue of his role as political minister for Newfoundland. It was only when his prolonged absence from Parliament Hill became an issue in the media that he finally found his way to the Commons. It has turned out to be a farewell visit, as Efford announced last week that he was retiring. Martin could have had Efford spend his last months in federal politics on the backbench. He would then have seen his salary drop from $213,000 to about $130,000.That steep pay cut might have made him more inclined to resign quickly, depriving the minority government of a potentially crucial Liberal vote in a sensitive period of its existence. Once an MP becomes a minister, he or she becomes almost impossible to demote without running the risk of reprisals. In the same spirit, current members of Cabinet have no incentive to encourage star candidates to run for fear of having to compete with them for places in future cabinets. In the lead-up to the last federal election, Claudette Bradshaw resisted pressures to retire so that former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna could run in her Moncton seat. Sixteen short months later, Bradshaw has had a change of heart; she will not be running in the coming election but neither will McKenna. He is otherwise occupied as Canada's ambassador to Washington. Moncton voters may have come close to having another New Brunswick premier vie to become their MP, albeit under a different flag. In the turmoil of last week's pre-election fever, the defeat of Bernard Lord's candidate in a provincial byelection went largely unnoticed - except, of course, by the Conservatives who dream of enticing him into the federal arena. With his provincial government more fragile than ever, Lord - for whom Bradshaw's riding would also have been a good fit - is likely to be in Fredericton rather than on Parliament Hill for the foreseeable future. McKenna and Lord's missed double date with a suitable federal riding will not be easy to reschedule in a future election. These days, federal politics has become a seller's market. In Toronto, Michael Ignatieff has been shopping for months for a seat to make the jump from academia to politics. So far, the only vacant Liberal riding in the GTA is that of Carolyn Parrish and it is home to a significant Muslim community that is unlikely to be enamoured of a Liberal candidate such as Ignatieff, who supported the Iraq war. Since no other Liberal MP has seemed inclined to voluntarily step aside, the Prime Minister may have to step in with incentives to create vacancies for Ignatieff and any other star recruit he may have lined up. In the lead-up to the last federal election, Martin freed up a Montreal riding for Pablo Rodriguez, president of the Quebec wing of his party. Shortly after the vote, the freshly retired Yves Charbonneau landed in Canada's chair at UNESCO. Under Jean Chretien, MPs and Senators received a substantial raise. Back then, the move was widely seen as an antidote to the declining quality of political recruits. It has had the opposite effect. Take the case of John Efford. Until last week, it had been six months since he had graced a Cabinet meeting. Relieved of the Natural Resources portfolio last summer for health reasons, Efford remained in Cabinet by virtue of his role as political minister for Newfoundland. It was only when his prolonged absence from Parliament Hill became an issue in the media that he finally found his way to the Commons. It has turned out to be a farewell visit, as Efford announced last week that he was retiring. Martin could have had Efford spend his last months in federal politics on the backbench. He would then have seen his salary drop from $213,000 to about $130,000.That steep pay cut might have made him more inclined to resign quickly, depriving the minority government of a potentially crucial Liberal vote in a sensitive period of its existence. Once an MP becomes a minister, he or she becomes almost impossible to demote without running the risk of reprisals. In the same spirit, current members of Cabinet have no incentive to encourage star candidates to run for fear of having to compete with them for places in future cabinets. There are those in Parliament who could make more money in the private sector, but they are the exceptions. It is not only devotion to public life that entices so many defeated MPs to jump back into the electoral fray. By raising MPs' salaries, Chretien obtained the opposite of what he sought. More than ever, star recruits are crowded out by minor league players who have less incentive to hang up their skates. Chantal Hebert is a national affairs columnist for The Toronto Star. This column was released on Nov. 23. chebert@thestar.ca. The Hill Times

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More than ever, star federal political recruits are crowded out by minor league players who have less incentive to hang up their skates

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