The stage is now set and the door has been opened.
With Souris-Moose Mountain MP Ed Komarnicki announcing he would not be seeking re-election in the next federal election, we feel certain there are several wheels churning in more than a few heads regarding the prospects of becoming this constituency's Conservative candidate by 2015.
So let the posturing and positioning games begin.
Let us all serve warning however, that gaining the approval of a local nominating committee is not necessarily enough since it has become clear over the years that when it comes to selecting federal candidates, in any party, the approval also needs to come from head office, and in this case, the candidate's nomination would require the signature of Stephen Harper or one of his minions in the PMO. It won't be a cut and dried affair.
When lawyer Komarnicki became candidate Komarnicki, the whole selection process was rather messy and awkward for all concerned. Most of the blame for the sloppy selection process back in 2003-04 was directed at Ottawa where the Conservatives were attempting to reorganize under a new banner of amalgamation. It became obvious that this new crew didn't have their act together and their effort to block Grant Devine's candidacy was humiliating for them, him, and most likely Komarnicki, too. It certainly wasn't clear sailing or their finest hour, even after Komarnicki received the nod from the phantom committee that finally provided the stamp of approval.
This time around, we don't expect the nomination process will be that muddled. The party has their ducks lined up now. In fact the PMO has things lined up to the point of obsession.
Now having provided the set-up, we take a moment to reflect on our MP's career as our representative in Ottawa and the review pretty well provides him with a clean slate of dedicated service.
With only one cabinet post usually reserved for Saskatchewan at the Conservative table, it became obvious early on that MP Komarnicki was not going to rise in those ranks, but he certainly provided stellar performances as parliamentary secretary in Citizenship and Immigration and as secretary to the minister of Human Resources, Skills and Development as well as minister of Labour. The appointments and re-appointments indicate he was, and still is, a valued contributor at the table. His focus on the constituency has been and is, steady.
Our MP, in one pragmatic move, has served notice he is giving potential replacements and the local constituency committee ample time to seek a suitable person. The support for the current governing party is huge in Souris-Moose Mountain, a fact that has been acknowledged by potential opponents who have pretty well conceded before campaigns begin in this area of the country.
Rest assured, the PMO and the local committee won't want to see that support erode heading into another campaign. We expect to see a very careful selection process taking place since it will be almost assured that this is an anointing of the next MP for southeast Saskatchewan. Nobody will want to mess with this cozy relationship the party has with the electorate, a relationship that was carefully groomed by Komarnicki.
In the meantime, we expect to see no less effort from our current MP, who still has a few lengths to go before he issues the formal farewell. His decision to set the stage early was a good one that should be appreciated by all those concerned with selecting a successor.
