Five Great Canadian Political Comebacks

Michael Ignatieff is not the first politician to lead a floundering party, and it's not necessarily a hopeless cause.

It hasn’t exactly been a honeymoon for Michael Ignatieff since he was made Liberal leader in 2008. Setting out on his summer BBQ tour, Ignatieff’s challenge is simple but vexing: how does he get a second chance to make a first impression?

Canadian voters rarely grant second chances. Perhaps the most notable exceptions are Trudeau’s return to power in 1980 and Joe Clark re-inheriting the remains of the PC party in 1998. But these are special cases – just ask Stéphane Dion.

While precedents exist for comebacks, they also exist for what we might call “circuitous” paths to power. Elsewhere on this site, Kate Chappell explores why Canadians have not yet become enamored with Michael Ignatieff. Chappell suggests that Ignatieff’s unusual path to entering politics was a hindrance. This, along with devastating Conservative ads, has perhaps dulled the “shine” from the new leader’s brand at a critical moment.

Lest he become discouraged, Ignatieff can find solace in the experience of our eighth prime minister, Sir Robert Borden, whose long career in politics took a similarly unconventional path. Like Ignatieff, Borden was relatively new to his party when he took office. He had been a lifelong Liberal, but left that party in 1896 because of profound disagreement over reciprocity. That election year he became a Conservative, winning a seat in Halifax.

He assumed leadership of the Conservatives in 1901 and served as leader of the Opposition for the next 10 years. During that time, Borden squared off against Laurier no fewer than three times. After losing four seats in 1904, he came back to gain 10 in 1908 – not nearly enough to form government. The 1911 general election was Borden’s next chance. In that famous contest, Laurier’s Liberal government sought to extend their mandate to pursue free trade, a position more popular in the West than in Central Canada. It was not to be for Laurier however, as a less than three per cent upswing in the Conservatives’ popular vote translated to a stunning 60 per cent gain in seats – enough for a majority.

Borden was prime minister at last, a full decade after first introducing himself to Canadians as Opposition leader.

Should the smell of kerosene and charcoal briquettes begin to wear on Michael Ignatieff as he treks across the country, he may wish to look to Robert Borden’s long march as inspiration to continue.

This article is part of the series, "Five Great Canadian Political Comebacks." Check out the rest of the essays here.