OTTAWA ONTARIO – I see where Kevin O’Leary has decided he is more important than the CPC leadership debates as he has passed up the next debate and decided not to attend it. According to one media report I saw; he will instead hold a competing “fireside chat”. The real question is why?
When you sign on to a process you sign on, you don’t wimp out because the process doesn’t match your preferences or what you see as your strengths. I doubt that there has ever been a leadership candidate who loved the entire process, especially debate formats and that includes many other leadership contests not just this one.
I have read where the penalty for not participating is a $10,000 fine. Shame on him for deciding that paying a $10,000 fine with money raised from his donors was the lesser of the evils to debating his opponents. These opponents will be under the same rules and disadvantages as he would have been if he dared to show up.
The question now becomes why? Was he afraid of a bilingual debate, one that would expose his one glaring weakness? Was he afraid that he was policy weak in areas other than the economy? Was he afraid that he wouldn’t be the “star” and centre of attention with an opportunity to bask in the limelight?
Party members and the voting public will never know because like a petulant child O’Leary has taken his ball and gone home- shame on him.
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Kevin O’Leary is so well off that he doesn’t have to touch any of his donors’ funding: he can buy himself out of debates if he feels that they do not play to his strengths.
In a time where we need more white-hats through the political spectrum who are willing to meaningfully engage with Canadians, Mr. O’Leary’s behaviour shows incredible contempt both for Tories and for all Canadians.