Paging Dr. Dion

As the panicky casting about for a Liberal saviour continues, Chantal Hebert reminds everyone of a basic strategic truth. If the party is to have any future, it must rebuild in Quebec. That means first understanding why it did so poorly in the province it has always regarded as its birthright. Hint: it wasn't just the sponsorship scandal:

The subtext of this Liberal rout is also a massive rejection of Martin's uncertain handling of the Quebec file. By election day, some of the province's staunchest federalists could no longer stomach the prospect of having to fight a possible referendum under his leadership. With mediocre antennas in the province and, in too many cases, minimal understanding of the language, Martin's so-called board spent the past two years flying blind in Quebec. Perhaps their biggest delusion, one shared by the outgoing prime minister himself, was the notion that Martin's status as an adopted Montrealer would trump his lack of a coherent Quebec message... Regaining the trust of Quebecers will be a key part of the upcoming Liberal leadership campaign...

And who can regain their trust? Who among the putative leadership candidates has a coherent Quebec message? Whose handling of the Quebec file has been notably free of uncertainty?

Whoever the Liberals put forward will have to lead the party back to the field of ideas. Over the years, the Liberal party has allowed itself to be dominated by political operators...

Yes, yes, a candidate of ideas...

Regardless of its ultimate outcome, no Liberal leadership lineup could be complete without at least one Quebec contender...

... a Quebecer, yes, but...

But if the Liberals are to turn the page on one of the most undistinguished chapters in their history, they will have to field Quebec leadership candidates who are not living reminders of their recent misdeeds.

... a straight arrow, yes, but who?

Former justice minister Martin Cauchon — who has so far been the most eager to claim the Quebec spot in the succession lineup — is burdened both by past personal ties to some of the players in the sponsorship affair and his role as a Chrétien warrior.

So that leaves...

If the Liberals are to move past those episodes, they may have to look beyond Cauchon, perhaps to the brainy Stéphane Dion, to help them get there. If this is to be a Liberal year when talking heads matter more than political animals, a rare time when participating in the race could be as important as winning it, Dion would be a good fit for this campaign.

This is big. The knock on Dion has always been that he's radioactive to the province's political class, especially its media. If a commentator of Chantal's stature is taking his candidacy seriously, it may mean the times have caught up with the man.