Flaherty, Redford quit at the right time

Sports' fans often talk about athletes who know when it's time to retire versus those who hang around for too long.

The Detroit Red Wings' Nicholas Lidstrom, for example, could have played another two or three years but chose to retire in 2012 whereas Mark Messier — who was a ineffective shell of his Edmonton Oiler self by the end of his career — probably should have retired three or four years before his career ended.

In politics, the Mark Messier's of the world are usually pushed-out (ie: voted out) by a disgruntled caucus and/or electorate.

There are fewer Lidstrom's: those politicos that have the wherewithal to leave at the 'right time', keeping their dignity and respect intact while not hurting their political party's fortunes.

While Flaherty and Redford resigned under very different circumstances, I think both of them are more Lidstrom than Messier: In other words, they resigned at the right time.

After delivering ten federal budgets, Flaherty had earned the accolades of conservatives in this country and respect from the finance community around the world and was on the cusp of slaying the deficit dragon. He is leaving on a high and on his own terms.

"Jim Flaherty...has had a distinguished public career both as Ontario and Canadian Finance Minister. He has spent more than twenty years in public and has given a lot to his province and country," political communications consultant Marcel Wieder said in an email exchange with Yahoo Canada News.

"For Flaherty to be able to time his resignation instead of possibly being shuffled off or losing the government to sit in the backbench is significant. Flaherty is going out as a winner at the top of his game. No one can begrudge him of having time for himself and his family as well as making some money in the private sector."

[ Related: Is Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi interested in replacing Alison Redford? ]

As for Redford, she's been under fire for weeks for her or her questionable travel expenses, her budget woes and 'alleged bullying'; she's also had to face a caucus revolt, of sorts, with MLAs openly questioning her leadership while two of them — Len Webber and Donna Kennedy Glans — altogether defected choosing to sit as independents.

While those issues have all conspired against Redford, she could have continued to fight: she has only been premier for 18 months, had recently won a 77 per cent support at PC party leadership review and is two years away from a general election.

But she did the right thing and quit at the right time giving her party a fighting chance to rebound in the polls with a new leader.

[ Related: Alberta Tories begin picking up pieces after resignation of Premier Redford ]

We asked Wieder and right-leaning political pundit Gerry Nicholls for some other examples of Canadian political leaders who left at the right time.

The list was short but both instantly named Pierre Trudeau.

"To me, the best example of a politician who voluntarily gave up office on his own timetable and with some dignity was Pierre Trudeau," Nicholls told Yahoo Canada News.

Conversely, Nicholls identified former Quebec premier Jean Charest as someone who stayed around for too long.

"Some politicians manage to go on past their 'expiry dates' despite the adversity they face, such as former Quebec Premier Jean Charest," Nicholls said.

"Charest clearly thought he could still go on, he was wrong."

Maybe there's a lesson there for the likes of Stephen Harper and Rob Ford?

(Photo courtesy of the Canadian Press)

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