Dalton McGuinty is being touted again as a contender for federal Liberal leader, and while this is a long shot it would provide some of the most intriguing personal battles ever between Ontario politicians.

Eric Dowd The prospects of the Ontario premier running are limited particularly by the timing. A race most likely would be precipitated by Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper calling an election and, if he defeats Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, the federal Liberals looking quickly for a replacement.

Predictions of this happening are increasing. But McGuinty is virtually tied to leading McGuinty is virtually tied to leading his party in an Ontario election fixed for October 2011. This is not merely because he has said he will stay — premiers commonly have made promises to stay which they did not keep.

But McGuinty has to hang on, because he remains popular despite blunders, and his party is built totally around him and has no one who could readily replace him.

If McGuinty stays and wins, he also will have to remain premier long enough to avoid accusations that he stayed only to help his party win and then abandoned it. So he probably could not run in a federal race before 2012, by which time there is a good chance that the federal Liberal leadership issue will have been settled.

Speculation that McGuinty wants to go federal has been revived by comments he made recently on international affairs, rare for an Ontario premier.

McGuinty said during a visit to Israel that he appreciates the plight of the Palestinians and wants to help them, while having much respect for Israel.

The Toronto Star, which can be relied to support McGuinty if he runs for federal leader, said he impressed observers by his understanding of this longrunning international issue and may find it difficult to settle down as premier after experiencing politics on a bigger stage.

It quoted one high-ranking Liberal politician as saying McGuinty is the most successful Liberal in the country and more electable than Ignatieff.

If McGuinty runs for federal leader, he probably will be opposing Bob Rae, the former New Democrat premier. No former premiers of Ontario have battled each other for leadership of a federal party before.

Rae would be in his early 60s and may feel his record as a New Democrat would hinder him in another federal leadership race, as it did in 2006.

But Rae has impressed many by his knowledge and eloquence while serving under successive leaders Stephane Dion and Ignatieff, so much so that news media have gone to him for comments, rather than the leader of the day.

This would be his last chance at the top job he clearly craves to the extent of suffering the scorn of his former comrades, and he would not easily let it pass.

McGuinty also probably would renew an old rivalry with Gerard Kennedy, who was his education minister before quitting to run in the 2006 race won by Dion.

Kennedy, loaded with quiet charm, was seen as the most personally appealing candidate, but too far to the left by many, in the 1996 Ontario leadership race, and led on every ballot until the hitherto plodding McGuinty passed him on the last.

Kennedy dithered publicly before running for federal leader and McGuinty finally gave him an ultimatum to go or stay. There may be no love lost between them.

Kennedy has not had a successful career in the federal field. He first failing was seen as having poor judgment in supporting Dion, a disaster as leader, after his own hopes failed, and he since has been barely noticed.

But he once was the provincial party’s most shining light, still is only 49 and may feel he has talents equal to McGuinty’s and his time has yet to come.

If McGuinty runs for federal leader and wins, he also would be renewing hostilities with heavyweight federal Conservative ministers Jim Flaherty, John Baird and Tony Clement, with whom he clashed frequently when all were MPPs. Rarely have politicians been offered such opportunities to settle old scores.