RCI Exclusive: Ignatieff at Laurier
Today, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff came to Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo and spoke to a packed house of Young Liberals and student politicos. Among them was yours truly.I'm not a member of the Laurier Young Liberals or their federal counterpart, but I did take this opportunity to hear what Ignatieff had to say and how he presented himself to students. My experience with meeting and interacting with politicians is limited (Mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba Minister of Advanced Education, Charleswood-St.James-Assiniboia MP Stephen Fletcher, GPC leader Elizabeth May), yet, I can say that Mr. Ignatieff carried himself extremely well. With the exception of Elizabeth May, Michael Ignatieff was the best speaker of any federal politician that I have heard in person. It was, in sum, an energizing and exciting experience.
The buzz on the blogosphere has concentrated on the eating of crow for all federal parties, with the exception of (maybe) the Bloc and the Liberals. The Bloc have stated all along that they will vote for any piece of legislation that is "good for Quebec." (When it's Liberal sponsored legislation, the CPC claims that anything "good for Quebec" is enabling of the Bloc's separatist aims.) The NDP, however, are in a sticky bind that is as plain as the bald spot on Jack Layton's head to everyone except for some prominent Blogging Dippers. This about-face in opposition to anything Harper looks at isn't political, it's about making parliament work. They're not "blind to the polls" and ignorant to the "majority" of Canadians that don't want an election, not like those Liberals - on the contrary, they're going to do their jobs and make sure this parliament is productive... unless they can break the 20% threshold.
I'm not going to be all hawkish about an election right now. The truth is, if Harper thought he could defeat Ignatieff, he would have triggered one by filling the EI package with some additional pieces of outrageous legislation that no one but Conservatives would vote for. But he didn't.
And to be sure, Ignatieff, I don't think, wants an election in the immediate future. He just doesn't want the other parties to define who he is. He doesn't want to suffer the same fate as Stephane Dion - being mocked and prodded by Conservatives and Dippers every time they abstained from a vote of confidence; leaving the NDP to claim that they're the only "true" opposition to the CPC and enabling Harper's "not a leader" message. So what's a Liberal leader to do?
Oppose, oppose, oppose.
And now Jack and his faithful are singing the same Conservative tune: Ignatieff wants a wasteful election, risking the Canadian economy, trying to take power all for himself... but we're not going to let him do that! We're going to make parliament work.
Except that isn't true. Well, it is true that there would have been an election should the NDP and Bloc not have supported the CPC EI "reforms." But it is hardly the responsibility of the Liberal party to ensure that Harper's government puts forth legislation everyone can agree on, and if not, vote for anything that would avoid an election because that's what the masses "want."
It is almost frightening how predictable the NDP can be. I'm almost more impressed with how the Bloc carries itself in parliament over the New Democrats.
This afternoon, Michael Ignatieff did not make a Liberal out of me, but he did speak a message that was positive, uplifting, and hopeful. It wasn't stacked knee-high with partisan banter and buzz-words. He stuck to the facts and gave us a taste of what kind of message the Liberals will project in the next election, whenever the writ is dropped. And that made me excited for the possibility of an Ignatieff PMO.
The buzz on the blogosphere has concentrated on the eating of crow for all federal parties, with the exception of (maybe) the Bloc and the Liberals. The Bloc have stated all along that they will vote for any piece of legislation that is "good for Quebec." (When it's Liberal sponsored legislation, the CPC claims that anything "good for Quebec" is enabling of the Bloc's separatist aims.) The NDP, however, are in a sticky bind that is as plain as the bald spot on Jack Layton's head to everyone except for some prominent Blogging Dippers. This about-face in opposition to anything Harper looks at isn't political, it's about making parliament work. They're not "blind to the polls" and ignorant to the "majority" of Canadians that don't want an election, not like those Liberals - on the contrary, they're going to do their jobs and make sure this parliament is productive... unless they can break the 20% threshold.
I'm not going to be all hawkish about an election right now. The truth is, if Harper thought he could defeat Ignatieff, he would have triggered one by filling the EI package with some additional pieces of outrageous legislation that no one but Conservatives would vote for. But he didn't.
And to be sure, Ignatieff, I don't think, wants an election in the immediate future. He just doesn't want the other parties to define who he is. He doesn't want to suffer the same fate as Stephane Dion - being mocked and prodded by Conservatives and Dippers every time they abstained from a vote of confidence; leaving the NDP to claim that they're the only "true" opposition to the CPC and enabling Harper's "not a leader" message. So what's a Liberal leader to do?
Oppose, oppose, oppose.
And now Jack and his faithful are singing the same Conservative tune: Ignatieff wants a wasteful election, risking the Canadian economy, trying to take power all for himself... but we're not going to let him do that! We're going to make parliament work.
Except that isn't true. Well, it is true that there would have been an election should the NDP and Bloc not have supported the CPC EI "reforms." But it is hardly the responsibility of the Liberal party to ensure that Harper's government puts forth legislation everyone can agree on, and if not, vote for anything that would avoid an election because that's what the masses "want."
It is almost frightening how predictable the NDP can be. I'm almost more impressed with how the Bloc carries itself in parliament over the New Democrats.
This afternoon, Michael Ignatieff did not make a Liberal out of me, but he did speak a message that was positive, uplifting, and hopeful. It wasn't stacked knee-high with partisan banter and buzz-words. He stuck to the facts and gave us a taste of what kind of message the Liberals will project in the next election, whenever the writ is dropped. And that made me excited for the possibility of an Ignatieff PMO.
Labels: Bloc Quebeciois, CPC, Jack Layton, Michael Ignatieff, NDP, Stephen Harper, Wilfrid Laurier University
posted by Dylan at 9/19/2009
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