Stephen Harper doesn’t get that we’re not just going through a recession, we’re going through a fundamental restructuring of the global economy. That we’ve got to position our country to compete in the twenty-first century.

That was a key message in Michael Ignatieff’s speech to the national Liberal caucus yesterday, and a subject that he elaborated on today at a press conference in Sudbury.

We found Michael’s full remarks today about how Canadians are yearning for an economic vision particularly inspiring, and thought we’d share them with you here:

"No responsible politician thinks about these issues without thinking about the Canadian people and their interests. I'm doing it because I really, in my heart of hearts, believe that we can offer Canadians a more compassionate and more competent government. And that what I have been saying is, this isn't just a recession. We can't go back to the economy we used to know. Some of the jobs we've lost are not coming back, and Canadians know that. And they know that they need a federal government that says, okay, where do we have to go to create the jobs of tomorrow? Where do we have to go to create the opportunities of tomorrow? And they have got to have a government that believes in government. That has a positive vision of government. This is a government that doesn't believe in government. And right now, right across the world, people are turning to government and saying, how do we create the jobs of tomorrow? How do we create the green jobs of tomorrow? How do we create jobs in northern remote and rural regions of Canada? Because one of the key things that I'm saying in Sudbury is, I don't want a Canada in which all the hope and opportunity has gone to Montreal and Toronto and Halifax and Vancouver. I want hope and opportunity here in Sudbury."

Michael continued, painting an even more vivid picture of what he was hearing from Canadians:

"Canadians know the economic game has changed. When you are on a wharf and a fisherman says I have got to sell more lobster tails in Macau, China, you know you are looking at Canadians who get that our economy has to change. And when you are in the curling club in Yellowknife and a man comes up to you and says I work in the diamond business and what bothers me is we are exporting so much raw diamond and Canada is not getting value added. We should be polishing this stuff and we should be getting return from this stuff, these are the things that you're hearing from Canadians that make you think Canadians understand where this economy is going. And they want a federal partner who is excited by the prospect of building the new economy of tomorrow. And it is a gradual process by which you think, I'm listening to this stuff, hearing this stuff, and I want to give Canada and our party wants to give Canada the leadership that is worthy of those aspirations and dreams. Because I heard a lot of Canadian dreams this summer. And that is what was inspiring. And it is that you gradually come to that feeling that, boy, we really can do better here and Canadians deserve better. It is not just we can do better, but we deserve to do better."

Tell us what you think? Please email your comments to blog@liberal.ca.

Blog