Michael Ignatieff meets with candidate Ted Hsu after announcing the Liberal Party's plan to create a Canada Service Corps. Photo: Georges Alexandar
She couldn’t contain her excitement.
As Michael Ignatieff announced the Liberal Party’s “call to service” – volunteer for 150 hours in a year, at home or abroad, with our new Canada Service Corps, and we’ll forgive $1500 of your student debt when you graduate from college or university – one of the students in the room exclaimed, “really?!” and started a spontaneous round of
applause.
Of course, we could have given her a head’s up on the announcement before the press conference started. We could have dissected her Facebook profile, too. We didn’t. When I told you that Michael Ignatieff isn’t using a script on the Liberal campaign, I wasn’t kidding.
The Liberal platform speaks directly to young people. The Canadian Learning Passport will give every student $4000 to help pay for college, university, or CÉGEP. For students from low-income families, it’s $6000.
Above all, we’ll bring young people into politics, instead of kicking them out. Even if – no, especially if – they can’t contain themselves at political events.
- A.G.
Adam Goldenberg is Michael Ignatieff’s speechwriter. He’ll be on the road with Michael Ignatieff and the Liberal team until election day. Follow him on Twitter @adamgoldenberg. Email him at adam@email.liberal.ca.
