Photo : Richard McGuire
Mike Lemieux has cancer. When he got sick, his wife Hélène put her career and their savings on the line to be at his side.
That was over four years ago.
Doctors didn’t give Mike much hope. He’s been through countless rounds of treatment, travelling between cities to get the care he needs. Hélène has stood by him, round after round, year after year.
This morning, Michael Ignatieff visited them at their home, in Gatineau, Québec. He spoke with Hélène and Mike about what they’ve been through, and the sacrifices that are still ahead. Then he announced what a Liberal government will do to help – not only people like Hélène and Mike, but also hundreds of thousands of other Canadian families who are caring for sick or aging loved ones at home.
You can read about the Liberal Family Care Plan here.
This is a clear choice. On one hand, the Conservative government plans to give $20 billion in tax breaks to big corporations over the next five years – spending borrowed money, when we’re in a $54 billion deficit. On the other hand, Michael Ignatieff and the Liberal Party will cancel Stephen Harper’s Conservative tax breaks for big corporations, pay down the deficit, and support middle-class Canadian families.
These are the priorities Michael Ignatieff has heard from Canadians from coast to coast to coast, first on his Liberal Express summer tour, and now at his Open mike town halls. Stephen Harper, meanwhile, hasn’t listened to a single unscripted question from a Canadian who wasn’t a politician, a journalist, or a card-carrying Conservative since he became Prime Minister.
As Michael Ignatieff says, “you can’t lead if you don’t listen.” It shows.
The Liberal Family Care Plan is one piece of the next Liberal platform. There’s more to come, and much that we’ve announced already. You can have your say on Thursday, when Michael Ignatieff will be taking your questions – live from Winnipeg – during the next Open mike town hall. You can RSVP here.
For over four years, Hélène Hardy and Mike Lemieux have stood together in the face of cancer. A Liberal government will stand with them.
That’s our choice. What’s yours?
- A.G.
Adam Goldenberg is Michael Ignatieff’s speechwriter. Follow him at http://twitter.com/adamgoldenberg. Email him at adam@email.liberal.ca.
