Michael Ignatieff rallies the troops in Vancouver. Photo: Dave Chan
Another day, another definition of “late March.” Somewhere over the Rockies, the flight deck informed us that the temperature in Vancouver was in the neighbourhood of 12 degrees. This news was well-received; I might even have applauded, were my hands not still frozen from our first day in Montreal.
Then we arrived. In the rain. Home at last.
Having grown up here, my body is about 40 percent Gore-Tex. Others were not so fortunate. Huddled under red and white Liberal umbrellas – portable big red tents – we made our way to Langara College, where Michael Ignatieff and Vancouver South MP Ujjal Dosanjh led a roundtable discussion about equal opportunity for new Canadians. Michael Ignatieff announced that a Liberal government will keep families together by reversing the Conservatives’ cuts to family reunification in our immigration policies.
I may have been prepared for the weather, but I wasn’t prepared for the crowd at last night’s rally in Richmond. As Michael Ignatieff spoke about the politics of hope trumping the politics of fear, they started chanting: “No fear here! No fear here! No fear here!”
The Conservatives campaign slogan is “here for Canada.” “Fear for Canada” is a better fit. But, as last night’s crowd demonstrated, Canadians aren’t buying it.
This morning, Michael Ignatieff is announcing our plan to enhance retirement security, fight seniors’ poverty, and strengthen the Canada Pension Plan. We’re going to take the fear away from families who aren’t sure how they’ll be able to retire in security and dignity. No fear here, indeed.
Unless, of course, you don’t have an umbrella.
- 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 at http://twitter.com/adamgoldenberg. Email him at adam@email.liberal.ca.
