A few days ago, I got into an argument on the Twitter with someone who assured me that Michael Ignatieff had visited neither Calgary nor three different places in Saskatchewan this summer, because he didn’t get there on the Liberal Express bus.
Friends, I’m going to let you in on a (not-so-)little (not-so-)secret: the Liberal Express is not a bus. It is certainly not a magical flying bus. (We do have a prototype in development, however!).
The Liberal Express is more than just a bus. It is in many places at once, every single week, when Liberal MPs, Senators, and candidates visit local farmers’ markets, retirement communities, and Legion halls, all across the country. At this very moment, somewhere in Canada, there is a Liberal MP standing in line at a Tim Horton’s. Unless you’re reading this at 3 a.m., in which case it’s probably just me.
Every week, Michael Ignatieff and the entire Liberal team — not just the ones on the bus — are bringing the Liberal Express to communities from coast to coast to coast. From time to time, Michael Ignatieff will leave the bus to visit Calgary, Batoche, or Saskatoon — but he’s still on the Liberal Express tour, even when he’s not on the Liberal Express bus.
But wait! There’s more!
Every week, the Liberal Express will be focusing on one key part of the compassionate, progressive, responsible alternative that the Liberal Party is offering to Canadians. Last week, you may have noticed, was about our policies for rural Canada. This week, it’s home care.
So it’s no accident that we spent yesterday morning at two different long-term care facilities in Guelph. First was the Elliot Community. From there, we went to St. Joseph’s Health Centre, where Michael and Zsuzsanna went on a tour with Guelph MP (and former St. Joe’s Board member) Frank Valeriote. They were clearly moved by what they saw; after the tour, Michael Ignatieff tweeted:
St Joe’s Health Centre in Guelph helps ppl walk and talk again. Inspiring work & we’ll support them 100% #lpcx
Later on, in a sun-drenched courtyard full of St. Joe’s residents and staff, he said much the same, except with more than 140 characters.
“I am passionately committed to a publicly-funded single-payer healthcare system, for all Canadians,” he said. “We will be there for [places like St. Joe's], because you are there for us.”
Liberals across the country are talking about our care agenda this week. It’s a priority that sets our party apart and that evokes the best of Canada. As Michael Ignatieff said yesterday, “We judge our country by the quality of care we provide to our people.”
After our morning in Guelph, those of us on the Liberal Express (bus!) felt a genuine sense of pride.
- A.G.
PS: During our visit, Zsuzsanna made a donation towards building a new rehabilitation park at St. Joe’s. You can contribute here.
PPS: This will be my last post — cue the bugles! — for a few weeks. I’m on my way to meet my brother, who is smarter than I am and is going to be a doctor. We’re going on a trip that has been all but planned since exactly eight days after we were born. Don’t worry, I’ll be back before too long. In the meantime, keep on reading this blog — and Twitter — for constant updates from the Liberal Express team. Check the tour schedule, too. Whether the bus will be there or not, the Liberal Express is coming to a Tim Horton’s near you.
- A.G.
Adam Goldenberg, Michael Ignatieff’s speechwriter, will be blogging from the Liberal Express (almost) all summer. For up-to-the-minute reports from the bus, follow him on Twitter. Email him at adam@email.liberal.ca.
