OTTAWA— Liberal Leader Bob Rae closed the Liberal Biennial Convention – Ottawa 2012 with a message of hope for the Party’s future and a concrete plan to continue the rebuilding process.
“The last three days have been a vital step in re-building the Liberal Party, in giving shape to the ideas and priorities we have for Canada and in giving new life to the Liberal movement,” said Mr. Rae. “This Convention has shown Canadians that the Liberal Party of Canada is more than just ‘alive and kicking.’ We are thriving. We are changing.”
Well over 3100 delegates attended the Liberal Biennial Convention – Ottawa 2012 to discuss policy, elect new executive members and work to rebuild and renew the Liberal Party as a strong force in Canadian politics. Liberal delegates voted to make historic changes to the Party’s makeup by creating a new “Liberal Supporter” category, allowing Canadians to register their support for the Liberal Party and vote in leadership races without taking out a paid membership.
“Liberals made a landmark decision yesterday to open up our party and re-engage Canadians in the political process. We know where we need to go and we will continue to take new routes to get there. We have only just over 100 ridings with 100 members, and we need fresh faces and new blood. I’m committing today that over the course of this year, we will work together to ensure that by 2013 we have 200 ridings with over 100 members,” continued Mr. Rae.
“I’d like to congratulate the new President of the Liberal Party, Mike Crawley, on his election, as well as all the individuals elected to commissions and table officer positions,” said Mr. Rae. “I want to thank all of you for participating in this important Convention – delegates, candidates and volunteers – for renewing your commitment to the Liberal movement. There is much work still to be done, but we will rebuild this great party together.”
The Liberal Party will continue reaching out to Canadians, as Liberal Leader Bob Rae embarks tomorrow on a two-week cross-country Skills and Trades Tour to discuss with Canadians the role that skills, training and education play in the creation of a sustainable economy.
For the full text of Mr. Rae’s speech, please visit: http://www.liberal.ca/files/
