LIVE BLOG: Kitchener Open Mike Event

Real Canadian Politics is happy to be Live Blogging this event live from Bingemans Conference Centre in Kitchener, Ontario. Unfortunately, I have a hockey game at 2:00pm this afternoon so I will have to leave the event early, at about 1:30pm.

Ignatieff Makes Personal Appeal

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff sent out an email to his mass mailing list today, with a subject line of "This is personal." Here it is:

My mother got sick with Alzheimer’s when she was in her 60s — early, in other words — and my dad took care of her at home. I’ve never admired my father more than when he looked after my mom, but it killed him, basically. It was tough, even with my brother, Andrew, stepping up, and our family and friends helping.

Like my Dad did, millions of Canadians care for family members at home when loved ones fall ill. They are a silent workforce, providing $9-billion in unpaid work each year. Many must use personal savings to survive, miss work or quit their jobs. Over half have household incomes under $45,000. Like the loved ones they are caring for, many of these caregivers are in the fight of their lives.

Yesterday, I announced a new Liberal Party policy to change that.

Canadians want to shoulder the responsibility of caring for their ill parents, grandparents, spouse or young children. But they also want a government that stands with them, a government that chooses families over corporate tax breaks.

That’s why the new Liberal Family Care Plan will introduce:

1. A new six-month Family Care Employment Insurance Benefit, similar to the EI parental leave benefit, so that more Canadians can care for gravely ill family members at home without having to quit their jobs; and

   
   

2. A new Family Care Tax Benefit, modeled on the Child Tax Benefit, to help low- and middle-income family caregivers who provide essential care to a family member at home.

Replacing the current six-week EI program, the Family Care Employment Insurance Benefit will let families claim up to six months in blocks over a year long period, and share it with other family members.

Meanwhile, the new Family Care Tax Benefit will help low- and middle-income family caregivers defray the cost of providing essential care to a family member at home. The new benefit will provide families that qualify with a tax-free monthly payment worth up to $1,350 per year.

During difficult economic times, governments — and Canadians — must choose.Stephen Harper and the Conservatives choose a $6-billion annual tax break for corporations. We choose families. We’ll keep the corporate tax rate where it is now, 25 percent lower than in the United States, and use some of the savings it provides to pay for the Liberal Family Care Plan.

I know this policy will help countless Canadians struggling to provide care for sick loved ones at home.

Thank you.

Michael Ignatieff

John Ivison of the National Post received this email, and he was less than pleased, stating that them email "reaches too far." He goes on to say that he thinks that the email is "manipulative, undignified and in poor taste." I couldn't disagree more! The email starts off on a personal note, and quickly progresses to a discussion on the Liberal's new home care plan. Ignatieff is using a personal story to attempt to connect to Canadians. He is not reaching for sympathy, but rather letting Canadians know that he sympathizes with them. He is telling Canadians that he knows what they are feeling, and he knows what they are going through. 


This personal approach is not overreaching at all. In fact, catching a glimpse into the personal life of a leader is a refreshing change, and allows Canadians to connect with him on a personal level. I think this email could prove beneficial for both the Liberals and Canadians.

Layton Exercises Proper Politics

Jack Layton has his own views on politics like anyone else, and sure perhaps his opinion is regarded a little more than the average person, but he is the leader of the NDP so it makes sense. As the leader of one of the major political parties in Canada he has had to make many tough decisions along with the rest of the MPs that sit in the House of Commons. When it comes to being the head of the party, that adds extra stress and pressure to guide the party in the proper direction when it comes to the views of its members. Sometimes that means keeping your own views in check and allowing democracy and politics just to flow naturally.

A perfect example of this, is the position Layton is taking on the issue of the gun registry; allowing the members of his party to vote freely based on their own views. Despite having conflicting views with many members within his own party, he is not demanding all NDP MPs vote with him in a whip vote. Instead he allowing the process of democracy to take place freely and without constraint. This move has come under fire by many pundits and politicians such as Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff who stated, "Now they're [the NDP] are lined up with Stephen Harper against the police." Layton however, agrees with Ignatieff's stance on the gun registry and wants to save the program. Layton believes that the gun registry is not without its flaws and that needs to be addressed. He wants the registry to, "work for everybody," and the first step is not, "fix[ing] it by getting rid of it."

Despite allowing his party to vote freely on the issue, Jack Layton still plans on making his pitch to his MPs in hope that they follow his stance. The members of the NDP will not be punished if they decided to vote opposite of their leader. If anything, it shows that they have a spine and stand up for what they believe in, something lacking amongst individual politicians in this era. Instead of representing what the leader may believe, they go on their own belief by representing their riding like they were elected to do. This is an example of Real Canadian Politics.