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.

Putting the registry in perspective

Conservatives, and many other Canadians, are upset about Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff's decision to force his MPs to save the gun registry, but Liberal MP Scott Simms really put it in perspective today.

Simms was one of the eight Liberal MPs that voted in favour of scrapping the registry at second reading, but he has now told his colleagues that he has changed his mind, not only because Ignatieff ordered him too, but for his own personal reasons too.

Simms father, Reginald Simms, took his own life with a long gun in June of this year, prompting his son to change his vote, stating that even if the registry saves only one life, it will be worth it.

Simms has more than his father to think, he also stated that after the second reading he looked up into the gallery and saw a woman crying. He mouthed the words, "I'm sorry" to her, and now he plans to make good on his "mistake." It is believed that the woman in the gallery was Suzanne Laplante-Edwards, the mother of a girl killed in the L'Ecole Polytechnique massacre. It is unclear whether she will be in the gallery tonight.

Simms wasn't the only MP to change his mind for this reason. Liberal MP Michelle Simpson tweeted that a "Newfoundland colleague" put the registry in "unprecedented perspective."

With all Liberal MPs voting to save the registry, the Bloc voting to save the registry, and the NDP stating that they have "enough" MPs to save the registry, it looks like the Conservatives will lose the vote, and the registry will stand to live another parliamentary session.

More at the Toronto Star.

Ignatieff appoints new House leader

We're back everyone! We have been extremely busy these last few days but we are back for good now!


In political news today, a rather exciting day considering we are still in the summer session. The Liberal Party has released a statement announcing Ralph Goodale's replacement. David McGuinty, brother of Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, will take the position this fall when Ralph Goodale is promoted to Deputy Leader of the party.


This may sound like pretty standard news, unless you recall that the Conservatives have chosen John Baird to replace Jay Hill as their House leader. John Baird is a seemingly hard enough man to get along with, and now we have McGuinty who already has a history with Baird.


Both men are from Ottawa, and McGuinty served as Environment critic when Baird held the Environment portfolio. McGuinty's Premier brother also had several conflicts with Baird when he still served in former Ontario Premier Mike Harris' cabinet.


Also, at the municipal level, McGuinty backed former Ottawa mayor Bob Chiarelli, who was defeated by incumbent Larry O'Brien, who had Conservative support. Chiarelli is now a member of Dalton McGuinty's provincial cabinet, after winning a provincial by-election. The two also had opposing viewpoints over a proposed light rail link in Ottawa.


With these changes in the Liberal party comes MP Justin Trudeau's promotion to Citizenship and Immigration critic! 


These changes will undoubtedly create even more tension in the House, as we hurtle dangerously close to an election.

Is that Harper I see in the distance?

Our elusive Prime Minister will finally be showing his face next week, as he meets with Conservative MPs and Senators at the Conservative Summer National Caucus meeting. As stated previously, we have barely heard from the Prime Minister, who is said to be spending time with his family at his official summer retreat, despite all the hype about the G20, the F-35s, and the long form census.

Perhaps we will learn next week just why the PM has made the decision to scrap the long form census, however it is more likely that we will just hear more about "the threat of jail time" being inappropriate. We might even hear a response to NDP Leader Jack Layton's request for a meeting. Or a response to MP Helena Guergis request for a meeting!? Doubtful, to say the least.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Leader, Michael Ignatieff continues to tour Ontario on the Liberal Express.

Other than that, a brief programming note: I am off to the cottage this weekend in beautiful (but insanely busy) Turkey Point, Ontario, on the shores of Lake Erie. I most likely won't be posting, but I will likely still be tweeting. In the event that something major comes up over the weekend and I do hear about it, I will try to post, though don't count on it because we only have dial up at the cottage, and that is a scary thought.

Proud to call him my Leader

I had a really enjoyable time meeting Michael Ignatieff today! The Conservatives like to say that he is an arrogant man, and while I didn't buy into that rumour before, I was still amazed by just how nice a guy he really is. Sure, the man is smart, but he is just a regular guy, like you and I. He talks, he smiles, he frowns, he laughs, he breathes. He even has a sense of humour.

I was so thoroughly impressed by this man, that I found myself soaking up every word he said, as if he were speaking to me personally. And for some of it, he was! He took the time to move though out the crowd and meet every person that was there. He even spoke to the protestors that were chanting, "Iggy, go home!" He responded by telling them, "I am home!"

While I didn't have an extended discussion with him like so many others did, I did shake his

hand. Twice to be exact. And both times he looked me straight in the eyes and spoke to me. He told me it was so nice to meet me, how happy we was to be there, and thanked me for coming out to see him. His handshake was firm, his eye contact unwavering, and his words were friendly.

He spoke to a variety of people, including a candidate for our Regional Council, a family with a baby, local business people, an elderly lady (who enthusiastically informed him that she would be voting Liberal), and even a young man just out of high school, too young to vote but extremely interested in politics, and passionately devoted to the Liberal Party.

When I saw Michael speaking to this young man, sincerely interested in the conversation, I realized something. I realized this tour is about more than vote; it's about meeting Canadians. From what I could tell, Michael was extremely impressed with this young man, and this young man was equally impressed with Michael.

Watching Michael interact with all these people, I realized that he is a different kind of Leader. He is a Leader that cares about all Canadians, he is a Leader that listens to everyones concerns, he is a Leader that has a lot to offer Canadians, he is a Leader meant to lead. A Leader to be the next Prime Minister of Canada.

"We're not the natural governing party"

Just found an amazing article in The Star about the Liberal Express, and what Ignatieff hopes to accomplish with it. I would like to share some particularly good quotes from the Leader himself, completely unscripted and off-the-cuff:

“We’re not the natural governing party, we have to earn it. The Conservatives won’t defeat themselves; we have to defeat them with a compelling alternative,” he says. “The alternative — we have to work for it, we have to earn it. We don’t pull policy out of a little policy shop in Ottawa. You’ve got to get a party engaged in policy. Because policy, it’s about belief, it’s about passion, it’s about conviction.”

“People underestimate my perseverance at their peril . . . I’m still here. And I’ve actually got more enthusiasm for what I’m doing now than ever. I really do.”

A real leader

With parliament out for the summer, MPs, Senators, and Party Leaders get to spend a few months away from Ottawa, doing whatever they please. MPs typically spend it in their constituency, hanging out with family and friends and holding the occasional fundraising for the party/future campaign. Senators, well who know what they do with their free time. But what about the Leaders, what are they up to?

Stephen Harper, Conservative: Well it has been quite a while since we last heard from the Prime Minister, but I think it's safe to assume he is not sitting in the House of Commons, pondering the future of the country like this PMO photo would have us believe. The latest official update on what the PM would be doing this summer: spend the summer at Harrington Lake, the Prime Ministers Official Country Residence.

Jack Layton, NDP: Who knows what this Leader is up to... we haven't heard from him in quite a while.

Elizabeth May, Green: Ms. May doing her usual promotions of green ideals. As she doesn't sit in the House, her summer schedule doesn't change much, unless there is an election of course.

Michael Ignatieff, Liberal: The Leader of the Official Opposition, unlike his counterpart in the Conservative Party, isn't spending anytime at his Official Residence (Stornoway), his constituency residence, or his private villa in Provence. Instead, Ignatieff will be travelling all across Canada by bus, called the Liberal Express. He has stops planned in every province, and every territory in the country, and he plans on meeting as many Canadians as possible. Virtually the entire trip is unscripted with people meeting him, asking him questions, and getting answers. Ignatieff will be listening to the country's opinions, concerns, and ideas, because that's what a good Leader does. They listen.

Ignatieff on his way back to academia?

Some reports are suggesting that Michael Ignatieff has been offered a prestigious job in academia, should he want to leave the political world. According to the Globe and Mail, he has been offered the top position in the University of Toronto’s Global Affairs School. The Conservative, and maybe even the NDP, are sure to latch on to this and attack mercilessly, but so far no statement from the Liberals. This would be a good time for Ignatieff to reaffirm him commitment to acquiring 24 Sussex Drive, by issuing a public statement turning down the offer. Time will tell what he does, however is think it is fair to say that should he ever take UoT up on their offer, the Liberals will lose almost all credibility.

On the Hill today, Public Works and Status for Women Minister Rona Ambrose will be making a statement on behalf of the Government regarding the “honour killings” in Montreal. This will be interesting because we will finally get some clarity on whether the Governments wants an amendment to the Criminal Code for honour killings, or whether they will back-track and remind us that murder is murder, no matter the victim.

Liberal industry critic Marc Garneau is also holding a press conference on the Hill this morning, likely about the Government’s announcement tomorrow that it will sole-source the $9 billion purchase of 65 fighter jets from the US. That $9 billion price tag will climb to $16 billion when 20 years of maintenance and support are factored in.

And the Liberal Express is onward rolling. No more bus troubles for them, after getting it fixed at a garage name Harper’s Diesel. Ironic? I think so.