We’re live from the Liberal leadership candidate speeches… stay tuned for a blow-by-blow account….
4:47pm
Martha Hall Findlay is up. First up is a video… highlights Martha’s grassroots connections. A lot of Martha jogging. OK, she’s now talking… he thanks her family and mother (who’s 83 and in attendance as a delegate). Calls for unity regardless of who wins. “I’ll be damned if there isn’t a woman on this stage.” Quotes Nancy Pelosi — we’ve made history, now we need to make progress. Mentions the Big Red Bus - 23,000km of engagement with grassroots.
Liberals need principles, not polls and focus groups. It’s time to get back there. Evokes Pearson, Trudeau. Make “social justice a living reality for millions”. Equality, social justice, opportunity of all Canadians, including all aboriginal Canadians. We need environmental and economic sustainability.
Contrasts with Stephen Harper’s “command and control”. Leadership is not control. It is the ability to listen. It’s the ability to rally people to the right cause — the ability to inspire. We need brains, heart and guts. And she’s got all three.
All the talk in the world is not enough. We must act. Talks about the last weeks of nation debate. Are we paying attention to the real challenges of everyday. It’s not the labels — it’s what we do that matters. We are not yet inclusive enough. Take our heads out of the sand. Treat global trade as a vehicle to ensure prosperity.
New role for international stage — “peace prevention” not fighting war, not peacekeeping. When united, Liberals do good things. We knew not to go to Iraq (big applause). “Stephen Harper wouldn’t know what hit him” if she was leader of the Liberal Party. (huge applause)
(I’m going to skip Brison, Dryden and Volpe’s speeches for now because I am going to run out of battery power here on the floor, where there seem not to be plugs; I will provide an update later. I want to ensure that I live-blog the final four speeches) … So please stay tuned in about an hour.
7:05pm
Stephane Dion is up. Video to start — mostly images that show Dion with people. Introduced by Glen Pearson, new MP from London North Centre (I wasn’t aware he had endorsed Dion…). The message was — the Greens did well in London because the environment is priority #1.
Ten years in government. He stood up for Canada in authoring the Clarity Act (big applause). Delivered on the environment for Paul Martin (really? he had a plan… but results?). Harper’s direction is not helping the Canadian people. Much more Republican right-wing than former Tories. More Harper bashing — ideological, etc. “Child care is delivered through the mail box”. Control-freak — “muzzling his ministers and using his own staffers to spy on them.” Has no plan and doesn’t even recognize the problem of climate change.
Canada must lead the world. Not enough to capitalize on Harper’s mistakes. To win, we must offer a generous and ambitious Canada in contrast to Harper’s narrow Canada. Need 3 pillars: economic prosperity, social justice, environmental responsibility. Countries with be rich because they use their resources wisely — and they will earn “megatonnes of money” because of it. Junction of economy and the environment — the reconciliation between people and the planet. Must be a responsible custodian to the world. We borrow the planet from our grandchildren.
(We interupt our programming to announce that … Ignatieff’s people are passing out sandwiches…)
“Canada will not fail the world.” NDP doesn’t understand market economy. The Conservative don’t understand social justice. Liberals understand both. Need environmental sustainability as the third pillar. Knowledge economy — need to connect the lab with the market.
7:46pm
Gerard Kennedy is up. After a brief video, Justin Trudeau introduced Kennedy. Huge applause. Has trinkets they picked up at the Republican discount store. Stop Harper from doing what Mike Harris did to Ontario. New Liberalism. And enterprising environment. Everyone is given a fair shot at success. Draw upon Lester Pearson’s legacy — an independent Canadian foreign policy. Afghanistan must be built upon Canadian values. Pays tribute to Stephane’s Dion’s environmental record. Will build upon Paul Martin’s legacy.
(I must admit that Kennedy’s french is much improved)
The words on Quebec’s doorstep were not nation, but was integrity. Not a party of power but a party of purpose. There will be no Kennedy Liberals, only Liberals. Haven’t engaged in divisive tactics. Food banks taught me to trust Canadians. Tells the story of delivering food to a young family in Saskatchewan river valley. Sorry, I was so intent on Kennedy’s word that I forgot to type. All I can say is …. wow. If people were not standing before his speech, they certainly are now. Huge reception. I’ll try to get back to this later.
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