The Liberals are Giving Foreign Policy its Due

In his speech to the Canadian Club in Ottawa today, the Liberal Leader drew attention to the Tories' complete lack of regard for the Foreign Affairs portfolio, epitomized by the consistent change in ministers, from Peter Mackay, through Maxime Bernier and David Emerson, to Lawrence Cannon. Foreign Affairs is a portfolio in which stability would usually be cherished, as it is important to have stable international relations that are not jolted periodically by a ministerial change.

But that is only one example of the problem. An important question to ask is: what is our foreign policy? Apart from sporadically reaching an agreement with a Latin American country on an economic deal of sorts, there is nothing concrete anyone could point to. This in what many would consider to be the second most important and influential cabinet position, after the Finance Minister.

The vision Michael Ignatieff offered in his speech today was refreshingly inspirational on this matter. He spoke of ending poverty, giving aid to the African continent, concentrating on developing our ties with India and China. Unlike Harper, he actually has a foreign policy he can present to voters.

Making this difference all the more evident can only be beneficial to Ignatieff. What's more, making foreign policy an important plank of his platform plays to his strengths as a cosmopolitan politician.

And it will cast away the dark ages that have befallen Foreign Affairs in this country.

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We Deserve Better (and We Can Do Better)

Last week I wrote that I thought the French language ads released by the Liberals were superior to the English ones and it is still true, in a very important way. The slogans of the ads are different in the two languages. In French the Canadian voter is told that they deserve better. In the English ones they are told that the Liberals can do better. The French slogans is superior for numerous reasons, hinging on the Liberals being the ones who will be seen as having pushed the next election.

Due to the epic crudeness of Stephen Harper's government and its ubiquitous partisanship, it is highly tempting to run on this as your slogan. However, the majority of Canadians seem to believe that anyone could do better than Harper. In other words, this slogan that should become your rallying cry is not hugely revelatory.

What's more, the slogan "We can do Better" is less potent for reaching to supporters of other federal parties. The English ads clearly focus on the Liberals being able to do better. And while that is true, it would be more desirable to adopt a slogan that is less partisan, and thus more motivating. The slogan "We Deserve Better" appeals to the citizen in supporters of all the political parties, save the Conservatives. Everyone apart from a Tory can agree with those words, and have their emotions aroused by this injustice. Not everyone thinks that the Liberals are those who can do the job best.

Possibly more important is that a theme of deserving better is more appealing and effective with the non-partisan, politically disinterested Canadian. To reach this voter, one must ensure that they feel they need to vote, and that they have been wronged by their government. Therefore they are far more likely to respond positively to a less partisan slogan.

Finally and most importantly, the Liberals have positioned themselves so that they will have triggered the next election, if it comes. For this reason, the Liberal party needs to provide a compelling case for an election, sooner or later. Saying that the country deserves better fits this criteria better than declaring that we can do better, therefore we need an election.

Ignatieff needs to demonstrably prove that the Canadian citizen has been slighted, has received less from their government than they deserve and that their government has endorsed policies that are not in the national interest, or sound in principle. If he does so, voters will not only forgive him for causing an election, they will recognize the need for an election.

For if Ignatieff uses "We Can do Better", it begs the question so what? No such questions will be asked if the slogan is "We Deserve Better"

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French Ads Should be Model for Future English Ads

With the release of 3 Liberal ads today, some criticism of the English language ad "Worldview" has been made surrounding what some see as a hokey and bland ad. However, the French-language ads are anything but. They are damning criticisms of Harper's management of the economy and the environment, two issues that are at the forefront of the national consciousness.

In "Bilan Deficit" (translated "Deficit Assessment"), Ignatieff points out how Harper's continually changing stance on a deficit, from total denial to having to admit it is over $50 million, shows a real disconnect with reality. Hardly bland and hokey words:



In "Bilan Deficit"/ "Assessing the Environment", Ignatieff exposes the failure of Harper's government on the environment by highlighting the fact that 3 environment ministers have been responsible for Canada being in the worst shape among all the G8 on the issue of climate change. In contrast, Ignatieff promises to restore our environmental leadership.



Of course, none of these ads as of yet have revealed any policy. But the French language ads give confidence, indicating that the Liberal Party is indeed able to go blow for blow with the PM.

With much deeper pockets than under Dion, and an ability to produce hard-hitting ads, Harper's time really is up.

I don't wonder about the quality of the ads or the ability to produce them, my question is why the difference between the French and English ads.

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What Ignatieff's Campaign Narrative Should Be

Since it would seem that an election is forthcoming, Ignatieff is probably developing a narrative for the upcoming campaign. Since Ignatieff will be seen as triggering the election, it is imperative it be convincing, compelling, and inspiring. In other words, the opposite of Tory small ideas, a narrative that will draw out the forlorn Canadian voter, especially those that did not vote in the last election, as well as the youth.

With the economy seeming to recover, with a job gain of 27000 in August, some may think that Ignatieff's best opportunity at such a narrative has disappeared, that Ignatieff capitalized too late on this window of opportunity.

This is not the case. If the economy is recovering, Ignatieff can stress all the more the need to supervise this recovery, to ensure that we emerge from this recession with a stronger economy, a fairer economy and a greener economy.

Ignatieff can also point out that the Tories will be perfectly willing to let the economy follow the same path it did prior to this downturn, once the economy has fully recovered. Furthermore, he can attack the Conservatives with the OECD's recent conclusion that Canada will be the Western industrialized country that will have the slowest and longest recovery.:




Perfect material for an attack ad.

If Ignatieff took on Dion's motto in the last election of a "Richer, Fairer and Greener Canada" and changed it to be "A Stronger, Fairer, and Greener Economy", I believe it would inspire people. People really do care about an issue this time around, and it's the economy. If the campaign is based around this portfolio and the Conservatives failure at managing it, people will listen. All sorts of people that didn't vote last time. The young for example, who care about a green economy quite a lot.

Essentially, this strategy entails going where the Conservatives cannot go, and attacking them for they have gone, on the issue that people care most about. If you make them feel you will improve the economy, improve their lives and the environment, they'll vote you in. What's more, this time around you have the money to tell them about it.

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Liberals looking more ready for an election than in a long time

Today the Liberals announced that they would be running a $2 million ad campaign to boost Ignatieff's image and make him more familiar with the electorate. Equally important for signs of a healthy party is that the party has finally caught up to the CPC in fund-raising. They raised as much as the Tories did in the second quarter. And as we all know, one of the reasons Harper has won the past two elections is that he had much deeper pockets than the Liberals.

What with Harper giving an interview designed to present him as a family man to a Quebec magazine, you know that both parties are considering a fall election as a possibility. And finally, it looks like the field is evening out.

For that reason, coupled with the need for the Liberals to take a stand in opposing this government, a fall election seems as good a bet as any. If Ignatieff performs well at the start of the next session and sees a corresponding rise in the polls, he would be well advised to pull the trigger. And the Conservatives may just help him with one of their incessant scandals/mess ups.

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The possible excuse for Ignatieff's silence

In the last few federal elections, there has been only one instance of a grand idea being at the centre of a party's platform, a grand idea that could be the basis of a wide-ranging, encompassing and compelling debate. If Ignatieff is preparing his first move in such a debate, then his summer hibernation would be warranted.

For one, this would ensure that Ignatieff would not need to tip his hand too much on other issues, as the media would be focused instead on his grand "idea", and so would Harper and his cronies. This would also provide an opportunity to conceptualise new policies.

Not only that, but coming up with a grand "idea", if done right, can interest people in politics more than business as usual. People get engaged, and they get to meet the new leader who proposed such an idea.

And, as an added bonus, it motivates young people to come out and vote, and youth vote more consistently for the Liberals and the NDP.

Let's hope this is what Ignatieff has been up to.

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EKOS poll reveals 2% Conservative advantage

An EKOS poll released today reveals a story many of us do not want to hear: the Conservatives are back, ahead by 2% with 34.1% and the Liberals at 32.4%. Although this can be covered by the margin of error, it is of some concern seeing as the blame is entirely on Liberal shoulders.

Can anyone think of anything substantial and positive that the Conservatives have done since Ignatieff's potential election? All I can come up with is the settlement they produced, the commission to review EI, with 3 Liberals and 3 Conservatives. Other than that, it has been mostly scandals. Not to mention that before the election scare, they weren't doing much better.

So, it seems to me that our leader, Ignatieff, is to blame for fomenting an election scare, and subsequently revealing it was just that. The public is reacting predictably to what it perceives as politicians playing games, instead of performing the duties for which they were sent to the capital.

What's more, these results are probably down because Ignatieff is losing his new leader aura, an aura of something new and fresh. Although every leader loses this after a while, it was all the more confirmed by what is seen as waffling.

The Liberals do not have the Conservatives to blame for these numbers. However, it is too harsh to say that the Liberals made wrong decisions. Ignatieff made a principled decision of compromise, and attempts at co-operation. He is to be admired for that.

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Ignatieff, there are many other people in it with him.

With today being the deadline for the second quarter of 2009, it is an opportunity to reflect on the changes that we are seeing as far as Liberal Party funding, as well as general party health.

The reality that seems to be developing is that the Liberal Party under Michael Ignatieff is finally showing some signs of being of a more grassroots nature. By this, I mean a greater ability to raise funds, and also a greater party membership. What is more is that increases in both these areas are happening at overwhelming rates.

In this Toronto Sun article , these improvements are outlined. The most significant statistics are that funds raised have tripled over the same period last year, and what's more, membership is up to around 90 000, up from 40 000 in January.

Clearly the Liberal Party is growing in significant ways. And, what's more, this can be linked to Michael Ignatieff. It would seem that Canadians are not as averse to cosmopolitan people as Mr. Harper. It would seem that Canadians embrace this, and are willing to see how Ignatieff can fare.

What is more, Canadians, when Harper started attacking Ignatieff's character, realized that if they wanted to avoid the disgrace of Dion style attacks, they had to enter the political scene in their way, and not only voting, but also giving money and getting memberships.

Faced with such massive change in his opponents' party, Harper must be shaking in his boots. He's just figured out that Ignatieff is not just in it for himself, and that there are many other people in it with him.

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A great opportunity slips through Michael's fingers

Michael Ignatieff had a great opportunity this week to bring down the government, and to ensure, among other things, that real, effective, and crucial change would occur in relation to Employment Insurance. Instead, we have been offered a panel to study EI reform, consisting of 3 Liberals and 3 Conservatives. It is permissible to believe that nothing coming within the realm of nationwide EI standards will be achieved.

So let's bemoan our loss. Because a loss it is. Ignatieff and the Liberals were leading in the polls by a 5% margin, and were riding a wave of Conservative flub ups. What with a ballooning deficit just waiting to spirit the Conservatives out of office, there was little doubt of the issue of the potential election: a Liberal minority government.

And, instead of taking this opportunity, Ignatieff has created in co-operation with Harper, a panel that will effect some changes, but not what we need. If Ignatieff had taken his chance, there would be no doubt as to the change. Now, we are forced to wait and see what will be offered up to us.

The only consoling hope is that maybe, just maybe, Ignatieff has something up his sleeve. That he is using this time over the summer to strengthen his party's campaign-readiness, and so to increase the margin of victory in an election I want to see in the fall.

Cling to that hope. It's the best we can hope for in this missed opportunity.

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To pull or not to pull the plug, that is the question

To pull or not to pull the plug, that is the question. On the one hand there are clear benefits for Michael Ignatieff in attempting to force an election now. Not only would this corroborate well with what he has been saying, the polls are looking up for the Liberals and it could be that they would be able to ride the "sexy" wave into office.

However, on the flip side, outside of us political junkies, I doubt the public has an appetite for an election right now. One only needs to look as far as the voter turnouts for all the elections of the last year, federal and provincial, to understand that elections at this time seem to be a turn-off.

The concern here is that Harper would pull off an ad campaign in which he spins the story that Ignatieff is the one who caused the whole summer election. Of course, it takes two to tango. But our PM will forget this, especially as he is the one most responsible for the threats of an election. At a time like this, when the opposition parties represent more than 60% of the electorate, it would be wise to follow their demands.

Ignatieff has a tough choice. Pull the plug and you may win the election, or you will get blamed for it. At the end of the day, it comes down to this. Are Canadians frustrated enough with the lack of leadership, economic management and attitude from Conservatives to pull themselves away from their BBQs to vote this summer?

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Let's get a steadier hand at the tiller

In the last election campaign, one of Stephen Harper's recurring messages was that the Conservatives would be able to keep a steady hand at the tiller. We were told that only they could successfully navigate the murky and dangerous economic waters ahead. Now fast forward to today. Does this assertion seem to be true?

If it is, then I don't know what a steady hand at the tiller is. Does a sudden increase in projected deficit figures seem like that to you? Because that is what the "steady hand at the tiller" Conservatives are presenting us with. A few months ago, the federal deficit was going to be only $34 billion. Now it's $50 billion. Who knows what it will be next.

Flaherty, and his Prime Minister, have shown that they are anything but steady hands at the tiller. I appreciate and fully support the creation of stimulus packages for the economy. I understand that this stimulus requires deficit spending. However, what I fail to understand is how the Conservatives can be considered good fiscal managers?

Previously, they maintained that there wasn't even going to be any deficit. They clearly are out of touch with the economy. So when Ignatieff says that he is contemplating an attempt at a mid-summer election, I agree. We need to get government that is at least able to predict deficits, and have the courtesy to warn the public. Unlike the Conservatives, who tell half-truths to get elected.

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Disunity shows it's time to pull plug?

It seems that Stephen Harper's Conservatives are unable to govern, as in the media they decide to contradict themselves on crucial policy regarding arms given to Pakistan. It may just be the time to attempt to pull the plug on this government before they mess up even more.

Oh, and watch as the Conservative spin machine tries to play this down, or play it up as some sort of evidence of cabinet freedom etc... They're willing to try anything. They're falling apart at the seams, and they're down in the polls.

Which begs the question, will Iggy pull the plug?

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"Harper, he's only in it for the attack ads"

Here's (the last one on the page, bottom right) one of Harper's attack ads that he unleashed today at Ignatieff. It says Ignatieff is only launching attack ads, at poor innocent Steve. That Iggy lacks a policy on the economy and that attack ads are his only policy.

Sound familiar by any chance. I should say it sounds more like His Innocence Stephen Harper.

Instead of "Ignatieff, he's just in it for himself", I suggest the Liberals hit back with "Harper, he's only in it for the attack ads"

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