Friday, May 1, 2009

Ignatieff Speaks to Young Liberals

You can always find Michael Ignatieff at this Convention just by following the cheers and applause.

That's how I found him this morning as he ascended the escalator, and later when he stepped upon the stage to address the Young Liberals Commission. The room was completely packed with youth and not-so-youth, and I ended up backed into the door, videotaping above the sea of heads as my arm slowly went numb.

I'd show you the footage but I left my !@#$% firewire cable in the hotel room and can't upload it from my camera. Later, I promise.

The speech wasn't much different from what he's been saying all weekend. He did invoke the '68 Convention he attended as a Young Liberal, and spoke of the Liberal Party offering young people the opportunity to make history. He also spoke very passionately about the One Member One Vote proposal, and practically begged the people in the room to vote for it. He made no mention of the contentious YLC amendment, but the message was clear: with or without it, we must pass OMOV. All of us.

One thing I've been noticing recently: Iggy's been reading the same books I have. There have been several occasions when he's spoken quite directly about the ideas presented in John Ralston Saul's 'A Fair Country'. Like this:

"Because we are rooted in our land, and because we represent every ethnicity, every race, every religion, every part and parcel of our country, we are fit to govern - because we are anchored in the national life of our people."


He's talking about the Liberal Party and not the nation as a whole, but I'm still hearing a lot of JR Saul in that.

Anyway, I'll try to get that video uploaded some time tonight. Right now I'm going to try to get into the orientation for the fancy new voter database system (Esther's going to LOVE it!).

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