Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff takes questions during town hall from college students in cafe and from Facebook
MONTREAL-Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff found himself competing for the microphone with a well-known member of his caucus Thursday as he staged his latest town hall meeting at a cafe near the campus of McGill University.
The crowd of about 100 college students at the venue, and perhaps many more tuning in online on Facebook warmed up to his pledges to help pay tuition, crack down on greenhouse gas emissions, protect the long-gun registry as well as a woman’s right to choose.
They were also amused when he talked about how he believes democracy should be opened up to the people.
“People misunderstand what I do here,” he said. “They think I’m an actor or a comedian. They think politics is show business for ugly people. I may be ugly, but this isn’t show business. You understand what I’m saying?”
They roared in approval with no signs of recent opinion polls showing the Liberal campaign is running into trouble.
“I have to be here. It’s my job. I have to answer your questions. And if you don’t like the answers, you go across the road to something you like better.”
He said this concept of politics has somehow been lost.
“I could spend $10 million, bombarding you with 30-second ads,” Ignatieff said. “It’s not going to change a darn thing if when you look at me in the eye, you think (you) can trust (me). And that’s what democracy is all about: Being close, being up there, answering questions you don’t expect. And that’s the way we tried to run this campaign. And that’s how, if I had the honour to serve this country, I’d like to act as prime minister.”
A few seconds later with the crowd still cheering, Justin Trudeau, the Liberal incumbent in the Montreal riding of Papineau, grabbed the microphone to talk about how he has enjoyed going into schools to talk to youth and engage them about policies and politics.
“This generation of young people is more connected, more informed, more aware than any generation before,” Trudeau said, looking directly at the TV cameras.
“We just have to make sure that they understand that yes it’s great that they’re involved in (non-government organizations) and in community projects but their voices are needed in politics as well.”
He said getting young people involved in politics was more than just a noble goal.
“It’s a means so that leaders like Michael Ignatieff can actually change the way we’re doing politics here,” he said. “You think young people are uninterested in politics, I was in B.C. in a high school, yesterday. Think of this: a British Columbia high school at lunch hour on 420 (April 20), and the room was packed.”
Meantime, Ignatieff was scheduled to wrap up his day by taping a segment on the popular French-language television talk show, Tout le monde en parle on Thursday night. It would be aired in the evening on Easter Sunday.
mdesouza@postmedia.com
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