How to Fix Canada's Political Parties: The Liberals

Michael Ignatieff needs to show Canadians where he wants to take the country.

In the early days of Michael Ignatieff’s time as leader of the Liberal party, during the time of the discussions around the so-called “Great Recession” and stimulus spending, I had an opportunity to speak with him. I mentioned to him that during the Depression some people were prepared to think big, and as a result, the Empire State Building and the Hoover Dam emerged from what were very hard times. I asked Ignatieff if he was prepared to think big and, if so, what would his stimulus spending choices be? He answered immediately: “Education, education, education. We need a smart population if Canada is going to be able to compete in the future.”

My advice to Ignatieff now is to recognize the following:

1. Canadians want three things: modest but reliable prosperity, a safe and civil society, and a few goals for the country to work toward. Soon the country will be 150 years old. We are waiting for our political leaders to articulate the nation’s goals. We haven’t had any in a very long time.
2. The Canadian status quo is good, especially compared with other countries in the world, but it’s not good enough. Our productivity is in need of dramatic improvement. We have been underachieving, and in our collective gut, we know it.
3. Canadians are realistic enough to understand that no government is going to deliver a new and better Canada the day after an election, so don’t promise one. Great leaders are realistic and inspirational.
4. Canadians want a leader who is capable of articulating the following unfortunate truth: this generation’s immediate task is not to enjoy any new and better Canada, but rather to take responsibility for building the bridge to that new and better Canada. We’re waiting for the blueprints to the bridge you would have Canadians build.
5. Show Canadians your blueprints, where the bridge should go, and what it is made of. If “education, education, education” is a part of its foundation, I like the sound of it, but I need to see and hear a lot more.
6. Playing cynical political games on Parliament Hill instead of meeting Canadians and spending time at the drafting table will not get the job done.
7. Politics is different now. All of the cynical political games and Canadian regionalism have destroyed durable party allegiances. Young Canadians have no political home, but they still need to hear ideas and be given a reason to engage and vote. They will be the primary beneficiaries of the work of this generation, and they need to be a part of the planning.

Michael Ignatieff, roll out your blueprints on the kitchen tables of Canadians and explain how, when, and why we should get this bridge built.