The best news I’ve heard all week

Warning: this post may will include partisan overtures.

 IGGY IS IN, and Rae is out for the leadership of the Liberal Party and it’s the best news I’ve heard all week.

In the fall of 2006 Michael and I travelled to Montreal to support Ignatieff at the 2006 Biennial Leadership Convention. Here we witnessed Dion’s unexpected win and Ignatieff’s gracious concession (even though he’d led in the race in all but the last vote.) The juxtaposition of Ignatieff’s concession and Dion’s befuddled acceptance speech revealed what promised to be a difficult road for the Canadian Reds.  

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Here’s my original post from December 2, 2006:

tous ensemble .

many people have been sending me their regrets because michael ignatieff, my candidate at the 2006 biennial convention , lost the liberal leadership race. to be honest the melancholy didn’t kick-in until after going home saturday night and watching three hours of convention news coverage. watching ignatieff’s speeches again made me feel deep regret, that canadians were missing out on the leadership of one of the most passionate, inspiring and intelligent minds of our day.

* watch ignatieff’s candidate speech here.

in the words of my friend sarah , fellow liberal and soon-to-be new roommate: “this is not to say I am disappointed with dion. i am disappointed ignatieff lost. here is a man who had the charisma to inspire a nation , who is a fresh face in the Liberal party who itself is renewing, who has bold ideas and vision and is more than skilled in both official languages. dion just does not have the same presence.” (read her blog here ) 

dion and ignatieff’s shared commitment to the environment (dion is the former minister of environment and iggy’s policy on the environment, committing to lower emissions by 50% of 1990 levels by 2050, was unparallelled;) their history of academic acheivement (both are former professors, ignatieff teaching at cambridge, oxford, the london school of economics, and most recently harvard); as well as their desire to see canada lead as a middle-power on the international stage, brought them to the final ballot on saturday night.

in the end experience won out.  

the press may have been reporting that it was a done deal (in dion’s favour) but on the convention floor, at montreal’s palais de congres, no one knew which way it would go. delegates were scrambling, signs were swaying, buttons were flashing, people were texting…  it was madness and all 6000 delegates plus staffers and journalists, were holding their breath.

when the results were announced the green-clad dion camp went wild while us iggy-kids were left straining to hear how close the final vote had been. not by much, but dion had done it.

stephane dion has years of political experience, a man of integrity and a faithful public servant. he is a tried and tested member of parliament who has contended for canadian unity year after year. the election of this soft-spoken francophone was a definite surprise but i must concede, a good choice for canadians. dion will continue to gain the trust of canadians the nation over and will prove himself to be what he is: a man of integrity, conviction, intelligence and humility.

speaking of dion’s win, ignatieff himself said: “we have chosen a great leader. we have chosen a man of principles, a man with a vision, a man with courage, a man with conviction. and he will have my support.”

“tous ensemble… all together.”

here’s to fair, grass-roots, democratic politics.  i am glad to have been a part.

…….

Today you’ll find me smiling. 

Go Iggy Go!