Prime Minister Celine Dion?

Much -- but perhaps not enough -- has been made of the hubris of rookie MP Michael Ignatieff (Etobicoke-Lakeshore) deciding, after spending 34 of the past 36 years abroad, that he can guide Canada from the northern wilderness if he becomes Liberal leader next week. But Sean Mallen, host of Global TV's Focus Ontario, managed to cut to the chase better than most on this intriguing issue in an interview to be aired Saturday at 6:30 p.m. across Ontario. It's worth tuning in for just to see the discomfort on Iggy's face:

SEAN MALLEN: A lot of people talk about your most impressive resume in the U.K. and in the United States. You’ve been a close observer of politics in both those countries. I wonder if you think if a person in your kind of situation, that is someone who spent so much time out of the country, could be able to make a serious run at either the White House or 10 Downing Street?

MICHAEL IGNATIEFF: That’s a weird kind of hypothetical. No look, think about it this way. There are something like a million, a million and a half Canadians, living outside the country, making us proud. Think of Celine Dion, think of Louise Arbour. I’m one of them, one of those Canadians who went overseas. I think did well, wants to come back because this is the only home we’ll ever have, this is our country. This is the only place you can be a citizen.

SEAN MALLEN: And you want to become prime minister.

MICHAEL IGNATIEFF: And we want to do some public service. And it seems to me that Canadians are attracted to that. They welcome that. They think that’s a good idea. They want to make sure that you can connect to, you can understand, you can grasp how tough it is to be a working man and woman here. Sometimes life is tough here. They want to have a sense that there’s someone here who understands, respects, stands with you in your struggles. That’s what they care about. Believe me, I think I’m that kind of person. And I think they also think that being outside the country gives you an advantage, gives you a sense of how important this country is in the world, gives you a sense of how to lead this country in the world. I mean what I get from my vote, from my people in my riding in Etobicoke-Lakeshore, is a sense that Canada is in the world. They want a leader who understands Canada’s place in the world. They don’t want to take Canada out of the world, they want to have Canada be a leader in the world. And that I think, is one of the reasons why they’re drawn to my candidacy.