On the road with Ignatieff

The Liberal leader is in Halifax today, on the first day of his cross-Canada campus tour, and I'm here to see how it starts -- which explains why blogging is a little light today.

This morning, he stood and fielded questions for an hour with students at Nova Scotia Community College and then did a scrum with local and national media. This afternoon, he'll be at Dalhousie, where I'm told we can expect a visit from the 22 Minutes gang.

Some initial impressions from this morning:

* The questions were remarkably good; this was an articulate and interested bunch of young people --  many training to be broadcast journalists, judging by their announced area of study. They had questions about the economy, about new airport-security measures and even on Ignatieff's past writings about torture and fighting terrorism.  And yes, they also wanted to know about Afghan detainees and whether they faced torture after being handed over by Canadian troops. Which means, we can assume, that they aren't the kind of people that the Prime Minister was referring to, in his CBC interview last week, when he said Canadians don't care about this issue.

* Ignatieff looks reasonably relaxed, as his handlers had hoped. He is making an obvious effort to be as non-partisan as possible (though there were a few, predictable shots at Harper).  Several times, he went to some lengths to explain that he was trying to keep partisan politics out of the discussion. And when one student tried to get Ignatieff to criticize Harper for saying he watched only American news, the Liberal leader, interestingly, didn't bite.  He said that Harper should be watching news from other countries, including the U.S., but he should also be watching CBC and Peter Mansbridge as well. (No  mention of CTV or Global; I assume that was an oversight.)

* He took a couple of pokes at himself as well, saying that he probably should have learned to play chess better when he was younger (a student asked him if he believed it was good for expanding one's brain) and that no Canadian, except his wife, should have to look at a picture of him going through one of those airport body scanners.

I'll send some more dispatches after the Dalhousie event.

Comments

[bill williams]

Did anyone ask why he decide to pick on lecturing College and University students.................was it the voting on Facebook that made him think he could gain votes. I noticed no one asked what plan he has that's better than what the Conservatives are working on. Questions that Harper answered quite easily seem difficult for ignatieff.

[Debbie]

Susan were the questions preplanned and preapproved like in most of these type of "talk to the politician" forumns or were they random and off the cuff?

[Kat]

While you're out on the right coast...and with parliament not sitting and therefore it would seem you dn't have a lot to do these days...maybe you can find out once and for all....

who fed the wafergate story to the telegraph journal?

Really! We the people, those who pay good money to read the words you write really want to know. And with all this time you guys have on your hands trying to stir up anti-proroguing sentiment, maybe you could also do a little investigative journalism and find the answer to this question.

Thanks,

Kat

[wascally wabbit]

Susan - since Mr. Ignatieff has at least you reporting back - keeping him in the public eye - any hints that he might be making any significant policy announcements during this "interregnum"...

signed

Hopeful in Central Canada

[I'll turn this country around...]

I saw the Liberal ads about prorogation today. If I could ask Ignatieff one question, it would be: Given the serious allegations of a torture cover-up made by the Liberal party, is getting to the bottom of the detainee issue your first priority when parliament resumes?

Obviously politicians need to juggle several priorities at once. But given the escalating Liberal rhetoric, I feel they're staking a lot of credibility on the Afghan issue and must deliver. It is not good enough to cop out because we're in a recession, or a recovery, or because it's summer, or because it's too cold outside.

When parliament resumes, I expect Ignatieff to IMMEDIATELY lead the opposition charge to get the detainee memos. If the government continues to refuse or play games, the opposition must vote non-confidence. Ignatieff, Layton and Duceppe cannot ratchet up fears of international human rights abuses, and then go back to business as usual.

[Cam]

Is it not pretty traditional for politicians to go on campuses? Usually as you have students studying politics, government, media, marketing etc you can guarantee getting an audience in the weekday, daytime hours. This makes it much more easier for media to cover, as opposed to when most rallies are held, in the evenings or on weekends. Plus, politicos used to say if you can sell a political party to someone as a student, you have a member for life. Smart move.

[Observant]

Susan: How did Iggy field the questions about his previous life as a "we Americans" neocon academic at Harvard providing support to the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld regime on " Ignatieff's past writings about torture and fighting terrorism" .. made as late as May, 2004 ??

Iggy was an esteemed doctorate of human rights, and he was providing his expert opinion on "lesser evils" basing it on his learned knowledge. He has somewhat retracted or recanted on the "preemptive war" opinion in regards to Iraq ... but he still holds his opinions on torture, denial of rights and targetted assassination.

He had his "mea culpa" on Iraq published in 2006 in the NY Times, so that means he still holds his opinions on the other extreme prejudice views. How has he explained those away without abandoning his doctoral qualifications??

[RamaraMan]

I attended an Iggy event in Orillia last year. Not a Lib he took a question from me. Typical politician did not answer directly but at least unlike Harper allowed opponents to his event. I would like to know if the question of a coalition was raised?

[MyThought]

Funny isn't it - the Cons supporters (who seem to hate education and educated people) think it's bad, bad to have townhalls (Harper's never done that with the exception of the partisan show and tell with Duffy) with university students.

Well, duh - the youth keep saying no one talks or listens to them. The same type of youth who loved Obama (he talked to them) and were the major factor in voting Obama in.

Susan - appreciate that you are reporting on this.

[Glen Krueger]

I cannot speak for the NSCC event, but I can say for certain that the questions at Dal were not pre-screened at all. I would know, I was the mobile microphone guy and I did not screen at all.

Glen Krueger
Dal Liberal President

[Acer]

Has Harper ever faced questions like this in a town-hall format that were not pre-screened questions or with an intentional partisan crowd who were also pre-screened?

I'll save you some time...no, he hasn't.

[WarrenT]

Please be factual. His wife is not a Canadian.

[AtTheDalEvent]

I was at the Dalhousie University event and thought I'd post a few things in response to some questions people are asking in comments:

1) The questions didn't seem pre-planned although I am sure he could guess what areas he would be asked about for the most part since they mostly revolved around issues of the day.

2) He addressed his connection with the United States early (maybe in his 10 minute or so opening remarks). He said something like he likes/loves USA and doesn't care who knows it. I don't think (cant remember all) his writings on torture were raised. As for losing his doctoral qualifications because he now holds a different opinion then at the time he wrote it, well, that seems rather silly.

He was asked about: attack ads, senate reform, a recent climate bill that the Liberals delayed (or voted against?) that I wasn't familiar with, right of Israel to exist as a state, suspension of Parliament, university funding and how the federal government allocates it to the provinces and a number of other things I can't remember.

He also talked about (in opening remarks or during an answer to a question) about the coalition being rejected by Canadians and how that is clear message to him and one he won't revive, talked about responsibility of both political leaders and students to make politics relevant again, and outlined some early stage policy on energy (tidal power specifically in NS), cap and trade, and one or two other things but seemed to be just at the early stages where they have a goal and haven't filled the technical details in yet.

Hope that helps answer some questions - and yes - he was presented with a taste of Nova Scotia as a present to take with him - 12 Keith's India Pale Ale.

[Gerald Saunders]

Susan: Is there a Senate seat in your future if Iggy becomes PM? It sure seems as you are kissing butt to get one.

[Debbie]

Thank you Glen and AtTheDalEvent for answering my question. I appreciate the reply.

[Observant]

Delacourt: "They had questions ....... and even on Ignatieff's past writings about torture and fighting terrorism."

AtTheDalEvent at 06:12 PM: "He addressed his connection with the United States early (maybe in his 10 minute or so opening remarks). He said something like he likes/loves USA and doesn't care who knows it. I don't think (cant remember all) his writings on torture were raised. As for losing his doctoral qualifications because he now holds a different opinion then at the time he wrote it, well, that seems rather silly."

Well, Susan .. perhaps you should clarify exactly what Dr. Ignatieff said about his "we Americans" proclamation, namely:

"To defeat evil, we may have to traffic in evils : indefinite detention of suspects, coercive interrogations, targeted assassinations, even pre-emptive war." - Michael Ignatieff, NY Times - May, 2004

This was Dr. Iggy's expert opinion at the time and he only recanted on the pre-emptive war point .. so does he still retain his other views to retain his doctoral and political credibility because Canadians want to know?!