Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff brought his “Working Families Tour” to the province Monday.
With election speculation rampant, Ignatieff visited St. Kevin’s High School in Goulds, a seniors complex in Mount Pearl and the operating engineers college in Holyrood.
The campaign-style events took place in Avalon and St. John’s South-Mount Pearl, two ridings that are seen as vulnerable in a federal election.
The visit also comes following a poll by NTV which shows the Liberals far behind the Tories in the province, and a national poll which shows Ignatieff far behind Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
“Polls do not matter; what matters is what we’re doing in this room, talking to seniors about the issues that concern them,” Ignatieff said to reporters.
“When we get an election, it’ll
be our priorities — that is, the priorities of working families — against Mr. Harper’s priorities, which are prisons and jails and unaffordable tax cuts for the richest corporations.”
Ignatieff repeated his criticism of corporate tax cuts several times throughout the day, calling them a “dumb economic choice.”
He has said the Liberal party will vote against an upcoming budget if they include tax cuts.
At the seniors complex, resident Dulcie Burry said she liked what Ignatieff had to say about pensions — bolstering the Canada Pension Plan.
“I thought it was wonderful, what he had to say. And I think he would be a good prime minister,” Burry said. “Our pension is really what means a lot to us, you know, when that’s all we have.”
The lunchtime event included a shot at International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda for ordering a staffer to alter a memo and lying about it to a House of Commons committee.
He also criticized the government’s plan to spend billions on fighter jets for the air force without putting the contract through a public bidding process.
At St. Kevin’s where the students spent about an hour asking questions, the conversation was more wide ranging.
"Polls do not matter; what matters is what we're doing in this room, talking to seniors about the issues that concern them." - Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff
Ignatieff was asked about the war in Afghanistan, Marine Atlantic service, gay marriage and marijuana legalization.
During his talk though, he put a special emphasis on young people getting involved in the political process.
“This is your country. This is your province. It all goes to hell unless you step up,” he said. “If you let someone else run, if you sit back, if you don’t participate, if you don’t get involved, the country won’t be shaped by you.”
In once case, he found a very interested audience member.
Grade 10 student Josh Carey said he was inspired by Ignatieff’s visit, and he would like to be prime minister one day.
“I think it’s important for politicians to have that kind of interest in us,” Carey said. “I’d like to be the next Michael Ignatieff, if that’s possible.”
jmcleod@thetelegram.com
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