As parliament prepares for the Conservative Party's speech from the throne on October 16, 2007, a question on the minds of Canadian voters is, ‘What does the Liberal Party stand for?’ What follows is not in any way an official statement on behalf of the Liberal Party. It is, rather, what we think the Liberal Party does, and ought to, stand for.
In a speech given 26 June, 1877, nineteen years before he became Prime Minister, Wilfred Laurier defined his liberalism, and the liberalism of his party, by saying that he “is one of those who believe that in all human affairs there are abuses to reform, new horizons to discover and new forces to develop.” This has been the guiding philosophy of the Liberal Party since Laurier’s time and it has met with great success.
We should heed Laurier’s words. While Canada enjoys an enviable position in the world, our current prosperity is not felt equally by all our citizens. There are improvements to be made, and we have the opportunity to discover new ways of making them. The Conservative Party has failed in this regard. For example, Prime Minister Harper’s budget was a wasted opportunity that spent money recklessly and lacked a coherent vision for the country.
Stéphane Dion is the only leader proposing a coherent vision for the country. Mr. Dion calls his liberal philosophy the three pillar approach. The first two pillars – social justice and economic prosperity – have constituted the backbone of the Liberal Party since Laurier’s time and we know that their combined pursuit has been indispensable to Canada’s success. We also know that social justice and economic prosperity have come with an environmental cost. The third pillar – environmental sustainability – is Mr. Dion’s unique contribution. The three pillars are, as Mr. Dion rightly maintains, indispensable to one another, and to Canada’s continued success.
Just as we need to see where reforms must be made at home, we must cast our gaze outward to see where they are needed around the globe. Providing a secure environment in which peace and prosperity can be pursued through the combined effort of international organizations, national governments, and local activists is an indispensable role for Canada abroad. Canada is engaged is such a mission in Afghanistan right now. It is a mission sanctioned by the United Nations and our continued presence in Afghanistan is at the request of the Afghan government. The security our military provides is indispensable for the humanitarian work being done in that country. While some of our NATO allies are shirking their responsibilities, the Liberal Party should not advocate the same for Canada.
In Mr. Dion’s three pillar liberal philosophy the Liberal Party has a coherent philosophical vision for Canada. Canada is fortunate that it can pursue such lofty visions, and it is our party’s obligation to create similar opportunities abroad by providing the peace and security in which they can be pursued.
In a speech given 26 June, 1877, nineteen years before he became Prime Minister, Wilfred Laurier defined his liberalism, and the liberalism of his party, by saying that he “is one of those who believe that in all human affairs there are abuses to reform, new horizons to discover and new forces to develop.” This has been the guiding philosophy of the Liberal Party since Laurier’s time and it has met with great success.
We should heed Laurier’s words. While Canada enjoys an enviable position in the world, our current prosperity is not felt equally by all our citizens. There are improvements to be made, and we have the opportunity to discover new ways of making them. The Conservative Party has failed in this regard. For example, Prime Minister Harper’s budget was a wasted opportunity that spent money recklessly and lacked a coherent vision for the country.
Stéphane Dion is the only leader proposing a coherent vision for the country. Mr. Dion calls his liberal philosophy the three pillar approach. The first two pillars – social justice and economic prosperity – have constituted the backbone of the Liberal Party since Laurier’s time and we know that their combined pursuit has been indispensable to Canada’s success. We also know that social justice and economic prosperity have come with an environmental cost. The third pillar – environmental sustainability – is Mr. Dion’s unique contribution. The three pillars are, as Mr. Dion rightly maintains, indispensable to one another, and to Canada’s continued success.
Just as we need to see where reforms must be made at home, we must cast our gaze outward to see where they are needed around the globe. Providing a secure environment in which peace and prosperity can be pursued through the combined effort of international organizations, national governments, and local activists is an indispensable role for Canada abroad. Canada is engaged is such a mission in Afghanistan right now. It is a mission sanctioned by the United Nations and our continued presence in Afghanistan is at the request of the Afghan government. The security our military provides is indispensable for the humanitarian work being done in that country. While some of our NATO allies are shirking their responsibilities, the Liberal Party should not advocate the same for Canada.
In Mr. Dion’s three pillar liberal philosophy the Liberal Party has a coherent philosophical vision for Canada. Canada is fortunate that it can pursue such lofty visions, and it is our party’s obligation to create similar opportunities abroad by providing the peace and security in which they can be pursued.
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