The Martlet

The Liberal Party of Canada and the UVic Young Liberals want to remind students that their voice is important in Canada’s political arena.

To help convey that message, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff will visit UVic on Jan. 15, speaking with students about what Canada will look like at its 150th birthday in 2017.

The Liberal Party is hosting a series of conferences designed to generate policy initiatives aimed at making major improvements to the country by its 150th anniversary.

From March 26 to the 28, some of Canada’s leading progressive politicians, public servants and academics will meet in Montreal to draft those policies.

The topics raised by students during Ignatieff’s whirlwind campus tour across Canada will fuel this debate.

“We’re starting out on college and university campuses because, in terms of our future, young people have the most at stake,” said Ignatieff.

He will visit 10 universities between Jan. 11 and 15, drawing on the voices of students to provide topics for the conference in Montreal.

According to UVic Young Liberal president Matt Ostergard, the conference will provide a long-term plan for Canada that the Conservative government lacks.

“The Harper government has no vision for Canada. Harper is happy to be voiceless internationally, to ignore students and to ignore the environment,” said Ostergard.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper was personally criticized at length for his limited participation at the Copenhagen climate change conference in December.

Recently, his Conservative government has drawn heavy criticism over allegations of abuse of Afghan detainees. Critics have said Harper’s move to prorogue parliament until March effectively stifles any investigation of those claims, in addition to preventing any major public debates while Canada hosts the Olympics in February.

Though the Conservatives have come under fire recently, Canadians haven’t been overly impressed by Ignatieff either. His credibility took a major hit after he signed a deal with the Bloc Quebecois and the New Democratic Party to bring down the Conservative government in 2008, a move that Harper avoided by proroguing Parliament.

Ignatieff has also been criticized as being ineffective in his role as Harper’s unofficial nemesis in Parliament.

Overall, Ignatieff continues to struggle with creating an image for himself, and convincing Canadians that the Liberals are once again ready to run the country.

The upcoming discussion at UVic will allow students to engage the Liberal leader on topics of importance to them.

Given growing discontent over the current government’s environmental policies, it is expected that the environment will play a large part in the discussion. Otherwise, there is no specific agenda to be addressed.

The visit will give students an opportunity to see Ignatieff in the flesh. It also gives Ignatieff a chance to influence future voters, public servants and politicians.

The event occurs Jan. 15, at 10 a.m. in the the SUB’s Michelle Pujol Room.