Ignatieff Visits Vernon

Peter McIntyre Monday, 23 August 2010 14:16107.5 KISSFM

More than 100 people came out to meet federal Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff as his cross Canada tour rolled through Vernon. The 63 year old M-P from the Ontario riding of Etobicoke-Lakeshore was dressed casually in jeans and cowboys boots as he addressed the crowd of mostly party supporters at the Turtle Mountain Estate Winery, calling it a memorable location. "I have spoken in many beautiful places but I think we should pause and observe that this might be the most beautiful stop on the whole tour. It's just absolutely spectacular." "I'm on the 106th or 107th stop. I'm on the 26,000th kilometre. The bus isn't tired, and I'm not tired, and we're going all the way through." Ignatieff ---who was joined by B-C M-P's Ujaal Dosanjh and Joyce Murray --- touched on the need for the government to address climate change, saying the forest fires and warmer temperatures are evidence it has arrived. "I don't want to be alarmist. I'm not alarmist. The minute you identify a problem, you're halfway toward a solution, but let's at least have a government that thinks it is a problem."

The party leader since December 2008 also criticized the Harper government for recently spending 17 billion dollars on a joint strike military fighter plane. "Do we need this plane? Do we need that many planes? And do we need to spend 17 billion dollars at a moment when we are in a 54 billion dollar deficit? This is the kind of question Canadians are asking me as I go across the country." The author, journalist and academic will also make stops today in Penticton and Kelowna. He started the day with a visit to Kamloops, and arrived in Vernon about 45 minutes behind schedule.

He answered local media questions for five minutes, saying he felt the tour was having a huge impact on the Liberal's popularity, more than anything he's done as a leader. He dodged a question about when we may see a federal election, preferring to talk about his agenda. When asked how the Liberals could win a Conservative dominated riding, Ignatieff replied, "You show up. You show up everywhere."

Top photo: Michael Ignatieff speaks with Vernon area media while at Turtle Mountain Estate Winery Bottom: Ignatieff with his wife Suzanna greet one year old Cash Andrews of Kelowna upon arriving in Vernon (P.McIntyre)