Campaign Opening
Most of the candidates had their official launches this past Saturday, and as a key rallying point for the volunteers they are pivotal. Campaign offices are the nerve centre for what happens in the five-week campaign and mine is no different. Although the profile of many of those volunteering in my effort is a bit different from some.People want a new kind of politics, one built on cooperation, open debate, transparency, and a sense not so much of just mere sincerity but authenticity. I'm fortunate to have a large cadre of just these kind of citizens. I'm grateful for all the faith Liberals who are there, but many have come from other political persuasions to volunteer because they've just had enough of the old system. A young man walked in who had started the campaign volunteering for my main competitor, but when he asked what she stood for he merely received: "Whatever is the party line." That was it for him; he was out the door. He didn't know me but he was looking for the back and forth that is meant to be part of democracy. Former supporters of other parties were there on Saturday as well, tired of the name-calling, the belittling of Parliament, the painful decline of the democratic spirit.I presume I'm not alone in this. Other candidates might be finding a similar trend in recruits. But repeatedly, over and over again, I heard on Saturday that people wanted a better Parliament and they hoped I could have some influence on that. For about an hour they weren't Liberal or any other stripe - they were Canadians who love our culture and our place in the world but who fear our own national decline under a PM who substitutes retail for meaning and vision.In this video you'll meet all kinds who are in it for you, through a better Parliament. I appreciate their support, but more than that, I'm just thankful for their simple love for a nation that appears to have lost its way. They're not alone in this country, and through their hard efforts they'll win it back.[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9SjZtrx2bc?rel=0&w=480&h=390]