Monday, December 11, 2006

The Speech

This speech, delivered by Michael Ignatieff on the Friday of the convention, really sums up the whole affair. We loved it. I loved it. I felt like I could cry. My job during the speech was to sit at the front--near the stage--and, with a radio in my ear, direct the crowd on when to clap and when to stop (it's a big deal to not clap too much when the candidate only has 23 minutes and looks bad when the go over).

I was terrible at my job, becuase I was too enthralled with the speech. But here's the facinating part. When Michael hit the big points, the barn burners, the things that people really can't disagree with--the environment, helping the poor, education--we exploded in applause.

And when we looked around, we were the only ones.

No one else in the hall was clapping. Few in our camp noticed, as there were over a thousand of us. But it was there, like a blanket of quiet repudiation.

As signs go, that's not a good one.

As for the speech? It's one of the best I've heard, and quicly and concisely sums up what I loved about my candidate. Let's just hope the Party ends up espousing something close.

Oh, and I completely turned "tous ensemble!" into a cheer.

THE SPEECH
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Merci beaucoup, mes amis.

My friends, tonight's the night the Liberal Party begins again.

To embrace a new agenda.
An agenda of hope.
An agenda for all Canadians.
Un agenda d'espoir pour tous les Canadiens et les Canadiennes

We have come to this place to make an historic decision. Together. After tomorrow, we will leave this place together.
Renewed. United.
Nous repartirons de Montréal, unis et inspirés d'un seul message pour les Canadiens et Canadiennes d'un océan à l'autre.
We will be united coast to coast to coast with one message for all Canadians.
With this team, the future of the Liberal Party has never been brighter.
To every volunteer in every single campaign in this room tonight: thank you. You have worked so hard over many months. Vous avez travaillé si fort au cours des derniers mois.

Together, we are building a better Liberal Party.

A party that once again knows what it believes.
Nous sommes debout.
Coude à coude.
Pour défendre nos idées et nos valeurs.
Notre parti est un grand parti.
A la prochaine élection, tous les Libéraux au pays, tous les électeurs, sauront ce que nous défendons. All Canadians will
know what Liberals stand for.
A Canada where hope is shared not squandered.
Where promises are kept not betrayed
A Canada that leads
That inspires

We are the party that built this country and we built it on four cornerstones
Social Justice.
Sustainable economy
Unity
International leadership.
Quatre pierres angulaires: justice sociale, économie durable, unité, leadership international.
Quand nous défendons ces valeurs fondamentales, nous gagnons à coup sûr.
When we stand on these foundations, we always win!

I say tonight what I have said throughout this campaign. We must be the party of hope.
Nous devons être le parti de l'espoir.
And hope begins with opportunity.
Opportunity for low income families.
For Aboriginal Canadians.
For immigrants.
Opportunity for our farmers.
La possibilité pour les femmes de vivre sans pauvreté et sans violence.
And if hope begins with opportunity, opportunity has to begin with education.
We must be the party that says to every young Canadian who wants to go to college or university: "you get the grades, you get to go."

An opportunities agenda means faith in our future.
Pour un avenir où l'air et l'eau sont pures.
C'est aujourd'hui que nous devons relever le défi de l'environnement.
Environmental sustainability must move to the heart of everything we do in government.
We must put a price on pollution and on carbon emissions!
And we will!

Les changements climatiques sont la. Il faut agir maintenant afin que nous puissions dire à nos enfants et nos petits enfant :nous avons agi à temps; nous avons fait ce qu'il fallait faire.
So we have met the challenge of climate change and can look our children and grandchildren in the eyes and say:
We did not fail you.

A party of hope
Un parti d'espoir.
Non seulement pour nous, mais pour le monde entier.
Its World AIDS Day today. We want a Canada that leads in the international fight against AIDS.
A Canada that promotes peace, democracy and human rights
A Canada that invests in women's literacy, primary health care and good government.

Look around this hall tonight!
Anglophones et francophones, tous ensemble!
Men and women of every faith and race: tous ensemble !
First Nations, Métis, Inuit peoples, tous ensemble!
Les gens de l'ouest et de l'est, les gens du nord et du sud, des villes et des villages: tous ensemble!
We're the party that holds our country together. Tous ensemble!
Nous avons construit le pays ensemble.
Nous le garderons unis. Tous ensemble !

My friends, national unity is the Liberal Party's most important work. Always has been. Always will be!
Mais nous pouvons en faire davantage.
Réduisons l'écart entre les grandes villes et les régions.
Let us embrace the surging might of Western Canada.
Let's win some seats in Alberta!
Redonnons de la confiance et de la fierté aux Québécois qui croient au Canada.
Gilles Duceppe et son parti n'offrent que des illusions et des déceptions.
Nous devons et nous pourrons les battre à la prochaine élection.

The Liberal vision is of one Canada held together by a spine of citizenship:
Equal rights, equal responsibilities and shared experience so that we truly feel we are one country.
An equality of citizenship rooted in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Nous partageons les mêmes valeurs, les mêmes croyances, la même histoire.
Nous partageons le même avenir.
Un avenir ou tous seront égaux et tous auront les mêmes chances.

That's not what Stephen Harper believes.
Here's a politician of conviction who has all the wrong convictions.
Stephen Harper loves power, but hates government.
Canadians understand that good government helps to bring us together.

Stephen Harper thinks differently.
He has a mean-spirited vision.
He pits rich against poor.
Region against region.
Province against province.
Bit by bit, he is reshaping Canada.
Into a country that is less progressive,
Less fair
Less just
And less equal.
And you and I are going to stop him!

We Liberals have a different vision.
A Canada that is just, and compassionate.
And generous of spirit.
We Liberals love this country, but we long for it to be better than it is.

So:
When people ask: where's the best health care in the world? The answer will be Canada!
Where will aboriginals live as equals? Canada!
Who will lead the world in environmental sustainability? Canada!
Quel est l'endroit au monde ou la différence est la plus respectée. Canada !
Where will young people have the biggest dreams and fairest shot at life ? Canada!
We have long been a beacon to the world. But we can shine so much more brightly.
We have the resources. We have the know-how. We have the courage and compassion.

What we need is the leadership.
Ce leadership, seul le Parti liberal peut l'offrir.
Leadership that only the Liberal Party can offer.
Hope that only the Liberal Party can offer.
If we become the party of hope in the country of hope, no one can defeat us.
Si nous devenons le parti de l'espoir dans un pays d'espoir, personne ne pourra nous battre!
We are Liberals of a new generation in a new century.

Tonight, we have a choice to make
Let us choose unity over division,
Direction over drift,
Courage over fear, and compassion over indifference.
There is the Canada we live in today.
There is also the Canada of our dreams.
We Liberals are the party that will take us there.
Fellow Liberals, give me the chance to lead you.
A chance to inspire. A chance to serve.
I will make you proud. I will give you victory.
Tous ensemble.
Pour le Canada!
Pour notre Canada !

Merci!

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