Federal Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff talked about Squamish, the economy, and the Liberal candidate for last year's election, Ian Sutherland, during a standing-room-only town hall meeting at the Sea to Sky Hotel Friday (March 27).
Ignatieff said what's needed is a restructuring of the capitalist economy, along with a restructuring of communities such as Squamish. There's a need, he said, to get out of "basement industries" like logging.
"This financial crisis is a really big deal and you don't want to be shipping raw logs down the river. It's not the right place to be anymore," Ignatieff said. "We don't have a world-class furniture industry in B.C. but we have some of the most beautiful wood in the world."
Ignatieff said Canada is great at offering raw products but the country needs to creep up the value chain. Along with a petroleum industry, Ignatieff said Canada needs a chemical industry so shipping raw products stops.
"We have to systematically get out of the basement end of the economy and into the top end," Ignatieff said.
Ignatieff joked he was visiting Squamish for the mountain views but, said he was really in town to strengthen his Liberal Party's appeal outside the urban areas of the province.
"The raw politics of this visit is that we want to get this riding back as a Liberal seat and we have to persuade people in Squamish to support us," Ignatieff said. "We are also sending another message which is that politics in this province is not just a matter of the Lower Mainland."
Squamish's former mayor Ian Sutherland ran for and lost the Liberal seat for the West-Vancouver Coast-Sea to Sky riding to Conservative John Weston last fall. And although Sutherland had a hand in getting Ignatieff in town, he may not be the party's candidate next time around, said the party leader.
When asked to comment on Sutherland's competency as a candidate, Ignatieff said he was not the one to judge.
"It is up to the riding association to have an open convention to determine candidates. I hope the nomination process will be very vigorous and competitive and if he wins, fine," Ignatieff said. "We want people in this riding to get excited about the nomination process."
According to a recent Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey, people seem to be gradually warming to Ignatieff. It found that 45 per cent of respondents had a favourbale view of Ignatieff and only 26 per cent held a negative view.
But Ignatieff said the Liberals have a lot of work to do in places such as Squamish to regain the trust and confidence in the party. He said the purpose of the intimate B.C. tour is to let residents get to know him.
Ignatieff said the party will have to rebuild itself brick by brick, noting it won't produce results overnight.
The former director of Harvard University's Carr Centre for Human Rights Policy took off his suit jacket at the start of the question period. Questions from the public and Liberal supporters hit on a number of issues - everything from Canada's involvement in Afghanistan to the coalition.
"Squamish doesn't ask small questions, so I knew I had to take my jacket off," Ignatieff said.
Ignatieff told the 400 plus crowd he is the politician who turned down the chance to be Prime Minister on the issue of coalition. He said the coalition would not result in a stable long-term government but he didn't rule out a future alliance with the New Democrats.
He also backed away from provincial politics and his party's carbon tax, instead favouring a continental cap and trade system.
"One of the achievements of Stéphane Dion was to put environmental sustainability as a centre of the party but seeing carbon tax on the door was a killer," Ignatieff said. "As a politician you need to find policy that doesn't kill you at the door because I can't do anything for you unless I get into government."
As for the mountain views, Ignatieff said he has an affinity for Garibaldi Provincial Park where he hiked in his 20s while working at the University of British Columbia.
"When someone said 'Let's go to Squamish,' I said, 'You bet,'" Ignatieff said. "I have fond memories of climbing in Garibaldi, and it's one of the most beautiful drives in the country."
