Federal Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff returns to Squamish with a visit to the Adventure Centre Sunday morning (Aug. 22) as part of his two-month "Liberal Express" tour of every province and territory in Canada.
Ignatieff last visited the town's people in March 2009, accompanied by then-Liberal candidate and former Squamish Mayor Ian Sutherland.
This weekend, he brings what pundits call a "boonie tour" into West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky territory accompanied by the Liberal candidate for the riding, Daniel Veniez.
"It's a pretty informal thing - we meet as many people as we can and encourage as many people as possible to come out for coffee and juice and muffins to meet me and Mr. Ignatieff," said Veniez.
The Liberal Express began on July 13 at the Calgary Stampeded and rolled into British Columbia this month, hitting Nanaimo, Victoria, Sidney, Vancouver, Squamish, West Vancouver, Surrey, Yale, Kamloops, Vernon, Penticton, and Kelowna.
"We're the only constituency in the country, and certainly B.C., that is getting him for two stops, he's overnighting in Squamish," said Veniez.
Languishing in public-opinion polls for the better part of a year, Liberals hope the bus-and-barbecue circuit will give Ignatieff the same kind of boost other politicians have had on similar summer tours.
"Media reports indicate the cross-Canada Liberal Express is a huge success," said president of the riding's Liberal Electoral District Association, Ken Halliday. "It allows leader Michael Ignatieff and various MPs in each province to make contact with a broad range of Canadians and discuss the various issues of importance to them."
One such issue may be the repeal of Statistics Canada's long form survey in favour of a voluntary version. The Conservatives have spent the summer taking a beating for that decision, including the resignation in protest of the head of Statistics Canada, Munir Sheikh.
And this week, Macleans political writer Andrew Coyne reported a trend in Ekos poll responses indicating not the Liberal's increased approval, but something almost as hopeful for the opposition party.
Although more than 50 per cent of respondents say they think the country is on the right track, nearly as many respondents - in the high 40s - say they think the government is on the wrong track.
"The Tories are, with more than half the public happy with the country's direction, bumping along at 30 per cent or less in the polls," writes Coyne.
"Clearly, it's the way they govern, rather than the results -their tail-gunner style of politics, notably - that is the issue."
That was just the point Veniez made when asked what he believed his chances would be in the advent of a federal election.
"I don't want to sound like I'm tooting our own horn here but this constituency is ours to lose," he said. "It has a lot to do with how people are feeling about the performance of the Harper conservatives on the one hand and a lot to do with people feeling strongly that they want to see a viable alternative on the other.
"We're in the process of presenting them that alternative which is why this constituency is a focus."
Locals get a chance to discuss the Liberal leader's views from 8:15 to 9:30 a.m. at the Squamish Adventure Centre Sunday (Aug. 22).
