The pervasive reports of Michael Ignatieff's imminent political death, his last days in politics, his demise as the Leader of the Official Opposition or whatever apocalyptic metaphor you can imagine are, to be the most charitable, premature. There are at least four reasons why Mr. Ignatieff's bid for the keys to 24 Sussex still remains viable, albeit with a lot of hard work and near pitch-perfect delivery.
First, he has successfully transformed the Liberal Party into Her Majesty's Official Opposition, voting against the government as parliamentary tradition dictates. This is a significant and welcome development. It forces the Liberal caucus and membership to start thinking like folks in the wilderness. No one is entitled to be in power and this perspective necessarily leads to new ways of thinking, new paths to follow. From this vantage point, Mr. Ignatieff and his team have to think of innovative policies that resonate with Canadians in order to earn their votes. Seeing things from the outside is a good start.
Further along this path is the second reason Mr. Ignatieff may yet emerge prime minister after the next election: his international perspective. Notwithstanding Conservative attack ads, Mr. Ignatieff has an international career path that is the envy of many. He must start drawing on his background rather than politely avoiding it. Seeing Canada from abroad offers him a unique vantage point from which he may better able to recognize the issues to which those who have lived only in Canada have become house-blind. There are many worthwhile policy initiatives from other countries that should be debated here.
This does not mean that he should throw out the entire tried-and-tested playbook. In order to optimally package his fresh vision, Mr. Ignatieff must adroitly marry his worldly perspective on Canada with the valued experiences of the battle-scarred veterans of our political wars. Simply put, Mr. Ignatieff must play to his strengths in order to distinguish himself while drawing upon the depth of the Liberal Party's political heritage.
When he became leader in May, Mr. Ignatieff promised to hold a thinker's conference to challenge the conventional views of the Liberal Party and, to a larger extent, those of Canadians. Mackenzie King, Pearson, and Jean Chrétien each successfully parlayed their respective thinker's conferences – all organized during their times in opposition – into bright new and winning policies for the Liberal Party. It is time for the Liberals to do so again. Mr. Ignatieff's international experience is an invaluable resource to tap into innovative world-class thinkers and their ideas. If Canadians want pedestrian politics, they already have plenty of choices. If they want new and fresh ideas, the thinker's conference could be Mr. Ignatieff's best opportunity to corner the market.
The last reason why Mr. Ignatieff's road to government is still open is perhaps the most obvious, but it is the one that is the least within his control: the record of the government of the day. Stephen Harper can don a blue sweater and impressively tickle the ivories, but like all prime ministers he knows that lurking behind each good headline is a potential disaster that can rock his government. The old adage is true: each day in politics is like walking on a tightrope without a safety net. It only takes one misstep to fall into the abyss. Success in politics is largely due to one's timing. This works equally well for Mr. Ignatieff as it does for Mr. Harper. Only time will tell on that score.
If the Harper government survives into 2010, it could be facing a Liberal Leader with some freshly minted ideas generated from some of the top minds from across Canada and around the globe, adapted by an Official Opposition that fully understands its traditional Parliamentary function. Furthermore, Mr. Harper will have a record to defend. So before we accept unquestioningly the breathless commentary about the perilous state of Mr. Ignatieff's political future, let us think of that great Quebec expression: “Respirer par le nez” – let's all start breathing calmly.
Greg Fergus is the former national director of the Liberal Party of Canada
