Election around the corner

Well, I guess I was wrongabout Ignatieff backing down yesterday. Turns out Canadians will be heading to the pollsthis fall. (However, Iggy didn’t say whether he’d bring down the government at the party’s first opportunity for a no-confidence vote, which is in early October. )
Ignatieff revealed his decision to “not support this government any further” in Sudbury today. You can read the full text of his speech below.

Bienvenue Sudbury! Welcome to Sudbury!
Hier soir, nous tions 600.
Vous sentez l?nergie quil y a ici. Cette nergie, cest celle duretour du Parti libral du Canada Sudbury!
Everywhere Ive been this summer, Ive seen the same enthusiasmallwhile apparently remaining completely invisible.
Hundreds of people didnt notice me out in Victoria back in June. Orin West Vancouver. Or in Cape Breton.
I was perfectly invisible in front of nearly a thousand people at theCalgary Stampede. Ralph (Goodale) is still wondering how I pulled thatoff.
Same story at National Aboriginal Day at Crawford Lake.
Et pendant que nous y sommes, je ne suis jamais all non plus fter laSaint-Jean-Baptiste Qubec, je n?tais pas au Grand Tintamarre Miramichi ni Caraquet; et ne parlons pas dEdmonton, de la Beauce oude la Gaspsie.
Everywhere I went, across 8 provinces and the Northwest Territories, Ifound Liberals energized and set to work hard to put Stephen Harperout of a job.
We should be proud of the work weve done this year.
Nous avons fait grandir notre parti : avec de nouveaux membres, avecde nouvelles ides et avec la meilleure campagne de financement desdernires annes.
Nous sommes plus unis que nous lavons t depuis une gnration.
Nous sommes prts livrer bataille dans chaque comt du pays.
Et nous sommes prts ramener Ottawa un gouvernement comptent, ungouvernement de compassion, un gouvernement de prosprit pour le biende tout le Canada.
I know it can be frustrating at times.
Were working against opponents who make politics personalwho distortand deny the truth and put partisan gain ahead of the nationalinterest.
Were working against a government thats ready to sacrifice nationalunity to stay in power.
But we have a secret weapon on our side: Stephen Harpers record.
The worst unemployment record in two decades
The worst deficit in our history
And last quarter, the worst performing economy in the G7.
Stephen Harper didnt see a recession coming last fall.
Now hes missing something bigger: what were going through is morethan a recessionits a fundamental restructuring of the globaleconomy.
Stephen Harper doesnt get that.
He doesnt get that Canadas in a racethat weve got to position ourcountry to compete in the twenty-first century. Weve got to makeCanada a world leader again, and weve got to do it now.
Il ne comprend pas ce que les travailleurs de la fort du nord delOntario, du Qubec et de la Colombie-Britannique ont compris. Cestpourtant simple : on ne peut pas rester les bras croiss et attendreque la construction reprenne aux tats-Unis. Il faut agir. Atteindrede nouveaux marchs et dvelopper de nouveaux produits pour prendrenotre place dans un monde nouveau.
He doesnt get what autoworkers in Windsor and Oshawa knowthat werenot just going to have to win back customers; were going to have tore-invent the car, with brand new technologies and brand newenvironmental standards.
He doesnt get what the people of Sudbury knowthat when our workersand our industries are under threatwhen the choice is betweendefending Canadian jobs and Canadian technologywe need a governmentthat will defend our interests.
Stephen Harper doesnt get it. We do.
For more than a century, weve built our prosperity on our naturalresources. But if were to prosper in the next century, we have toturn our resources into products and technologies the whole worldwants to buy.
We cant get there unless we have the vision and ambition to build acompetitive, compassionate future for Canada.
We cant get there unless we open up new markets for Canadian exportsin countries like China and India.
We cant get there with Stephen Harper.
Stephen Harper has been prime minister for four years, and hes nevervisited China. Well be there next week. After that, well plan a tripto India.
Thats where we need to be as a countryif we want to secure marketsfor the next generation of our exportsif we want to compete with thebest in the worldif we want to get out of the trade deficit theConservatives have created, the first in thirty years.
We can do better.
Nous pouvons faire mieux.
L?t prochain, le Canada accueillera le Sommet du G8 Huntsville.
Ce sera une occasion de dmontrer le leadership canadien et decontribuer dfinir les priorits mondiales. Paul Martin et JeanChrtien reprsentaient ce leadership canadien capable dinfluencer lemonde.
Stephen Harper na mme pas encore de liste dinvits.
A Liberal government would invite new members to that meeting.
Wed use Canadas G8 Summit to begin the process of evolving the G8 toa G20, as the worlds steering committee.
We cannot make progress on global challenges without China or India atthe table.
Le G8 a bien fait ce quil avait faire. Mais le monde change.
Plutt que de rsister au changement, le Canada devrait inspirer le changement.
Nous pouvons convaincre nos partenaires davoir une gouvernancemondiale plus efficace, avec un forum plus reprsentatif du mondedaujourdhui. Nous devons reprendre ce leadership mondial qui a faitla rputation du Canada depuis Lester B. Pearson.
Nous devons tre prts renforcer le G20 en finanant et enaccueillant chez nous le Secrtariat permanent du G20.
A Huntsville, le Canada pourrait proposer des mesures concrtes pourcrer un nouvel encadrement de la rglementation financire. Comme a,le Canada pourrait assurer que leffondrement de lan pass ne sereproduise pas.
Canada can lead in a changing world, but only if we dare to act.Stephen Harper wants to keep us on the sidelines.
We can do better.
Stephen Harper hasnt just failed to stand up for Canadahes alsofailed to stand up for Canadians.
Suaad Mohamud. Omar Khadr. Makhtal. Bahari. Mohamed. Abdelrazik.
Being a Canadian must mean the Canadian government will stand up foryouno matter where, no matter when. This is at the heart of whatevery Liberal believes: a Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian.
A Liberal government would stand by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
We would stand by our citizens.
And we would bring forward legislation to protect Canadians abroadtomake it illegal for the government to pick and choose which citizensit protectsto make sure these abuses never happen again.
Stephen Harper leads a government that doesnt care. A government thatdoesnt believe in government. A government that refuses togoverneven in a crisis.
Lets remember how we got here.
A year ago this month, Stephen Harper told Canadians there wouldnt bea recession in this country. He said a slumping stock market meantgood buying opportunities, but no cause for alarm.
Last November, he presented a partisan economic statement thattriggered a political crisis.
And Stephen Harper escaped defeat only by shutting down Parliament.
In January, we put Stephen Harper on probation and weve kept him onlife support ever since.
We forced his government to accept the toughest accountabilitystandards in the G8with full budget reports to Parliament eachquarter.
After a disappointing June report, we set out four simple benchmarksStephen Harper would have to meet.
Premirement, nous avons dit que nous tions prts travailler avecStephen Harper pour rendre lassurance-emploi quitable pour tous lesCanadiens, o quils vivent, et aussi longtemps que durerait la crise.
Pas une proposition nest venue. Rien que des manigances politiques.
Second, we demanded straight answers about job creation andinfrastructure stimulus.
Plutt que de rpondre, Stephen Harper a pass l?t tenter decacher son incomptence ; il a annonc, annonc et annonc encore desprojets qui auraient d tre en chantier depuis des mois.
In fact, only two hundred of the twelve hundred infrastructureprojects that the Conservatives announced in Ontario have actuallyreceived the funding they were promised. Only Stephen Harper couldcount that as 80% underway.
Third, we demanded a credible plan to get Canada out of deficit.
Stephen Harpers response has been: Dont worry, give it a few years,and the books will balance themselves.
You can put that next to his promise not to run deficits in the first place.
Or his promise not to tax income trusts.
Or his promise not to appoint Senators.
Pendant une dcennie, sous des gouvernements libraux, le Canadamenait le monde dans la rduction de sa dette nationale. Nous avionsle meilleur bilan financier du G8.
Les Conservateurs nous ont fait replonger dans le rouge avant mmeque la rcession commence.
Maintenant, ils ne peuvent mme pas nous dire la profondeur du troudans lequel ils nous ont mis. Et encore moins comment ils vont nous ensortir.
a ne suffit pas.
Weve had four years of thisfour years of a government thatmismanages our public finances, and a prime minister who divides thecountry to score political points.
You cant count on a government that cant countand a prime ministerwhos only good at division.
Finally, we demanded a plan to deal with the health care crisis.
Twice on Stephen Harpers watch theres been a breakdown in the supplyof medical isotopes.
Instead of acting, what did Stephen Harper do? He fired thewhistle-blower on isotopes. Then he cancelled the MAPLE reactors thatwould have guaranteed Canadian leadership in isotope supply.
Two years later, he finally revealed his plan: To get out of nuclearmedicine and let the provinces pick up the difference.
Thats not good enough for the tens of thousands of Canadian familieswaiting for cardiac and cancer care for their loved ones.
And thats not good enough for the millions around the world, who haverelied on Canadian leadership for half a century.
Its simply unacceptable to have the world ask: Wheres Canada?
We can do better and we will do better.
A Liberal government will restore Canadian leadership. Well stand upfor Canadian research and Canadian families. Well stand up forCanadian know-how and ensure the world never asks again WheresCanada?
lheure o les Amricains veulent un systme de soins de santpublic, Stephen Harper ne lve pas le petit doigt pour protger lentre.
Les libraux sont fiers du systme canadien de soins de sant et,contrairement aux conservateurs, nous allons le dfendre et leprotger.
Liberals proudly support public health care in this countryand,unlike the Conservatives, were not afraid to defend it.
In June, we set out four tests for Stephen Harper.
Mr. Harper, you have failed all four.
Youve failed to protect the most vulnerable. Youve failed to createjobs. Failed to defend our health care. Failed to restore our publicfinances.
After four years of drift, four years of denial, four years ofdivision and discord
Mr. Harper, your time is up. Vous avez rat votre chance.
The Liberal Party cannot support this government any further.
We will hold it to account. We will oppose it in Parliament.
En juin, nous avons fix quatre conditions pour que Stephen Harperconserve notre confiance.
Il nen a respect aucune. Son chec est complet.
Il na pas russi protger les plus vulnrables. Il na pas russi crer des emplois. Il na pas russi dfendre notre systme desant. Il na pas russi rtablir nos finances publiques.
Aprs quatre ans de drapage, de dni, de division et de discordele temps de Stephen Harper est termin.
Le Parti libral du Canada ne peut plus soutenir ce gouvernement incomptent.
Stephen Harper doit rendre des comptes. Dsormais, nous nous opposerons lui.
Et si des lections ont lieu, nous serons prts offrir notre paysun avenir meilleur.
Canadians deserve better.
Over the past days and weeks, Ive heard from our caucus, and weveall heard from Canadians: Our job as Liberals is to give them achoice.
A choice between two parties. Two sets of values. Two visions for Canada.
Un choix entre deux partis. Entre deux ensembles de valeurs. Deuxvisions du Canada.
We can choose a small Canadaa diminished, mean, and petty country. ACanada that lets down its citizens at home and fails them abroad. ACanada thats absent on the world stage.
Thats Stephen Harpers Canada.
Or we can choose a big Canada. A Canada that is generous and open. ACanada that inspires. That leads the world by example. That makes usall proud.
2017 will be our 150th birthday. We can be the smartest, healthiest,greenest, most open-minded country there isbut only if we choose tobe.
We can build a Knowledge Society, from pre-school to post-secondary,with quality early learning and childcare for every Canadian child.
We can ensure that every Aboriginal Canadian gets a world-class, not asecond-class educationwith the opportunities to match.
Nous pouvons crer les emplois de demain en investissant plus, pasmoins, dans la science et linnovation.
Nous pouvons investir dans lenvironnement et inventer lestechnologies vertes qui vont changer le monde.
We can invest in our environmentand invent the clean energytechnologies that will have the world beat a path to our door.
Thats our Canada. A liberal Canada.
Le Canada dans lequel nous croyons. Le Canada qui nous attend. Maisseulement si nous osons. Seulement si nous faisons les bons choix.
Avec lintelligence, la compassion et le leadership du Parti libraldu Canada, nous pouvons y arriver.
So lets get started.
Allons-y. Notre pays nous attend.