Here is the English-language text of Liberal Leadership candidate Ken Dryden’s speech to the leadership convention:
I loved it here in Montreal. It was the pride. The whole world’s being taken over by the English language, American culture; as Quebecers, you had no chance. But you said no, not me, not here. I know who I am. And that is who I’m going to be. I was just a player, but I could feel it.
A friend of mine wrote, “Like an army on ice, we marched south every winter and returned in the spring the conquerors” – and we did. And for the hundreds of thousands on the parade route, this was winning the Cup – and it was something more.
Pride.
This campaign has been a grind – no money; sleeping in people’s guest rooms, their kids’ stuffed animals still by their beds. What an awful, what a PERFECT, experience. It has been an inspiration. The chance to be almost everywhere – to listen, learn, the thoughts, the dreams – to feel the country.
Canada Day in St. John’s – here we were, on the top of Signal Hall, almost the easternmost part of the country, several hundred people. Down below us, water, ahead of that, nothing but Europe; it’s sunrise, where Canada Day begins
then four hours later, at the cenotaph across the city, for Newfoundland Memorial Day. I had heard about it; I didn’t know what it was.
Unbelievable
le Festival du Boeuf in Inverness – about 60 kilometres south-west of Quebec City, a small area of about 800, originally Scottish, but every year for the last 26 years, “le Festival du Boeuf” – for a three day weekend, over 20,000 people, almost 1000 motor homes – a rodeo, parades, country and western music
Unbelievable
Folklorama in Winnipeg – more than 40 different communities – Filipino, Metis, Ukrainian, Chinese – for two weeks – their music, food, dance – a chance to show people who they are, what makes them proud
Unbelievable
the Safe Injection Site in Vancouver – about 10 o’clock at night, I hear a voice: “Hey, Ken Dryden – he shoots, he scores” Thanks – not “Kick save and a beauty?” He had lived near where we do; played in the same minor hockey organizations our son did – now things weren’t going well, but for a few hours each day, a clean safe place – a couple of daughters to live for: some day, maybe . . .
Unbelievable
About 2 weeks ago, I’m driving from Kelowna to Revelstoke, late afternoon, dark, misty, I see a sign : the Last Spike in “Craigalecky”…
Unbelievable
Pride.
It’s the BIGNESS of this place. Not the distances. A spirit. What we’ve done – economically, socially, our quality of life – at or near the top in any international measure. That’s us.
But it’s the what’s ahead – our resources, space, stability. Our possibilities – we’re exactly what the world is looking for.
And our biggest achievement – we aren’t hewers of wood and drawers of water; we aren’t what we’ve inherited. We are what we’ve made. We are the creators of a real global country.
That’s us.
Our aboriginal peoples – stewards of this great space.
Then a few hundred years ago, we were also two communities along the St. Lawrence River – different languages, cultures, religions and laws – needing to find a way of living together. Developing the understandings and institutions, evolving a “live and let live” attitude that’s the only way a bilingual country, a multicultural country, a global country can work.
That’s us. We could NOT have done it without each other. And whatever that has meant in tensions in the past, it means for Canada, for us, the perfect platform for the global world of the future.
That’s us.
To those immigrants who’ve come later and wonder why Quebec has such a special role in this country:
you chose a tolerant, “live and let live” Canada – that’s why you’re here. Quebec, in fighting that fight for themselves, was fighting it for you. For all of us.
25, 50, 100 years from now – imagine. History is a LONG time. We are still in the making, still in the becoming. Whatever we’ve been, we’ll be far more in the future.
That is us – together.
As a political party, we have to be worthy of this Canada. Understand it, reflect it, challenge it to be what we are and can be.
Be worthy in the ambitions and directions we set for it –
The environment – this isn’t an obligation to ourselves, even to our children and grandchildren, this is to every living being present and future. We’ve created global warming. We are the only ones who can do anything about it. Inter
nationally, and together. Try to spin it, finesse it – and the Arctic Ice Cap will keep on melting.
Learning – As individuals, companies, countries – it’s our only real security, our only real opportunity. Not just learning in elementary school and high school – but in child care, post-secondary, after-school, in our workplaces, anywhere, everywhere – using all manner of incentives, motivations and rewards – to make ourselves into a real learning society. It’s the core of any economic policy, any social policy.
Fairness – we’re a good country. We have a conscience. We don’t like the poor being poor. We want aboriginal Canadians finally and forever to share the rewards of Canada. For those with disabilities to live included and accessible lives; for farmers to get their fair share. We want more Canadians to have a real chance. This is worthy of us, worthy of Canada.
Our role in the world – nobody is truly big in a global world. The world of the future will belong, must belong, to the smaller powers – talking, listening, finding consensus, working together. This is a “find a way” world. We are a “find a way” country. Ideologies, religious or philosophical, don’t work.
Very few problems have military solutions. The world needs answers beyond military, beyond war.
The world needs leaders that don’t lead with raw power. The world needs Canada.
This is us.
And as a political party, we need to be worthy of this Canada in HOW we do things. We lost the last election. We didn’t lose for no reason. People don’t want politicians; they want people – who have the same attitudes, standards, and sense of outrage. Who they’re comfortable with, can relate to, who they can trust. That don’t live in a big-shot world apart. A party that TRULY opens itself up to the millions of Canadians who love Canada, who want to do something for Canada.
Mr. Harper’s Government? Are they worthy of this Canada?
Not even close. So obsessed with being not-Liberals for so long, and Canada with Liberal Governments for so long, I’m not sure these Conservatives even like this Canada. You can hear it in their tone. Their fixation on the US, on the language they use – as if for Canada our biggest opportunity in the future is to be a forever political, economic, military and cultural echo of the US. As if we have no separate voice of any value. As if we represent nothing different and worthy on our own.
This is NOT us.
This isn’t twenty years ago, the Liberals and PROGRESSIVE Conservatives, where a change of government didn’t change much. Now, it is Kyoto – or it’s not; Kelowna – or it’s not; child care – or it’s not. No pretending, no wishful thinking, no hoping that in six months things will be different. The train’s not coming.
The Prime Minister – not going to the World AIDS Conference – an important international event, a source of great pride to lots of Canadians. His struggle before extending the mandate of the Safe Injection Site, before restoring some funding to literacy groups. Mr. Harper has real trouble accepting life that doesn’t conform to his own understanding of what life should be.
The funding cuts to advocacy groups; the extension of our mission in Afghanistan – he doesn’t like debate.
Who doesn’t like debate? People who don’t trust people.
This is NOT us.
What’s worse – their understanding of Canada is so small. This region OR that region; this group OR that group – so pinched, ungenerous, divisive. They talk the language of the environment, then set their targets so low. The same for child care, for aboriginal Canadians – so low, then By George – W – DECISIVELY – they get there. Get where?! That’s the point. Real leadership, important leadership, is direction. What direction? What Canada?
Let’s cut the debt, they say – fine. For the future – fine. But to do what? Cutting isn’t a vision. What’s it for? What kind of Canada? The future is being lived out every day, determined every day, by the poor, by single-mothers, aboriginal Canadians – by students, by companies who are trying to win the future, by all Canadians who have the environment inside them.
His musings on constitutional change – to limit the federal spending power. It’s tidier, cleaner. No unseemly national debates. You in your small corner, and I in mine. Every hair perfectly in place. 50 years ago if this had been done – no Medicare, no Canada Pension Plan. In the future, no child care. Set the target low, set it really really low, then hit it. DECISIVELY. But this is a country not an ideology.
Constitutional cutting is not a vision.
This is cutting Canada. Cutting what we are and can be. Cutting what the world needs of us. Cutting the future.
This is not Canada. This is not us.
It’s time to be the re
al Liberal Party. It’s time to be proud. It’s time to be Canada.
I love the noise – fantastic. Gets me pumped. But I love more what’s behind the noise. The purpose of politics is not politics. The purpose is the prize behind the noise.
In the noise of a season – the ups, downs, injuries, slumps – what’s the prize? The Cup – and you’ve got to get there.
In the noise of a minority government – will it survive, fall, rumours, chaos – what’s the prize? 10 provinces; 10 child care agreements.
In the noise of “nation” – big hopes, big fears, confusion, misunderstanding – what is the prize? A global country in a global world. An unimaginable, important future – together.
For us, now in the noise of a campaign – rivalries, ups, downs – what’s the prize? Winning the next election.In the noise of this convention – the signs, the music – what’s the prize? Choosing the person who has the best chance to win the country.
It’s time for us to cut through this noise, and do just that.
Who best understands this Canada? Who’s lived it? Embodies it? Connects to it? Has it in their bones? Has the need to get us there? The last PUBLIC polls – even after a campaign with little money, no machine, having been written off by the official deciders the last two months – still the public has me second. I can do this. I want to do this. I need your help.
After the first ballot, your vote belongs to you. It’s yours. You can do whatever you want with it. We, all of us as delegates and candidates, are really just representatives of the 33 million Canadians who aren’t here. We have a responsibility to them. THEY will choose the next Prime Minister. This is not about us. It’s about Kyoto, Kelowna, child care, about the Big Canada that is us. As we heard a few nights ago – “it is not time to stay the course, it’s time to stop and think.”
Experiencing the country in this campaign, seeing again how big we can be, understanding our responsibility as a party to be worthy of this Canada – at the very same time watching this Conservative government… with every hour, I know better why I’m doing what I’m doing. This is mission time.
I want my Canada back.
We’ve got to win.
Thank you.
