OTTAWA — The polling gods might be smiling on him, but Michael Ignatieff says he’s not tempted to force a spring election.
Instead, the Liberal leader said Thursday he wants to continue developing policy and “opening the doors of Parliament,” which are closed until March.
“I got a message last autumn. Polls don’t change that,” said Ignatieff, referring to his politically disastrous threat last September to topple the government. He said he wants the Liberals working instead, “even if the other parties aren’t.”
Asked bluntly if he favoured a spring election, Ignatieff said, “Answer: No.”
Two polls this week placed the Conservatives and Liberals in a tie at around 31%. Support has been draining away from the Tories since Prime Minister Harper prorogued Parliament Dec. 30.
Since Jan. 25, the day Parliament would have reconvened without prorogation, the Liberals have organized public forums on Parliament Hill on issues as diverse as job creation and women’s rights, and have floated policy statements.
They plan additional roundtables, on the environment, poverty and Afghanistan between now and the start of the Winter Olympics in February.
On Thursday, veterans and their relatives made impassioned pleas at one such public forum for more help dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, physical ailments and pensions.
Retired Lt.-Gen. Romeo Dallaire, now a Liberal senator, told the forum he’s in his 12th year of therapy for PTSD.
At its worst, PTSD can lead to suicide, he said, but neither the Department of National Defence nor Veterans Affairs Canada wants to tally the numbers, preferring to attribute such deaths to “other reasons.”
Veterans told the Liberal forum they want improvements to Canada’s “Veterans Charter” to ensure sufficient financial and other support. Ignatieff said his party would push for changes.
But he dismissed his good polling numbers with a joke. “Polls come, polls go. I’ve been down. I’ve been up. All I’ll say is that up feels better.”
christina.spencer@sunmedia.ca
