Ignatieff helps kick-off Moses campaign
By Bill Rea

No one knows when the next federal election is going to be, but Liberals in York- Simcoe have declared they're ready.

Candidate Judith Moses officially launched her campaign recently, backed by deputy party leader Michael Ignatieff.

"She's going to be York- Simcoe's next MP!" Liberal riding association president Tina Sibbald told the crowd gathered in Sharon, adding they were signalling a revival of Grit fortunes locally, and the defeat of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

"Getting Judith to Ottawa is going to take a heck of a lot of hard work," she told the faithful. "I'm confident that it's a job that we can get done."

"We are on the path to victory, and it begins here," Ignatieff told the crowd. "You've got a wonderful candidate."

Ignatieff pointed to Moses's aboriginal heritage (she was born on the Six Nations Indian Reserve outside Brantford), calling her "someone who is the very embodiment of the Canadian dream."

"I would be honoured to have this woman beside me in the House of Commons of Canada, and you've got to get her there," he added.

But Ignatieff said they have a tall order when it comes to beating incumbent Conservative Peter Van Loan, although he also pointed out Van Loan is vulnerable. He reminded the audience Van Loan has been the author of a number of pieces of legislation, including the one to reapportion seats in the House of Commons, which many believe short-changes Ontario.

Ignatieff also stressed the importance of the party in Canada, commenting he couldn't imagine the country without the Liberals. It's the party that planted "the stake in the centre of our national life," he said, adding "Canada's the way it is" with such Liberal policies as Medicare, the Canada Pension Plan and the Charter of Rights. He added Liberals are the party who are financially responsible, respect money and balance the books.

He also charged the agenda of the Harper Conservatives is to destroy the Liberals and replace them as Canada's main central party, and then shift the Canadian centre to the right. "It's called 'incremental conservatism,'" he remarked.

"This is the start of the journey," Moses told her supporters.

She said she had been a career public servant who had never thought of running politically. But she added that if she didn't go along with the basic fundamental principles of the government, "my choice was to step up to the plate and run."

Moses also introduced her father, who was a dairy farmer, and her mother, who was a nurse.

"There is such a thing as the Canadian dream,and to a large extent, I think my family has benefitted from what this country has to offer," she remarked.

Moses was also aware that there's a lot of work ahead for the campaign team.

"We have a big job ahead, but we're up to it," she declared.

Neither Moses or Ignatieff could offer much insight as to when the next election will be.

"It depends a little bit on us and it depends on them," Ignatieff said.

"We have to be ready and we will be," Moses said. "The dynamics are very complicated. It could be soon, it could be later, it could be next year.

"We're going to campaign like it was tomorrow."