A New Path for CanadaStéphane Dion -
Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada 
My fellow Canadians,
The next 37 days will be some of the most crucial in our history. There has never been a federal election that has more clearly provided Canadians with such a stark choice between two visions for our country.
Mr. Harper's party is not the former Progressive Conservative Party. It's not only the word progressive that has been dropped from their name, it's the meaning of it as well.
For two and a half years, Canadians have had a Prime Minister who does not believe that the government can be a positive force for change. A positive force for a strong economy. He does not believe that the government has anything to offer families coping with job losses.
Stephen Harper formed the most conservative government in history. A government that does not believe that it has a role to play in lifting the least fortunate out of poverty and does not take the climate change crisis seriously.
Because they don't understand the role of the government, they are unable to provide sound policies for Canadians.
They inherited a surplus of $12 billion dollars, which they have squandered within two and a half years. So, we are almost back to deficit. In the first two quarters of 2008, the economy has had its worst performance since 1991 since Brian Mulroney. Statistics Canada admits that the struggling U.S. economy is doing better than that of Canada’s.
Since the Conservatives came to office, Canada has lost hundreds of thousands of good well paid jobs in our important manufacturing sector. They have put forward no plan to work on our country's challenges because they don't think those problems exist.
The words “fight against poverty” have yet to cross the lips of Mr. Harper. Not only do they have no plan to make our society fairer, they have shown no interest in helping Canadians in need. With this Conservative ideology, Canadians are left to fend for themselves.
It's not that these Conservatives do not spend. In fact, they are the largest spending government in Canadian history. But they spend with no plan, because they govern for the next day, the next poll, the next election. Never do they govern for the next generation.
I say to Canadians, ask yourselves: Has Canada grown stronger, under the Harper Conservatives?
Ask Canadian families who are waiting for a child care space: Is Canada growing stronger?
Ask the 200,000 families who have faced job losses in the manufacturing sector while their government sat on their hands: Is Canada growing stronger?
Ask the hard working Canadian public servants who this government has fired and intimidated for simply telling the truth: Is Canada growing stronger?
Ask Canadians who support our arts and culture, who have seen this government eliminate essential programs: Is Canada growing stronger?
Ask Canadians who are concerned about our country’s role in the world, and who saw Stephen Harper sabotage international efforts to fight climate change: Is Canada growing stronger?
The style of Stephen Harper is something we cannot tolerate anymore. He has been a Prime Minister who wants to control everything, but achieves nothing.
He has been the most secretive Prime Minister in our history and the most manipulative. Just look at how he triggered this election, in breaking his word. He said many times, including in the House of Commons that he would not seek an early election, that he would respect his own fixed election date law.
Stephen Harper broke his word, again, in calling this election now. He doesn't care. He doesn't think you will notice.
But, in fact, he is giving us the opportunity to reject his narrow minded right-wing agenda and his secretive, unaccountable style of government.
A protest vote, though, is not what we need. We need a vote to replace this government, with a progressive government. It's what we Liberals will offer to you.
Starting today we will talk with you about our exciting plan and vision for our country that will aim to bridge Canadians from sea, to sea, to sea.
A plan to help protect jobs today and create new ones for tomorrow. A plan to invest in the future, so that we can leave a better country for our children and our grandchildren. Yes, a plan for ourselves and our children. For a stronger economy, a fairer society and a cleaner environment.
We are offering a government that will be truly open, accountable, transparent, and honest. We Liberals have the team, we have the plan, and I must add we have the leadership. My fellow Canadians, I am excited about this election that will give me the opportunity to have a direct dialogue with you, and for the first time, you will be able to learn more about who I am, and what I stand for.
Stephen Harper has spent millions of dollars in attack ads, and he will spend millions more, to distort reality and attack my character. Well, it's a complete fabrication that's not me.
I love Canada. I entered politics to keep this country together. I fought to keep my country united. And now, I want to devote all my energy and conviction to make this country richer, fairer and greener, and to have Canada play its full role in the world.
I want to speak to you directly as fellow Canadians during the coming weeks. We Liberals will fight fear with hope, lies with facts, and Republican-style attack ads with Canadian style courage.
Stephen Harper has spent millions of dollars in attack ads to distort a key policy for our country's future, the Liberal green shift plan. In fact, what we are proposing is a great policy for Canada that has worked wherever it has been used in the world. It is supported by countless economists and environmentalists, including Nobel Prize winners.
The idea is as powerful as it is simple: We will cut your income taxes and shift those taxes toward pollution. We need to cut taxes on productive activities and shift those taxes to pollution. It's what countless economists have told us to do, but it takes a politician with courage and vision to propose it. It's what I am proposing to do. It's what we Liberals are proposing to do. We will tackle the climate change crisis. We will increase our energy efficiency, and we must increase our competitiveness in the world economy by creating well paid jobs here at home. Don't listen to Stephen Harper, we don't have to choose between these goals, we have to combine them to succeed.
I want to unite the economy and the environment, because I know that it is possible with a good plan. I want Canada to be at the forefront of the global green revolution because we are a great people, ready to take on a great challenge. I want to reduce the number of Canadians living in poverty by one third and cut the number of children living in poverty in half over the course of my government’s first mandate because I know that it is both necessary and realistic.
Now I would like to speak specifically to my fellow Quebecers. My friends, I am as proud a Quebecer as Gilles Duceppe. That is not the subject of our disagreement. The subject of our disagreement is Canadian unity. I believe that in accepting help from other Canadians and offering our help to them, we are no less Quebecers, we are even more so. If we take Canada out of our hearts we lose a part of ourselves. And the role that we can play - that we should play - in this Canada that we have built, is more important than ever before, now that the environment, the climate change crisis, has become a global issue.
Together with all Canadians, we are in charge of a country the size of a continent. We are its trustees, on behalf of humanity. My fellow Quebecers, I suggest we embrace this challenge, to promote our culture and our know - how everywhere in Canada, all the way to the Arctic, the great planetary barometer. Nothing is too big, nothing is too ambitious for the hearts of Quebecers.
My fellow Canadians, we Liberals will speak to your great minds and your big hearts about our vision and plan for a richer, fairer, greener Canada. We will spare no effort to earn your vote on October 14th, after what may well be the most crucial election campaign in our history.
