Categories: Capital Diary

A very Ignatieff holiday party

Interim Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff held his holiday party at Toronto’s hip C Lounge….

by Mitchel Raphael on Tuesday, December 23, 2008 11:00pm - 65 Comments

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Interim Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff held his holiday party at Toronto’s hip C Lounge.

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Toronto MP Ken Dryden and his wife Lynda.

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Toronto MP Mario Silva (right) with partner Martin Forget.

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Ignatieff’s wife Zsuzsanna Zsohar.

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Newly elected Toronto MP Kirsty Duncan.

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Former Liberal MP Omar Alghabra, who was defeated in the last election, sports one of two Christmas ties he owns.

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Toronto MP Rob Oliphant.

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Liberal “spin doctor” Warren Kinsella.

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Newly elected MP Bonnie Crombie and former MP Paul Zed, who was defeated in the last election.

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Igantieff organizer Lindsay Doyle.

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Young Liberal Michelle Oliel, one of the MCs for the evening.

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Young Liberal Andrew Block, the other MC.

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Toronto writer Bert Archer.

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Anetta Jewell of Great Lakes Brewery, which is located in Ignatieff’s riding of Etobicoke-Lakeshore. The beer served at the party was from her brewery.

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Young Liberal Marko Trivun (left) shows off the local brew.

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Toronto MP Carolyn Bennett and husband Peter O’Brian, Chairman of TVOntario.

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Jason Cherniak who runs liblogs.com. He has retired his own blog “Cherniak on Politics.”

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Maclean’s National Editor Andrew Coyne.

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Dan Arnold of www.calgarygrit.ca, who now lives in Toronto.

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Toronto MP Derek Lee.

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Eric Hoskins, a former Liberal candidate and founder of War Child Canada.

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Young Liberal Jay Telegdi.

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Ontario Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla.

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Liberal supporter Scott Johnston.

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Senator David Smith.

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Old Iggy items were brought out like this scarf from the 2006 Leadership Convention.

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Liberal staffer Trevor Harris tries to block the shot.

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Tags: Andrew coyne, Carolyn Bennett, Eric Hoskins, Ken Dryden, Michael Ignatieff, Warren Kinsella, Zsuzsanna Zsohar

More by Mitchel Raphael

Jarrid

“…but I don’t think separation is really on their agenda now, and both parties have pretty much stated as much”

Martin, I think I’ve given you my answer in the comment to Sisyphus above, but it does seem that you, kc and Sisyphus are demonstrating a complete lack of appreciation for the truly fanatical will of the Separatists to arrive at their goal. They haven’t disavowed the very goal of their political existence, they’re just waiting for Bouchard’s winning conditions. If you don’t beleive that then as I said earlier, you’re simply naive or wilfully bling. The Parti Quebecois has not renounced the number one statement of it’s founding principles which is to work to bring about the political independence of Quebec.

http://macleans.ca kc

Jarrid – I wonder if you have lived in Quebec, have any knowledge of the culture or even speak French. If your answer is no to all of the above, then what fuels your moral and political certitudes? Life just doesn’t work this way. Even amongst the separitists there must be different strands of opinion and conviction about how to deal with the ROC; wha’ts just rhetoric, what’s ideaology? To simply lump everyone together as mindless fanatics says more about yr tendency for projection than any true picture of Quebec politics.
Interestingly Trudeau, after his retirement, stated that Canada’s unity wasn’t necessarily sacred. If Quebec does decide to [democratically] depart, the world will not end. In other words, keep a perspective. That’s not the same as simply accept on any terms, and this from a man who fought like a tiger for the unity of this country.

Jarrid

I know the Quebec mindset, the culture and speak the language. I see Quebec nationalism as a potent force which, if properly channelled, can benefit both Quebec and Canada. I think Trudeau failled to respect the distinctiveness of Quebec society and I supported the Meech Lake accord, unlike Trudeau who was against it.

That said, you absolutely cannot give political legitimacy to the Separatists by giving them political power to govern the country which is what the coalition will do.

http://macleans.ca kc

If you do understand the Quebec mindset then you are well ahead of me. However some of yr reasoning escapes me. You use the word ‘distinctive’, which in english implies superiority; semantics maybe, but not acceptible to many westerners, like myself. Given yr posiion vs the coalition [ i have yet to hear, how exactly the coalition will enable the bloq to actually govern? It's always a vague charge with those who argue as you do - never any factual evidence] i suggest a closer reading of the Meech episode [ i recommend Coynes article in the NP] Canadians [ROC] very clearly showed what they thought of that back-room deal that most of our elites, with the exception of a few, notably Trudeau, signed on to. A little ironic, don’t you think, that both deals don’t offend you equally? Actually this last pt is what really bothers me about the coalition. In both instances Canadians reject back-room deals. The difference is the coalition is perfectly constitutional and legal.

Jarrid

“…the coalition is perfectly constitutional and legal.”

… and political poison. Look, I don’t know how I can say it any clearer: we cannot have the Separatists governing Canada. It is totally and completely abhorrent and beyond the pale to me.

“I have yet to hear, how exactly the coalition will enable the bloq to actually govern?”

The agreement states that upon formation of the coalition government, “THE GOVERNMENT WILL PUT IN PLACE A PERMANENT CONSULTATION MECHANISM WITH THE BLOC QUEBECOIS.” This is part of the agreement which will expire in June 30th, 2011 unless renewed. It’s on the Liberal Party web site.

ALSO ON THE LIBERAL PARTY WEBSITE:

“• Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, New Democrat Leader Jack Layton and Bloc Québécois
Leader Gilles Duceppe today announced that an agreement has been reached among the
three opposition parties to support a cooperative government to address the impact of the
global economic crisis on Canadians.

• The Bloc Québécois has agreed to support this government for a period of 18 months.”

What on earth is going on? The Liberal Party of Canada and the Bloc Quebecois in cahoots, that’s what’s going on.

Jarrid

Which brings me to my next point.

If Michael Ignatieff continues to endorse his deal with Duceppe the devil he will have shown in one fell swoop that he doesn’t have the right stuff to govern this country.

He will have shown to have what is the kiss of death in politics: bad political judgment.

So I repeat my earlier exhortation: Mr. Ignatieff, Mr. Ignatieff, tear up that agreement!

Once upon a time the Liberal Party of Canada could be trusted to stand up to the Separatists. Now they shake hands and sign formal agreements to enter into formal governing coaltions with them. Why was Jacques Parizeau and Bernard Landry beaming earlier this month folks? The fox was invited to run the henhouse. If I was the fox I’d be beaming too!

Ti-Guy

*yawn*

Jarrid

kc – I’m hardly a fan of Pierre Trudeau, his legacy was a mixed bag at best.

That said, the thought of the Liberal Party of Canada in bed with the Separatists in a governing coalition would have had him rolling in his grave. He would have had no part of a coaltion with a party committed to the break-up of Canada.

The man did have principles and he wouldn’t have been caught dead cavorting with the Separatists.
Ti-Guy

Jarrid, are you sure they’re cavorting? Maybe they’re just gamboling.

*sigh* Kids. Sure keep ya hoppin’…

http://macleans.ca kc

It’s the sex thing. jarrid doesn’t approve of cavorting, gamboling is ok however; apparently that’s what SH was up to previously. It seems he may have been using protection, so it doesn’t count.

Jarrid

Sex per se is not the problem, sleeping with the enemy is the problem. That isn’t safe sex.

Ti-Guy

What would you know about sex?

http://macleans.ca kc

Jarid – consultation is not governance. The most serious aspect of this is the price of bloq cooperation – inevitably economic, which they would have received from Harper anyway. In the final analysis i don’t like the coalition for the same reason Meech stank – a back-room deal. I don’t like back-room deals on principle, you apparently only object when you don’t like the deal.
Jarrid

kc- again, from the Liberal Party website, here’s the thin economic gruel offered up by this coalition with the devil. (The urgent infrastructure needs of the aboriginal peoples became urgent presumably after 13 years of Liberal negligence.)

“• The top priority of the new Government is an economic stimulus package designed to boost
the domestic economy including:

• Accelerating existing infrastructure funding and substantial new investments,
including municipal and inter-provincial projects (such as transit, clean energy, water,
corridors and gateways). This would certainly include addressing the urgent
infrastructure needs of First Nations, Métis and Inuit;

• Housing construction and retrofitting; and

• Investing in key sector strategies (like manufacturing, forestry and automotive)
designed to create and save jobs, with any aid contingent on a plan to transform
these industries and return them to profitability and sustainability.”

http://macleans.ca kc

Jarrid – take off yr partisan hat for a moment. Thin gruel, you say. But almost any centrist party, given current conditions could support some or all of these proposals. Ask yourself why SH didn’t propose some of these measures in his update, instead of playing political games. Dion has already paid the price for his miscalculation and lack of judgement [ of any kind ] Harper has got off fairly lightly, so far. I believe the public will remember, when the time comes for apportioning blame, who, after his electoral victory told us that he had hear loud and clear that he should now seek to work with other parties. And promptly attempted to throttle the opposition.
Yr attempt to lay the blame for the failure [ or maybe lack of success ] of canada’s Aboriginal policies solely at the feet of the libs is frankly moronic. You may need new talking points there.