Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

College days

by Aaron Wherry on Friday, January 15, 2010 2:40pm - 32 Comments

Reviews of Michael Ignatieff’s university tour are in from the Winnipeg Free Press, Concordia Journal, McGill Daily, Varsity, Hamilton Spectator, Toronto Star, National Post, Montreal Gazette, Metro Halifax, Halifax Chronicle-Herald and Maclean’s OnCampus. Susan Delacourt reported from stops at Nova Scotia Community College and Dalhousie. At least one attendee so far has come away quite unpersuaded.

While Liberals were pleased with the event, one attendee was unimpressed. Burlington Conservative MP Mike Wallace came for the last 30 minutes and dismissed Ignatieff’s answers to students’ questions, saying he could say anything he wants because he does not have the responsibility of being prime minister.

Tags: Concordia, Dalhousie, Halifax, McGill, McMaster, Michael Ignatieff, Montreal, Nova Scotia, Toronto, winnipeg

More by Aaron Wherry

Dee

"…saying he could say anything he wants because he does not have the responsibility of being prime minister."

And Harper is different, how? Steve has said (in many cases) he'll do stuff and then does the exact opposite…

Ted

There's a reason they call him "Say Anything" Steve.
http://intensedebate.com/people/jolyon jolyon

"And Harper is different, how?"

That's exactly what I was thinking. Harper says anything he wants and he's PM.

Dee

Not for long, if his polling numbers continue to slide…

Richard

Mr.Wallace, on the other hand, cannot say anything at all because he has the responsibility of pleasing the prime minister.

DianeG

Mr. Wallace cannot say anything OF IMPORTANCE or he will soon find himself in big big trouble with Haprer.

Mike T.

If harper ever tries to use this line in a debate, Iggy should (not entirely accurately respond) "Neither did you for three whole months when you decided you'd rather take a vacation than provide documents on torture investigation".

Ted

Better yet, on "saying anything", he could just read the 2006 Conservative platform.

http://intensedebate.com/people/ChrisInKW ChrisInKW

And Harper can't say anything at all, because he'd never take open mic questions from students. Heck, he doesn't even take them from the media. Thanks, Mr. Wallace, for reminding us of this sorry fact.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Geiseric Geiseric

Who gave Wallace a hall pass?
Whisky

Mike Wallace have his mouth full of sour grapes?
Dot

Does this guy think he's the 60 Minutesinvestigative reporter or something?
Ted

Has Stephen Harper ever held a town hall Q&A or other Q&A forum that was open to the public with an open mic and unscripted questions?

That's a serious question. I've been asking a bunch of Conservatives here and there about it and it seems that, even before being PM, he never did.

http://intensedebate.com/people/sea_n_mountains sea_n_mountains

not anytime recently.

Anon

Imagine the MP for, say, Toronto-Centre getting invited into a Harper townhall.

But first, imagine a townhall where Harper takes unscripted questions from persons not named Mike Duffy.

http://intensedebate.com/people/LynnTO LynnTO

I'm having a hard time imagining Stephen Harper taking unscripted questions from people *named* Mike Duffy.

lucas

I just left the Victoria event and I gotta say I was really impressed. He even managed to handle a question about 9/11 conspiracy theories really well. For the most part the questions were really high quality and he handled them thoughtfully.
http://intensedebate.com/people/jolyon jolyon

"Heck, he doesn't even take them from the media."

I think this would have been a better point before the past two weeks of constant Harper interviews in msm.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Thwim Thwim

Not open mic interviews.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Nich Nich

Sounds like Mike Wallace is not enjoying his Harper Holiday yet.

It still beats being a potted plant at least.

Mike T.

He'll feel better when the Olympcis start, I guess.
officerfarva

Yet the IQ remains the same.

Tom

[youtube _VF32Mm9PuI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VF32Mm9PuI youtube]

Mike Wallace isnt the sharpest knife the drawer.

Welby

Mike Wallace was invited to a networking group of out of work people in Burlington (called HAPPEN) and noone recognized him. Please note the link to the story in the Burlington Post on peole at the Lisa Raitt town hall in Burlington (the north part of Burlingotn is in the Halton riding)

‘I’m as mad as hell about prorogation’: MP told at town hall

http://www.burlingtonpost.com/news/article/291487

Reader

Mike Wallace — another "thoughtful" Conservative MP. Burlington must be proud.

Welby

Mike Wallace was invited to a networking group of out of work people in Burlington (called HAPPEN) and noone recognized him. Please note the link to the story in the Burlington Post on peole at the Lisa Raitt town hall in Burlington (the north part of Burlingotn is in the Halton riding)

‘I’m as mad as hell about prorogation’: MP told at town hall

http://www.burlingtonpost.com/news/article/291487

http://intensedebate.com/people/tdotlib tdotlib

The other interesting thing is that he was allowed in to the event. I'd hazard a guess that if the situation was reversed, with the PM hosting a town hall, that the local Liberal MP wouldn't be allowed near the event!
Brian Thoms

"…saying he could say anything he wants because he does not have the responsibility of being prime minister."

http://www.gov.nl.ca/releases/2007/exec/promisebr…

FINALLY. I've been wondering for years about this and it seems like Wallace sums it up properly.
Justin

You mean the Liberals didn't have armed guards at the door checking for party membership cards like the Conservatives do?

What does it say about Harper that unless you are a party loyalist, you cannot get into GOVERNMENT spending announcements, but at a Liberal Party event, Conservative MPs can walk in freely.

Welby

In Copenhaen – two young liberals could get into other countries events but the Harper crowd threw them out of the canadian events

burlivespipe

Because CONservative MPs have those new evolved running shoes…
http://intensedebate.com/people/OntarioTown OntarioTown

Well, if Ignatieff can say anything he wants and Wallace (Mr. No Brain) isn't too worried about it – why did he bother to attend? And, if Ignatieff answers are so unimportant why do the Cons study them and attack him? Duh.