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| Douglas Library, Queen's University |
In practical reality, the Council is a gab-fest where we talk about what challenges and opportunities are coming the university's way and provide ideas on how to address them. Depending on who the Principal is, our advice is either incorporated into decision making, or not. There's no requirement that our thoughts must be brought forward beyond the confines of our meeting room to affect the life of the broader university.
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| Massey College, U of T |
History will not be kind to Ignatieff. Many thought the Liberal Party had bottomed out with Stephane Dion's leadership in the disastrous 2008 campaign. Unfortunately for them, it seems there was much further yet for the party to fall, and Ignatieff will always be known as the guy who led them there. The Conservative charge that he was in it for himself all along isn't helped at all by the following two quotes from the Globe and Mail:
“The life that I like the best is teaching. It’s the end of my life as a politician.”
“I’m quite excited about the next phase of my life. Without blowing my horn too much, there’s not too many people who have been full-scale academics and who’ve also been the leader of a political party. It’s a special experience."
These quotes give the impression that Ignatieff never warmed to politics, and that he has decided to use his Liberal party leadership experience as a résumé-padder. Ironically, Canadians could tell that he never had the right stuff for the game, and that he didn't ever truly understand them or their issues. I believe Ignatieff is an honourable guy who worked hard and tried his best to lead his party in the best way possible. But he never should have left Harvard, if these two quotes can be taken at their face value.
Canada needs more than a leader looking for a "special experience." They need someone who has the passion for the country bred intangibly into their bones. For all their faults and shortcomings, you never felt like people such as Ed Broadbent, Joe Clark, Jean Chrétien or Preston Manning lacked those qualities. Even current leaders like Stephen Harper, Jack Layton and Elizabeth May clearly connect with their constituencies and could never be accused of lacking a deep commitment to Canada (even though their conception of what Canada is and should be diverge, sometimes widely). But you never got that impression consistently from Ignatieff. It often looked like an academic exercise to him.
The passion only truly came out when he became desperate in the latter stages of the campaign, as his dream of becoming prime minister disintegrated. And passion borne of desperation cannot be taken at face value.
So when I head out to Kingston tonight, I'll be reading the pertinent documents and arranging my thoughts on the various agenda items for the meeting tomorrow. I go to Queen's knowing my ideas and perspectives will be listened to, but not necessarily acted upon. My advice may be seen as crucial, or heard only as so much noise. But I go, and have been actively involved in the university's governance since 1996, because I believe giving up on Queen's will only remove one more voice that might help it achieve its mission that much more ideally.
Michael Ignatieff will give his advice and guidance to the students of Massey College over the next year, in the hope they may go forward from U of T and help Canada become a stronger, more compassionate and more respectable nation, both domestically and abroad.
I take him at his word when he says:
“And there's some things you learn when you've done it, and it’s just not in the books. I did it. I've lived it. And I know what's in the books isn't what it's like. Everybody who's done it knows that it's really different – and you want to tell [students] that, not to discourage them from public service but to get them to commit, and take the risks involved. I'm very keen on using the time I've got to get people into the game.”
There's an earnestness, tinged with bitterness, in these words that I think will serve his students well. I wish him the best of luck as he retreats to academia and a quieter life than the one he knew as a politician.
There's no requirement students bring forth his ideas from the university and into the public sphere with the aim of positively affecting the lives of Canadians. But if one student can learn the lessons and find a way to apply his principles for a more advantageous result for all of us, then perhaps his life's passion can find its best expression in that way. For his sake, and the sake of our country, I hope that is possible.
“I’m quite excited about the next phase of my life. Without blowing my horn too much, there’s not too many people who have been full-scale academics and who’ve also been the leader of a political party. It’s a special experience."
These quotes give the impression that Ignatieff never warmed to politics, and that he has decided to use his Liberal party leadership experience as a résumé-padder. Ironically, Canadians could tell that he never had the right stuff for the game, and that he didn't ever truly understand them or their issues. I believe Ignatieff is an honourable guy who worked hard and tried his best to lead his party in the best way possible. But he never should have left Harvard, if these two quotes can be taken at their face value.
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| Le petit gars Jean Chrétien |
The passion only truly came out when he became desperate in the latter stages of the campaign, as his dream of becoming prime minister disintegrated. And passion borne of desperation cannot be taken at face value.
So when I head out to Kingston tonight, I'll be reading the pertinent documents and arranging my thoughts on the various agenda items for the meeting tomorrow. I go to Queen's knowing my ideas and perspectives will be listened to, but not necessarily acted upon. My advice may be seen as crucial, or heard only as so much noise. But I go, and have been actively involved in the university's governance since 1996, because I believe giving up on Queen's will only remove one more voice that might help it achieve its mission that much more ideally.
Michael Ignatieff will give his advice and guidance to the students of Massey College over the next year, in the hope they may go forward from U of T and help Canada become a stronger, more compassionate and more respectable nation, both domestically and abroad.
I take him at his word when he says:
“And there's some things you learn when you've done it, and it’s just not in the books. I did it. I've lived it. And I know what's in the books isn't what it's like. Everybody who's done it knows that it's really different – and you want to tell [students] that, not to discourage them from public service but to get them to commit, and take the risks involved. I'm very keen on using the time I've got to get people into the game.”
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| Bob Rae (l) was once a senior resident at Massey College after a political flame-out of epic proportions, too |
There's no requirement students bring forth his ideas from the university and into the public sphere with the aim of positively affecting the lives of Canadians. But if one student can learn the lessons and find a way to apply his principles for a more advantageous result for all of us, then perhaps his life's passion can find its best expression in that way. For his sake, and the sake of our country, I hope that is possible.
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