The Liberal Party of Canada needs to be clearer and edgier, interim leader Bob Rae told students during a meet-and-greet with the Carleton University Young Liberals (CUYL) Nov. 2 at Oliver’s Pub.
Rae detailed the future of the party, the importance of social media in politics, the recent losses of the party in the past federal election and the importance of youth in politics.
“We’re not an occupier party, we’re not a tea party party,” Rae said. “We’re actually a party that believes that it’s important to bring people together.”
Youth, he said, are integral to the future of politics.
“The generation of the ‘60s didn’t wait around for permission. They went out and said, ‘This is what we’ve got to do,’ ” he said.
To make things better, Rae jokingly said he thought he should disappear.
“I’ve often thought about this. My generation has been around for a long time. If I just evaporated into the night, would that help? Why aren’t you ready to take over?” he said.
Having Rae at the school was a great experience, said Kaisha Thompson, president of the Rideau River Residence Association and vice-president (federal) of the CUYL.
“It went really well, I was really happy,” she said. “[Rae] is a really good speaker. He gets the message across, but he doesn’t do it in a robotic way, he’s very humble and heartwarming.”
Thompson said it was important for students to meet the leader, to help them get an idea of where they stand politically.
“It just encourages students to think about what liberal policies are, what liberal goals are, and if they align, how can they help,” she said.
Rae became interim leader of the party after former leader Michael Ignatieff stepped down following the federal election in May. As interim leader, Rae’s unable to run in the party’s leadership race in 2013.
