NO WEED TO SUCCEED

Don't Park Your Life 'At the End of a Marijuana Cigarette,' Ignatieff
Tells Mount Pearl Students

After encouraging O'Donel High students to vote and help create a
better country, it was Michael Ignatieff's reply to a young man's
question about legalizing marijuana that drew the loudest and longest applause.

"If I had to tell you as a parent or as someone who has spent his
whole life working with young people, the last darn thing I want you
to be doing is smoking marijuana," the federal Liberal leader said.

"I want you to be out there digging a well, digging a ditch, getting
a job, raising a family ... doing stuff, instead of parking your life
on the end of a marijuana cigarette."

Ignatieff held the town hall-style meeting Monday as part of a
cross-country tour leading up to "Canada at 150," a Liberal-organized
conference on where the country should be in 2017 that's being held
later this month.

A number of organizations and interested adults also attended the event.

Noting he likes an occasional drink and having a good time, Ignatieff
didn't seem concerned if his anti-weed stance made him appear conservative.

"Given the things we need to do together, that's what I think," he
said, adding that legalizing marijuana would create problems in
dealings with the U.S. because the drug would remain illegal there.

Ignatieff opened the meeting by encouraging students to vote, saying
only one in five young Canadians did so in the last election.

He also shared his national vision. He wants Canada to be the most
educated society, the most energy-efficient country and the most
international society.

"And that's a funny goal," he said of the latter, encouraging the
students to have experiences overseas and then return home.

"We can't afford to be provincial. We can't afford to be small. We've
got to engage with the world. The world needs Canada to solve
conflicts, to give advice, to dig wells, to build schools, to help
people. We (also) need more people coming into Canada."

During the Q and A, besides marijuana, Ignatieff was quizzed about
ACAP funding, Africa, student debt, poverty, tax and small business
succession, and product safety.

Most of the questions came from organizations.

The Liberal leader said his party would to restore ACAP funding and
that Canada should be engaged in Africa because of the opportunities
and our historical ties to that continent's Francophone portion.

Ignatieff stressed his post-secondary schooling credo: "You get the
grades, you get to go." He said student aid must to get to those who
need it and that investment levels must be sustained. He suggested
specific post-secondary education transfers to provinces and
financial rewards for universities that attract students.

As for poverty, the Liberal leader said government has to provide
basic income security.

"We do not want to dig ourselves out of the deficit on the backs of
the working poor," he said to applause. "We need to identify the
community groups that do a good job (at reducing poverty) and we need
to partner with them."

The effect of taxation on small business succession - kids will be
"taxed enormously" for taking over a family business, warned the
insurance brokers association - appeared to be a new concern.

Ignatieff said he wanted discuss it with his caucus because he didn't
have the details. He did acknowledge the importance of small business
and noted the Conservatives are planning to "massively increase" the
EI contribution rate. That, he said, will negatively affect small
business and could kill jobs.

Asked about ensuring children's products are safe, Ignatieff said
government has to protect Canadians and must provide the right amount
of resources to do it.

"I'm not a big government guy - that's not what the Liberals stand
for - but we do believe this place really will go to hell if you
don't have a government that stands up and protects Canadians."

After being such an outspoken critic of the Conservatives' proroguing
of Parliament, reporters later asked Ignatieff why he had hit the
road now that the House of Commons was open.

"We saw the budget last week (and) the Throne speech, there's nothing
there," he replied. "There's really nothing there...So now that's
been voted, we're doing what we think needs to be done, which is just
as important, which is, 'If that's the Conservative offer, we've got
to make the Canadian people a counter offer.' How do you do that? You
go around the country, listen to Canadians, get ideas in."