Desiderantes meliorem patriam

Desiderantes meliorem patriam.

They desire a better country.

This is true of civil society, and it must be true of any political party that seeks to earn the trust of civil society.

The collective needs of Canada at large, and the unique needs of communities and individual Canadians are paramount, and in this time of crisis, these needs could not be any more urgent.

Canadians demand and deserve principle-based public policy, not partisanship. The political party that most convincingly delivers on this will be the one to prevail.

Very often in political life (as well as in personal and professional life) the shortest path around a particular obstacle is through it.

The self-serving but ultimately self-destructive partisanship of Stephen Harper and the worst of his ministers and parliamentary secretaries must be put to an end.

The best way for the Liberal Party to achieve this is to compare and contrast the benefits of consultation, collaboration and compromise against the base and brutish alternative of deviousness, intellectual dishonesty and divisiveness.

The Liberal Party of Canada demonstrated over the last two weeks that they understand and accept this fundamental truth. They have begun to redefine themselves in the image of Canadians, rather than the converse. They should keep the faith, as good works are their own reward.