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Message from Michael Ignatieff…

It’s time to put equal opportunity back at the centre of our idea of Canada.

Our country has so much going for it: great people, free institutions, amazing natural resources. But what has really made Canada successful has been equal opportunity. We believe every family ought to be able to prosper; every child should get a good start in life; every new immigrant deserves a fair chance to get ahead.

Equal opportunity is what makes Canada great.

Liberal governments have built up the foundations of equality – establishing universal medicare, a good public pension system and a Charter of Rights and Freedoms guaranteeing equality of rights and responsibilities for all Canadians. Now, we’re looking to the future.

Our platform in this election has one overriding objective: to make equal opportunity a reality for every Canadian, whether you live in a big city, a small town, a remote community, a farm or a fishing village.

We will invest in quality, affordable child care for every young family that needs it. We will help every family with the costs of college or university, so your kids can be ready for the jobs of tomorrow. We will help families take time off from work to look after sick loved ones at home. We’ll strengthen universally accessible health care for all, and build on the Canada Pension Plan so everyone can retire in security and dignity. We’ll also have a new tax credit to help with the up-front costs of renovations to make your home more energy-efficient.

Finally, since opportunities for Canadians are now global, we will promote Canadian success overseas and stand up for the proud ideal that a citizen of Canada is truly a citizen of the world.

We can afford to do this while reducing the Conservative deficit responsibly, without raising your taxes, by making better choices. We will cancel unnecessary and unaffordable tax cuts for the largest corporations, reverse wasteful spending habits and focus on what really matters – giving every Canadian the tools to succeed in the years ahead.

Advancing equal opportunity is the work of a healthy democracy. But in the last five years, our democratic institutions have been weakened by an autocratic and secretive regime that evades the rules and shuts down debate. We will begin the hard work of restoring the credibility of Parliament and reconnecting government to the people it serves.

That’s our election pledge to you: a government that respects our democracy and strengthens equal opportunity for every man, woman and child in this incredible country. When each of us gets a chance to succeed, we all succeed together.