Gerard in BC!

REMINDER! Gerard is in BC today!

Two of his visits include:

10 AM - Abbotsford, at the home of Past Candidate Moe Gill - 33410 Huntingdon Road.

12PM - Surrey, at the ABC Restaraunt at 7380 King George Highway (Lunch, hosted by FLAG)

Everyone is welcome to attend!

Click here or see the right hand sidebar to view his video membership message!

"Hi There, it's Gerard Kennedy"

A new last-minute membership message from Gerard:

Click here or see the right hand sidebar to view the video message!

Generation Kennedy Event Pictures

Here is a selection of photos from the BC Youth Campaign's Generation Kennedy event on Friday evening. They can also be found on our Photo Gallery page. It was a fantastic event and we look forward to many more, and to having Gerard Kennedy as Liberal Leader!

Popular Former Vancouver Mayor and Current Liberal Senator Larry Campbell addresses the crowd before the Gerard intro video and Gerard digital welcoming message were played on the big screens.

Taylor Briggs, President of the UBC Young Liberals, and Richmond's Steven Lee with the Honourable Raymond Chan, MP for Richmond

Taylor discusses the Harper agenda and Gerard's candidacy with MP Raymond Chan

Senator Campbell gets into a lively discussion with three Young Liberal Kennedy supporters

Senator Campbell with UBC Young Liberals

MP Raymond Chan addresses the crowd

Generation Kennedy Event Inspires Action

Tonight's Generation Kennedy BC Youth Campaign Launch event was absolutely incredible. Held at Vancouver's trendy "Slimz" restaurant, the evening event drew over 80 people, and played host to some really great conversation, team-building, and all-around good times!

A highlight for many was the visit from Kennedy caucus supporters Raymond Chan and Larry Campbell. Both men went table-to-table and person-to-person amongst the crowd to introduce themselves, and share their reasons for endorsing and supporting Gerard.

In a speech to the crowd, Mr. Chan spoke of Gerard's amazing leadership record and organizational experience, having been able to earn donations worth over $30 million to the major food bank he ran and recruit the thousands of volunteers necessary to widely distribute the food resources. He also talked about how, in government, Gerard managed to turn around Ontario's struggling education system, and how his entire life's work has demontrated a commitment to helping and serving ordinary Canadians.

Senator Larry Campbell also addressed the crowd, and like Raymond Chan, received wide and very robust applause for his remarks. Campbell spoke of how important it was to have a candidate with the ability to get the Liberal Party "out of the penalty box" and into a position where it can fight Stephen Harper from a position of great strength, and how Gerard's youth, energy and well-defined ideas and values make him the best person for the task.

After the speeches, the crowd watched Gerard's famous introduction video on the bar's big screen TV, and cheers came from throughout the crowd as the narrator proclaimed "We can do this."

Then, as a very special surprise, Gerard spoke to the crowd directly from the same screen, as the campaign played a video message he had recorded just hours earlier. In it, Gerard thanked the BC youth for attending the great event and spoke of the importance of having youth come together across the country to share their openness to change, and excercise their "meaningful voice every step of the way" on this long campaign trail.

"In every generation, the real changes that are needed only happen if the people who are most open to change, the youth, make them happen," he said. "That's what the Liberal Party - and that's what Canada - needs."

The experience was a great one for everyone involved, and we all look forward to many similar and even better events and gatherings to come!

Thanks to all who attended,

-The BCY4K Team

P.S. A large collection of photos from the event should be uploaded to the photo gallery by mid-Sunday

AND REMEMBER: You only have until July 4th at the very latest to join the Liberal Party and vote for Gerard! Use the links on the right sidebar of this website to join the party and find resources to help you share Gerard's message.

REMINDER! Generation Kennedy BC Youth Event Tonight! Larry Campbell and Raymond Chan to Attend!

GENERATION KENNEDY

JOIN M.P. RAYMOND CHAN

AND SENATOR LARRY CAMPBELL

FOR THE GENERATION KENNEDY

BC CAMPAIGN KICKOFF!

The Gerard Kennedy BC Youth Campaign would like to extend an invitation for you and all Young Liberals from across BC to join us and have a great time at the Generation Kennedy BC Campaign kickoff!

Gerard represents Canada’s next generation of leadership. His ideas-based campaign and his comprehensive, forward-looking vision for Canada are attracting the support of thousands of young people from across the country. Now is your chance to support a candidate who listens to, understands, and stands up for Canada’s next generation!

Where: Slimz BBQ Restaurant @ 2884 W Broadway (just west of Macdonald), Vancouver BC
When: Friday June 23, 7:30pm- 9:30pm
Who: Gerard’s BC Campaign Team - (including the Hon. Raymond Chan & Senator Larry Campbell)

We would love to see Young Liberals from all over the province come out, have a great time, and meet the Kennedy BC Team.

See you there!

- From the BCY4K Team

Youth 2 Moncton

Kennedy Youth Directors Perry Tsergas and Alex Maheu are traveling with another Youth 4 Kennedy, Cyndi Jenkins, to Moncton for the 2nd Liberal Leadership Debate.

You can follow their exploits here, as they live-blog their way half way across the country!

"CANADA AS A CLEAN ENERGY SUPERPOWER"

Hot off the presses, here is a very significant part of Gerard Kennedy's amazingly comprehensive plan and platform for achieving environmental sustainability, especially focusing on energy. As young people, few issues could be as important and as urgent as this, and Gerard's approach looks to be very, very solid. The plan is as follows, preceded by an introduction by the Hon. Charles Caccia.

- - - - - - -

Energy and the Environment
Release Date: June 16, 2006

During the months of the Liberal leadership campaign, Gerard Kennedy will bring forward his ideas for doing politics differently. Gerard believes that a good leader sets direction but also allows for broad discussion and input. The policy ideas being put forward in the form of discussion papers depend on the participation of the campaign team, liberal membership and public at large.

Over the next 3 weeks, you can have your say! Provide feedback on the discussion topics by visiting the Policy Dialogue section of the website at www.gerardkennedy.ca

When the 3-week feedback period has expired, we will repost the discussion papers, complete with the new views presented by participants.
Everything starts with a purpose. Here, we're setting the table for openness and inclusion with the hope that you'll join!

An introduction from former Minister of the Environment, Charles Caccia

When we look around us, we cannot help being struck by the beauty of nature: be it trees, flowers, insects, birds, fish, woods, and all sorts of living beings. At the same time we are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that our activities are having a large impact on what surrounds us. We notice that certain species are becoming endangered, if not extinct; that weather patterns are changing; that on hot days the smog makes it hard to breathe; that water is contaminated in certain regions, that chemicals are leaching into soil, that forests are over cut.

We are told it is inevitable to have a conflict between jobs and the environment, that pollution is part of economic growth, that the economy is more important than the environment, and that given a choice, the economy has to be given precedence over the environment. Of course, we as Liberals don’t subscribe to these beliefs; we leave them to the Conservatives. As Liberals, we have built over time a terrific environmental record: from the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement to the reductions of acid rain; from the creation of Environment Canada as a government department to the ratification of the Kyoto protocol. From removal of lead from gasoline to legislation on the protection of endangered species.

These are tangible achievements that make us proud as Liberals. And now we have the task to build further on these foundations. We can prove to Canadians that jobs and the environment can go hand in hand. We can prove that economic goals are better achieved in the long run by integrating the economy with the environment. And we can lead Canadians on the international scene where, until recently, we were respected and admired for our fine environmental record.

To this end we need a leader with a strong commitment to the environment and to environmentally sustainable development; a leader who will not only talk but also walk the talk; a leader who sees beyond the horizon of the next election; a leader who can make difficult decisions. We have such a leader in Gerard Kennedy. This paper reflects his outlook. It is also an invitation to Liberals, young and mature to discuss environmental issues and give Gerard the benefit of their reflections, thoughts and advice. I urge you to do so.
-Charles Caccia, MP for Davenport, 1968-2004

Why energy and the environment matter to me – and to all of us

Many of us come from the generation that grew up with environmentalism as the central issue facing the future. I was young when the first environmental stories emerged – about pollution, abuse of pesticides, waste and the squandering of resources. I was a youth when the first energy crisis stuck us in the 1970s – and a young adult in Alberta in the 1980s when the huge policy miscalculation, the National Energy Program, harmed the province at that time. I have most recently served as a cabinet minister in an Ontario Liberal government that has made great strides in environmental protection – but we still have a long way to go.

Energy and the environment are becoming the most crucial issues Canadians face. How we produce and consume energy and what we do to protect and preserve the environment, will determine the sustainability of our economy and our lifestyle.

Unlike the Conservatives, who choose to lay blame, chop programs and then throw up their hands in defeat of the issue…
We need to be enterprising. We need to be creative. We need to act.

Our current path is unsustainable – our energy policies are insufficient and our protection of the environment is too slow and too cautious.

As the population grows, energy and resources are being consumed at an ever-increasing rate. The science is undeniable: without change, our air and water, our forests and food, our cities and our homes will face remarkable challenges within a generation.

Sustainable development is a principle by which all government programs should be measured against. As we address the link between energy and the environment, we can also explore how to alter our lifestyles by:

-Consuming less.
-Being smarter and more efficient in our consumption and purchasing choices.
-Adopting some new thinking about alternative fuels and power.
-Helping emerging economies to grow in a more sustainable manner.

Canada as a Clean Energy Superpower

Canada can be a “Clean Energy Superpower” by 2020 – less than 15 years from now. We are already an energy superpower. We have the know-how and means to be the cleanest on the planet.

We have one of the most dynamic economies on earth and some of the most abundant energy resources including oil and natural gas, the world’s largest production of hydroelectricity and enormous untapped potential in alternative energy such as wind, small/low impact hydro, biomass and geothermal.

Canada is already an energy superpower, and we will become even more of an energy superpower over the next 20 years.

In order to become the clean energy superpower, we must:
-conserve energy, and become much more efficient in the way we use it.
-reduce the amount of carbon we produce relative to the energy we consume; this can be done by switching as much as possible to renewable fuels, as well as using technology to reduce carbon output from fossil fuels.
-develop carbon sequestration technology so that carbon is not released into the atmosphere when it is produced.
-offset the carbon we do produce through “carbon sinks” such as reforestation
-export our technology and expertise so that our economy is further developed while we pursue environmental sustainability.

By consolidating our assets, co-coordinating our energy policies, achieving energy efficiencies, promoting energy conservation, supporting public transit and trains, reshaping the automotive industry and using landfill gases for district heating we can focus on achieving the goal: clean, green power.

Conservatives would abandon Kyoto, cancel incentives and programs to reduce C02 omissions and leave protecting the environment largely to the marketplace. While markets are important and have an important role in solving our energy and environmental challenges, it is only by combining markets with federal, provincial, business and NGO leadership that we will become a clean energy superpower.

Our ability to compete internationally and influence other nations will be measured on our ability to uphold our commitments to the environment.

It is critical that we move forward now.

A National Strategy for Our Environment

The global economy is changing and energy and environment issues are gaining momentum and importance. As an advanced nation, we have a duty and responsibility to develop a plan that maximizes the value of our resources, minimizes the impact of their extraction and utilization and also protects our environment.

We have to decentralize the decision-making process and seek the input of those who are most actively involved in energy production and environmental protection. We must adopt energy and environment policies that reflect the challenges our producers face from the oil fields off Newfoundland’s coast to the energy sector in Alberta.

We need environmental policies that reflect the concerns about smog, water pollution and toxic waste identified by our environmental experts. We need a forum for technology providers that are working to develop new and enterprising innovations and we must consult with aboriginal peoples to protect their ecosystem, while allowing them to take full advantage of the economic opportunities that Canada, as a clean energy super power, will bring.

An Inclusive Framework – How we’ll get there

There is a role for a national framework – a strategy to get the provinces working, in their own way, toward the same common environmental goals and targets.

The framework of the strategy has three pillars –
-it will be based on supply and demand of energy
-it will encourage and reward conservation and the production and use of clean energy
-and it will be measured relentlessly: Is it working? Is it cost-effective? Is the environment getting better and the economy getting stronger?

We will recognize sound environmental stewardship – as a driver for creativity, innovation, product development and ultimately profitability and we will encourage enterprise -- innovators and risk takers should be rewarded for their leadership and for driving innovation.

Elements of the plan include:

1. Setting national objectives for alternative fuels and sources of energy including:
· 5 per cent renewable fuels by 2010 and 10 per cent by 2015 (for example, ethanol, bio-diesel)
· 5000 MW of wind energy by 2010, and 10,000 MW by 2010
· 500 MW of new biomass, geothermal and solar energy by 2010, and 3000 MW by 2015

2. Providing reasonable production incentives to produce renewable energy. For example, we will drive innovation by using the tax code to encourage investment in environmental technologies that will result from higher risk, longer term R&D.

3. Optimizing our national transmission and distribution system (including pipelines and the electricity grids) by:
· Creating national systems that are safe, efficient and secure
· Encouraging investment and development by committing to streamlined and transparent processes (ex. removing duplicative federal and provincial work) and reasonable permitting timelines

4. Encouraging, through federal policies and assistance, provincial utilities to embrace renewable projects and integrate them into their transmission and distribution grids, and to explore energy storage solutions that will make intermittent clean sources of energy more useful in our energy networks

5. Setting national objectives on conservation:

- One per cent improvement in energy consumption per capita in five years and three per cent over the next 10 years. Our energy consumption per capita has been rising over the past 30 years, despite the availability of new technologies. We need to turn this around, and start investing in and using the most efficient equipment and processes available.
- Raising our standards by 25 per cent for energy consumption in new home construction and new appliances by 2015 (through building codes, equipment and appliance standards).

6. Committing government support to smart energy alternatives including:
-Hybrid vehicles
-Hydrogen and fuel cells vehicles and power plants
-Modern, high-efficiency and ultra clean bio-diesel vehicles

7. Introducing a GST exemption of up to $5000, for smart energy vehicles and a progressive gas-guzzler tax on all vehicles that have worse than average fuel consumption.

Canadian cars are typically on the road for more than 12 years. We need to encourage consumers to buy fuel-efficient vehicles, which will have an important impact on the environment for years to come.

8. Ensuring that 50 per cent of the government’s fleet purchases are hybrids or alternative fuelled vehicles by 2010 and 100 percent by 2015.

9. Creating programs and greater incentives for conservation including home retrofit programs, pilot programs to monitor energy consumption and energy cost by the minute. At the same time, speed up the approval process for new energy-savings products and systems.

10. Encouraging the highest possible efficiency in home and commercial heating and cooling by providing incentives for ground-source heat pumps. The province of Manitoba has made important strides in this area, and that good work should be replicated nationally.

11. Instilling reachable goals. All new, large energy development projects should have an “environmentally neutral footprint” (for example, if greenhouse gases and local pollutants will be increased, there must be an offset for the project to move forward). Further, we should introduce a mandatory market-based system that allows companies to register and trade emission credits.

Taking Action

We have been talking about solutions for years – it’s time to do it. We have to merge and integrate environment and economic policies. We have to modernize federal and provincial tax systems. We have to give momentum to environmentally beneficial technologies. As Liberals, and only Liberals, we can finally make Canada the “Clean Energy Superpower” it should be.

Your feedback on this discussion paper is welcome and solicited. It should be sent to the Kennedy feedback email address at cleanenergy@gerardkennedy.ca.

Cheaper Hybrids, Better Air - A Step Towards Sustainability

Gerard Delivers on a Major LPCBC Policy Convention Theme

Kennedy proposes tax on gas guzzlers
Jun. 15, 2006. 04:57 PM
CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA — Canada should impose a tax on gas-guzzling SUVs and cut the GST on hybrid vehicles to help meet its Kyoto commitments, says Liberal leadership candidate Gerard Kennedy.

Kennedy said Thursday that those two measures would yield a "much more practical" reduction in greenhouse gas emissions than the carbon tax floated by leadership frontrunner Michael Ignatieff.

Kennedy, a Manitoba-born former Ontario education minister, claimed he brings a "western sensibility" to the leadership race. He said a carbon tax would unfairly penalize oil-rich Alberta, incense the energy industry and be counterproductive.

"We need the oil sector on side. Eight per cent of our increase in greenhouse gases came from the oil sands," Kennedy told The Canadian Press.

"We need to be working with them and what we don't want to do is cause a huge flight of capital and damage our resource industry that has been part of Canada's economic power."

Kennedy added that "Western Canada has to stop being the afterthought" when it comes to Liberal policy.

"If you're building policies you should ask yourself how they wear in all parts of the country, which is something that the Liberal party has to get better at."

Kennedy reiterated that he's open to running in a western riding for a seat in Parliament. He said there's actually "a small bidding war" among Liberals urging him to run in various places, including Lethbridge, Alta.

Ignatieff has been criticized by some rival candidates as well as Prime Minister Stephen Harper for raising the idea of a carbon tax at the first all-candidates' debate last weekend.

Ignatieff, a rookie Toronto MP and acclaimed scholar, is widely considered the early frontrunner in the race to succeed former prime minister Paul Martin. His 10 rivals have begun sharpening their attacks on him.

Still, Kennedy said it's too early in the race, which culminates at a Dec. 3 convention in Montreal, to predict who's going to win. His own experience suggests that frontrunner status can actually be a liability.

"Having done frontrunner before, should Mr. Ignatieff wish to claim it, he's welcome to have that. I'm here to officially cede the position," he joked.

Kennedy was the frontrunner in the 1996 Ontario Liberal leadership. But he eventually lost to Dalton McGuinty, who came from well behind on the first ballot to win on the fifth.

Kennedy also had some harsh words for Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whom he accused of pitting province against province with his reckless promise to remedy the so-called fiscal imbalance.

Premiers are bitterly divided over how to redress the problem, particularly when it comes to proposals to boost equalization payments to poor provinces.

"The worst things that will happen in a country, it would be like a family, is a fight about money," Kennedy said.

"I think this is quite hazardous stuff. You do not want people in one part of the country having envy for people elsewhere."

Kennedy questioned whether there really is an imbalance, wherein the federal government has more money than it needs while the provinces struggle to pay for costly health care, education and other social services.

He allowed that the federal government is awash in huge surpluses. But until Ottawa invests in programs needed to ensure Canada can compete globally against economic superpowers like India, China and Brazil, Kennedy said it would be foolhardy to transfer a big chunk of those surpluses in perpetuity to the provinces.

Moreover, he said Harper has already eaten up so much of the surplus with tax cuts that he won't be able to deliver on his fiscal imbalance promise. Harper could thus wind up "disappointing Quebecers," who are most adamant about resolving the issue, and potentially reigniting separatist sentiment.

"Nobody I think believes we're on sanguine terms in terms of a reckoning with Quebec's place in Confederation. All the more reason not to politicize (this issue)."

Practical Idealism - The Liberal's Party's Way Forward

KENNEDY TOUTS PRACTICAL IDEALISM
Wednesday, June 14, 2006 Winnipeg Free Press, Greg Lockert

Federal Liberal leadership hopeful Gerard Kennedy is easy on the ears. He sports a deep, clear voice that would be as perfect for the world of broadcasting as it is for political life. Were he to become prime minister, he could probably one-up former prime minister Brian Mulroney's smooth delivery -- without the blarney.

Kennedy, who is originally from The Pas, said he has a Western sensibility that has been lacking in the federal Liberals for a long time. He figures he can regenerate the Liberals out West.

"We can't be blanked out in the West and still be a national party," he said. And he said the party is ready for someone originally from the West. "The party has never been so open as this."

Until recently, Kennedy was a strong cabinet minister in Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty's provincial government. The future appeared wide open to him in Ontario provincial politics. So what would convince a young, successful education minister to take a stab at becoming national Liberal leader?

For Kennedy, it's all about saving both the federal Liberal party and the country. Kennedy is convinced that the Liberals and Canada are adrift and he's the guy to set them back on the correct course. The Liberals, Kennedy told the Free Press editorial board on Monday, were lulled into complacency by a divided opposition once they had cured Canada of its deficit. As for the country, he claimed it's falling behind in the global economic race, and said that Prime Minister Stephen Harper's "neo-con" and "Republican" style of government is doing nothing to stop that decline.

Kennedy intends to fix both the Liberal party and Canada by forming "a coalition of practical progressives" under the Liberal banner, and developing "a new value of enterprise" that would involve setting targets for Canada and benchmarks toward achieving them. Keys to achieving these targets would be skills training and targeted social programs. Kennedy said there is a large pool of money available to fund training through federal skills and training.

Kennedy, a former food bank executive in Edmonton and Toronto, also preaches an economic message, saying he has an "enterprising outlook." He said that Canada has become complacent and that too many Canadians are afraid of risk.

"We need a longer-term view if we're going to compete," he said, adding that targeted tax incentives and market-driven incentives can be used to bolster Canada economically, especially regarding things such as venture capital. Programs like equalization, which he supports in principle, too often fail to offer incentives for economic progress, Kennedy said.

Vision for Canada

Kennedy's vision for Canada is grand and ambitious. He doesn't talk like a status-quo politician. But his goals for education are fraught with danger because education is a provincial jurisdiction and provinces jealously guard their control over schools, colleges and universities. It would be especially difficult for Kennedy to get Quebec on board.

But Kennedy surely understands the challenge ahead of him should he become Liberal leader. Otherwise, why would he seek to become Canada's education prime minister? No, Kennedy didn't use those exact words during his meeting with the Free Press. And he would probably chafe at hearing them owing to the fact that George W. Bush once said he wanted to become the United States' education president. But the topic of education continually pops up in conversation with Kennedy, and education prime minister would be an appropriate moniker for him.

Political message

Kennedy's political message is high-minded and idealistic. He said he never planned to become a politician, but decided to make the jump from food bank executive to politician when he became disenchanted by the Mike Harris Conservatives during the 1990s in Ontario. Kennedy clearly respects the role of government in people's lives and believes in its power to improve the economic lot of Canadians.

And twice, during his meeting with the Free Press, Kennedy mentioned the name of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who has been a role model to many who are optimistic about the ability of government to better human society. Although Kennedy is careful to distance himself from Blair's foreign policy regarding issues like the Iraq war, he said he has met with Blair's people in the past and respects "Blair's realism."

Where Kennedy will find a real battle during his leadership run is over Canada's role in Afghanistan. He has spoken against the recent House of Commons vote that extended Canada's current mission in Afghanistan by two years, and told the editorial board that he doesn't "support being in Afghanistan on a blank cheque."

Kennedy's stand runs against Liberal leadership front-runner Michael Ignatieff. It also contradicts interim Liberal leader Bill Graham, the former Liberal defence minister who oversaw Canada's growing military deployment in Afghanistan while Paul Martin was prime minister.

Kennedy likes to talk about traditional Canadian peacekeeping and reconstruction efforts without facing up to the fact that none of that can occur in Afghanistan until the Taliban has been militarily crushed. And it's unlikely that the United States can permanently defeat the Taliban without the help of its allies, which is why NATO is in Afghanistan to begin with.

Alas, Kennedy probably realizes this, but knows that there is a sizable Liberal constituency that won't support his leadership bid if he backs Canada's current strategies and tactics in Afghanistan. After all, the current government is run by that so-called neo-con and Republican, Stephen Harper.

This knee-jerk opposition reveals that although Kennedy may be an idealist, he still retains a sense of realpolitik that enables him to back policies that are clearly illogical and contradictory. In that way, he is likely well-suited to leading a national political party.

"A new era in Canadian politics"

ANOTHER BCY4K ENDORSEMENT:

"After meeting, then doing some research on Gerard Kennedy I am now surer than ever that he is the best person to lead the Liberal Party of Canada and indeed the nation into a new and great era.

I had the pleasure of personally meeting Mr. Kennedy in Kelowna, and I knew I was in the midst of a person with immense charisma and a grand vision for the party and the country as a whole. Aside from treating me, and the other young liberals present, with the utmost of respect, he went on to encourage us to become actively engaged in the political process, unlike any other candidate that I have ever encountered. This was very encouraging and refreshing as you might well imagine.

Essentially, Mr. Kennedy had the effect of revitalizing my faith and energy in federal politics. I am confident he will do the same for the Liberal party. Aside from rebuilding our party, I believe, due to his amazing record of public service, that Mr. Kennedy has the ability and heartfelt intention of restoring Canada’s role and image as a leader in humanitarian, social and economic efforts, both nationally and internationally.

If given the opportunity I believe he can be the Prime Minister to bring Canada to the forefront of international affairs, making it a leader nation whose values and reputation are applauded and respected worldwide, as they once were. To me, Gerard Kennedy represents the ushering in of a new era in Canadian politics, an era which I am extremely proud to be part of and support."

- Matthew Dyck, an Active Young Liberal and BC Youth 4 Kennedy from BC's Beautiful Interior

Gerard's Online Community

Gerard's OC at the national website has just recently gone live, and features a number of prominent Liberal bloggers as they provide insightful and up-to-date analysis and commentary on Gerard's campaign and the leadership race as it unfolds.

Check it out today!

http://www.gerardkennedy.ca/blog_e.aspx

"Young, bilingual and has good social credibility."

Debate recap:

"Kennedy, 45, and the freshest federal face, has been an impressive cabinet minister in McGuinty's Ontario government. He has also lived in Manitoba and Alberta. At 22, he established Canada's first-ever food bank, in Edmonton. During the debate he proved the most intense and aggressive debater."

- Vancouver Sun, Barbara Yaffe

"Ten years ago, the Manitoba-born and educated former food bank director was favoured to take over the leadership of the Ontario Liberals. But some guy named Dalton McGuinty surprised Kennedy on the final ballot. A decade later, Kennedy, 45, is again in the leadership game after resigning his cabinet post as McGuinty's education minister.

Kennedy would seem to come straight out of central casting for Liberal leaders. He's young, bilingual and has good social credibility. He is also working contacts within education circles to maximum benefit."

- Winnipeg Free Press, Paul Samyn

"Sparks were flying in Winnipeg at Saturday's first all-candidates meeting for the federal Liberal leadership. Michael Ignatieff was targeted by a number of other contenders on such issues as the Kyoto Accord and his support for prolonging Canada's mission in Afghanistan. Joe Volpe accused Ignatieff of being too close to a Conservative point of view. Meanwhile, former Ontario Education Minister Gerard Kennedy focused on outlining his plan to build a Liberal party from the ground up - by putting social justice and economic prosperity on the same level."

- Jason McIntyre, CFRA

"Obviously I'm somewhat biased, but I think Kennedy did himself a lot of favours with his performance. He was probably the best speaker of the evening and showed a lot more passion and fire than I've seen from him before. You can only do so much with the format and Gerard managed to explain why he's running and what problems face the country. He also came across looking Prime Ministerial when Volpe and Bevilacqua teamed up on him in the break out debate."

- Calgary Grit

"That's why Gerard's my guy."

A SMALL SAMPLING OF GERARD'S BC YOUTH TEAM ENDORSEMENTS:

"Whether it was his time as food bank director, or as a member of the Ontario provincial cabinet, Gerard consistently is a results-getting politician. Canada needs more of those. Badly. I also believe Gerard has the ability to weather the Conservative storm that is currently over Canada, leading the party through a phase of renewal in mission, methods, policies, and people. Plainly put, I see Gerard as the best voice for the Liberals for the future.That's why Gerard's my guy."

- Michael Thom, Active Liberal and BC Youth 4 Kennedy Campaign Committee Member

More to be posted soon...

Kennedy Video: "We can do this"

Gerard's New Introduction Video:

View this unique and comprehensive new introduction video about Gerard and his campaign by clicking here.

-BCY4K

Gerard and the "Great Debate"

British Columbians can tune in to watch Gerard Kennedy and the other Liberal Leadership candidates participate in the contest's first debate today, Saturday June 10th, at 12:00pm Pacific time, and 1:00pm Mountain time.

The forum will be covered live on CPAC, CBC Newsworld, and CTV Newsnet.

Gerard Kennedy banking on his western roots

"Plans to take lessons learned establishing Canada's first food bank in Edmonton, and in Queen's Park, to Ottawa if he becomes the next leader of the Liberal party."

An excellent article on Gerard and his campaign from the Edmonton Journal: find it here.