I am very excited to accept the role of Honorary Patron with Hope Air because of the national scope of the organization and the very real impact they have on Canadians who need to travel to healthcare.

Canadians have been very generous toward Haiti after the earthquake and thanks to you our most vulnerable people have received food drinkable water shelter medical care and education. For that we are extremely grateful.

I wish the government and the Minister of Justice would address these legal and constitutional arguments but they refuse to. They want Canadians to go blindly into their brave new world but it is not wise for a society to move blindly in any direction.

I think first and foremost everybody should understand that Canadians are strongly committed to the system of universal health insurance to the principle that your ability to pay does not determine your access to critical medical service.

We'll support the government on issues if it's essential to the country but our primary responsibility is not to prop up the government our responsibility is to provide an opposition and an alternative government for Parliament and for Canadians.

The Leader of the Opposition's constitutional obligation - the obligation to Parliament - it's the reason we did the merger! - is to make sure Canadians have an alternative for government.

Both my parents are English and came out to Australia in 1967. I was born the following year. My parents and immigrants like them were known as '£10 poms.' Back then the Australian government was trying to get educated British people and Canadians - to be honest educated white people - to come and live in Australia.

Canadians are very well behaved they don't throw their food.

Canadians know that the promise of a recession didn't happen because of anything we did here. If you look at all the causes of the recession problems in mortgage markets the problems in the banking sector the problems in government finance in countries like Greece none of those problems were in present Canada.

In Canada women's rights are a vital part of our effort to build a society of real equality - not just for some but for all Canadians. A society in which women no longer encounter discrimination nor are shut out from opportunities open to others.

If I am to be known for anything I would like it to be for encouraging Canadians for knowing a little bit about their daily extraordinary courage. And for wanting that courage to be recognized.

Canadians can easily 'pass for American' as long as we don't accidentally use metric measurements or apologize when hit by a car.

Canadians tend to be a bit more religious than most Europeans - though not more than the Poles or Ukrainians. Most important their attitude to immigration and ethnic minorities is more positive than that of most Europeans.

I think that Scottish people like Canadians are often misunderstood and what I like about my Scottish friends and relatives is how quickly it can go from love to anger. It's a great dynamic.