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Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

“This is not a strong economy,” said Alleslev, contradicting official Liberal claims that everything’s going great.

“Here at home we see large amounts of capital investment leaving Canada while tax structures, federal infrastructure problems and politics prevent us from getting goods to market, deter companies from expanding and undermine our competitiveness. For the first time in many years, Canadians don’t believe that tomorrow will be better than today and that their children’s future will be than theirs.”

“Beyond our borders,” she continued, “our position remains vastly diminished. Our foreign policy is disconnected from our trade relationships and our ability to deliver on our defence commitments is undermined by politics. And on the world stage Canada has yet to rise to the occasion. The world has changed, and Canada must change with it. We don’t have the luxury of time.”

She said these words while still officially a member of the ruling party, the one with the majority of seats in Parliament and the power to get things done. She addressed them to Liberal colleagues who maintain they were caught off guard by her departure, as was the Prime Minister whose performance after three years in office she was rejecting as inadequate. She didn’t have much to gain by being open about her doubts, but expressed them anyway.

Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

It’s unusual for anyone to quit the ruling party to join an opposition that lacks all its perks and powers and spends most of its time wishing it was the one in the driver’s seat. In one of her post-crossing interviews Alleslev was asked, if she couldn’t achieve her goals within the government, what made her think she could bring about change from the benches of the powerless.