After discussing some of the key issues in his book, Rae engaged in discussion with University of Guelph department chair Andrew Bailey. He later took questions from the audience and then held a book signing.

One of the lighter moments of the evening came when an audience member thanked him for coming to Guelph, wishing only that it had been as Prime Minister of Canada.

"How do you think I feel?" Rae joked in response.

Rae has a long and storied career in Canadian politics, bringing the New Democratic Party to power in Ontario and serving as premier from 1990 to 1995. He later joined the federal Liberal Party and served as interim Liberal leader from 2011 to 2013.

These days he is a practising lawyer, occasional negotiator and author.

Among other topics, he said he would like to see the voting age lowered so that we can teach and engage young people in schools and get them motivated to participate more in elections.

He also feels that the upcoming election will lead to great changes in Canadian politics — there will be a switch to proportional representation or a two-party system.

"It does mean that 35 per cent of the population can have a stranglehold on the country," he said of Canada's current first-past-the-post electoral system.

As for a two-party system, he says that's possible in Canada.

"You have to do one or the other and I do think that now it's time to make that decision. That's what I predict will happen as a result of the election," Rae said.

"Whatever the result is, I do believe there will be a change afoot as to how politics happens on the ground and I think that's a good thing."

Thursday's event was a presentation of the University of Guelph, The Bookshelf and the Eden Mills Writers Festival.

tsaxon@guelphmercury.com