OTTAWA – Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff today announced the establishment of a special committee to ensure the Liberal Party is well equipped during this critical period of reform and rejuvenation.

“Renewal will take many forms,” said Mr. Ignatieff. “It is my hope the Liberal Party of Canada will be guided by the views of each and every one of its members as we think about our policies, our structures and our methods of engaging with Canadians.”

Mr. Ignatieff said the special committee on party renewal will take into consideration the implementation of the 2006 reforms undertaken by the “Red Ribbon” task force and the ensuing constitutional amendments adopted at the Montreal convention.

It will also make key recommendations on common areas of inquiry suggested by grassroots Liberals from across the country. These include:

· the leadership selection process;
· the federated structure of the party;
· the contributions of Commissions to achieving equitable representation in the party and the pursuit of our electoral objectives; and
· the development of a clear process and tools for connecting grassroots policy development to all levels of the party. This, plus a mechanism for the review of these ideas, will facilitate feedback and encourage grassroots involvement.

The committee will be chaired by former national director Steve MacKinnon and will be co-chaired by the Honourable Navdeep Bains. It will be comprised of prominent Liberals Mike Crawley, Kelly Regan, Nancy Girard, and Joan Bourassa, as well as caucus members Bonnie Crombie, Pablo Rodriguez and Senator Grant Mitchell.