Canada remains alienated from its allies, shut out of the reconstruction process to some degree, unable to influence events. There is no upside to the position Canada took.
I think because we're such a trading nation, I think Canadians understand that first and foremost we're part of the global economy.
It's the government's obligation to look really to the third parties to get the support to govern.
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.
This party will not take its position based on public opinion polls. We will not take a stand based on focus groups. We will not take a stand based on phone-in shows or householder surveys or any other vagaries of pubic opinion.
I think the way to change it is to handle issues individually when it's essential to do so.
But I've been very clear in this campaign - I don't believe the party should have a position on abortion.
First of all, I can't forget my first responsibility - which is to be the Leader of the Opposition and that's to provide an alternative government.
I do not intend to dispute in any way the need for defence cuts and the need for government spending cuts in general. I do not share a not in my backyard approach to government spending reductions.
I don't believe an Alliance government should sponsor legislation on abortion or a referendum on abortion.
I have no difficulty with the recognition of civil unions for non-traditional relationships but I believe in law we should protect the traditional definition of marriage.
My own views on abortion, I'm not on either pole of that and neither of the interest groups on either end of this issue would probably be comfortable with my views.
On the justification for the war, it wasn't related to finding any particular weapon of mass destruction.
That's my personal view I would say most in my caucus agree with that but there are some who don't and I've always said that on these kinds of moral issues, people have the right to their own opinions.
The government can only be brought down because it alienates several parties in the House.
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.
Universality has been severely reduced: it is virtually dead as a concept in most areas of public policy.
We have in this country a federal government that increasingly is engaged in trying to determine which business, which regions, which industries will succeed, which will not through a whole range of economic development, regional development corporate subsidization programs.
We should have been there shoulder to shoulder with our allies. Our concern is the instability of our government as an ally. We are playing again with national and global security matters.
Whether Canada ends up as o-ne national government or two national governments or several national governments, or some other kind of arrangement is, quite frankly, secondary in my opinion.
