Indeed, often because of the size and weight in the world of our neighbor, we in Canada often define ourselves in contrast to American positions on things like Cuba, the Vietnam War and nuclear disarmament. Historically, Canada has not always been aligned with the United States. It doesn't necessarily serve anyone's interests - Canadian or American - to be seen as an extension of the United States.

My father's values and vision of this country obviously form everything I have as values and ideals. But this is not the ghost of my father running for the leadership of the Liberal party. This is me.

The most important thing the federal government can do is actually sit down with municipal leaders and provincial premiers to talk about the challenges they're facing in their particular areas. That's something I've committed to being a much better partner on than this current government, which doesn't like to talk to other levels of government.

Canada is lucky enough to be protected both by oceans and by a southern neighbor that is very careful about its migration and its borders. So, we don't have the irregular flow that Europe has been having to deal with. But because of that, people here have seen that welcoming people, helping them to integrate, is actually a tremendous benefit to local economies. It creates jobs, innovation and opportunity. One of the things that comes with that, though, is stemming the flow of irregular migration. But you can't just create barriers - you also have to work with the countries of origin.

We're getting companies to invest in Canada, to expand their workforces, to do more R&D. I think people are looking at Canada and realizing we're a place that is building for the long term and where the world's going to be.

Excluding citizens' voices from politics leads down a very bad path.

I'm constantly amazed when I talk with people in the international stage and I refer to immigrants or refugees as new Canadians. We don't even think about that. It's just what you are: you're new Canadians.