It's good for people to believe in causes larger than themselves.

In 2005 he was criticized by his peers on the editorial board for the Index on Censorship where human rights advocate Conor Gearty said Ignatieff fell into a category of "hand-wringing apologetic apologists for human-rights abuses". In a speech to the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce in February 2009 he said; "You can't win elections if you're adding to the input costs of a farmer putting diesel into his tractor or you're adding to the input costs of a fiMichael Ignatieffrman putting diesel into his fishing boat or a trucker transporting goods". This would become a frequent topic in his lectures.

That same year he ran for the leadership of the Liberal Party ultimately losing to Stéphane Dion. : /ɪɡˈnæti. On May 3 2011 Ignatieff announced that he would resign as leader of the Liberal Party pending the selection of an interim leader which became effective May 25 2011.