“We need change," he said, adding that the Conservative Party's ideology does not reflect the majority of Canadians' priorities.

Speaking at a press conference at his Greene Avenue campaign headquarters on Wednesday, Garneau discussed topics ranging from environmental initiatives to Omar Khadr's imprisonment in Guantanamo — but his main message centred around Canadian technological advancement.

"If we adopt models that allow us to move towards excellence, it's a benefit for the whole country," he said, flanked by a group of fellow Liberals that included Céline Hervieux-Payette, Senate Leader of the Opposition, Francis Scarpaleggia, MP for Lac-Saint-Louis, and Martha Hall Findlay, MP for Willowdale and Associate Finance Critic for the Official Opposition.

Garneau expressed his goals for the federal government's position in fostering the country's technological research and development, allowing it to successfully move into the 21st century. He also emphasized that Canada, and especially Quebec and Montreal, need to maintain their positions as global players in the aerospace industry.

Immediately preceding the conference, the former astronaut participated in a roundtable discussion at McGill University, which focused on science, innovation and economic prosperity.

Garneau also stressed the importance of a national push to develop environmental technologies. He said that Canada "has a huge amount of motivation to do this," since so many countries are in the market for innovative ways of going green.

As a Westmount resident for the past seven and a half years, Garneau says he is sensitive to the particular interests of the community. In addition to the environment, he promises to address issues such as the softening economy and recent inflation.

"What is the current government doing to address these concerns?" he asked. "There's nothing on the table for Westmounters."