A message of renewal that will unite the party against Stephen Harper's Conservatives resonated among all the Liberal leadership candidates who made a direct plea for support during their final speeches in Montreal on Friday.

Would-be leaders sought to address their weaknesses in a last-ditch effort to win over undecided delegates whose votes will award the party crown.

Michael Ignatieff delivered the final speech of the night to the cheers of a raucous crowd at the Palais des congres.

Using a relaxed, almost casual tone, he argued for a renewal of the party based on its core principles.

"We are the party that built this country, and we built it on four cornerstones: social justice, sustainable economy, unity and international leadership," said Ignatieff.

He also said Liberals must defend the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and ensure all Canadian have equal rights. "That's not what Stephen Harper believes," he said.

"Here's a politician of conviction who has all the wrong convictions. Stephen Harper loves power, but hates government. Canadians understand that good government helps to bring us together."

His supporters roared in chorus to his speech as he invoked again and again the mantras of his campaign.

"If we become the party of hope, there is no power that can defeat us.''

Rae's 'fireside chat'

Early reports suggested Bob Rae would focus on foreign policy in his speech, and attack the track record of Harper's government on international issues.

But according to CTV's Tom Clark, Rae decided to improvise at the last moment. It may have been to distance himself from Dion's address.

Without any notes in front of him, Rae told delegates he had spent the past few weeks speaking to them from his heart, adding: "In the next few minutes I have, that's exactly what I want to do."

He argued that Liberal success has always come from putting the people of Canada ahead of the party, and listening to their concerns.

"The Liberal Party has succeeded because it has been able to find itself in the heartland of Canada, and its values have always reflected the values of Canadians," said Rae, the only candidate to speak without notes or a podium.

He also referred to his time as Ontario's New Democratic premier in the 1990s, when the province suffered a recession, arguing that he learned the value of fiscal restraint better than most.

Rae portrayed himself as the battle-hardened option who can bring the party together, former Liberal cabinet minister Brian Tobin told CTV News.

"This was a fireside chat by Bob Rae. ... It was a leader saying 'I can be the unifier.' He talked about (former prime minister Jean) Chretien, he talked about (former prime minister Paul) Martin, he talked about (former prime minister John) Turner, he talked about all of the factions of the party and said, 'Come with me, we'll build a better Canada.'"

Rae also sought to draw comparisons between himself and Ignatieff, his main political opponent, without overtly pointing them out, CTV's Craig Oliver noted.

"He was inviting us to draw comparisons all the way through between himself and Mr. Ignatieff, talking about his commitment to humanitarian causes and his many years in spent in politics."

Kennedy stresses party unity

Gerard Kennedy, who came into the convention with the third-most delegates, stressed that Liberals must heal divisions and bring the party together.

"Unity of the party must be more than a slogan," said the former Ontario education minister, the youngest candidate in the race at age 45.

"It has been the guiding principle of my campaign. The new language of politics is action. What we do, not what we say, is what Canadians will care about."

He added that the Conservative government "would rather pit Canadians against Canadians for its own purposes, and ignores our real needs and even greater potential."

And through "tangible actions that touch the lives of Canadian families," he promised to "expose the short-sighted Tory agenda for what it is: trinkets picked up at the Republican discount store."

Kennedy, who was introduced by Justin Trudeau, was sending a clear message on his opposition to the federal resolution that recognizes the Quebecois as a nation within a united Canada, former Liberal deputy prime minister Anne McLellan told CTV News.

"When you put Justin Trudeau out there, you are not only speaking to the fact that Gerard Kennedy does not support the resolution we saw last week in the House, but you are also looking back to one of the leaders of this party that people are just so proud of," she said.

Dion launches attack on Tories

Stephane Dion, the first of the top four contenders to speak, delivered a withering attack on the Conservative government in his speech.

"Today, we face a very right-wing government, much more like the current U.S. Republican Party than the old Tories, the former Progressive Conservative Party of Canada," said the former unity and environment minister.

"Canada has a prime minister who thinks that the United States is not only our ally, but also our model. A prime minister who would have immersed us in the Iraq nightmare."

Dion also focused on the environment, blasting Harper for "virtually pulling us out of Kyoto."

In what appeared to be an effort to shed his image as a somewhat staid academic, Dion gave an astute, good-humoured speech.

In one of the lighter moments, Dion joked that "there is more culture in a bowl of yogurt than in this Conservative government."

CTV's Lisa LaFlamme reported that Dion wrote 30 drafts of his speech before he felt it was ready.

But Dion exceeded the 25-minute time limit and had his speech unceremoniously cut short, which lost him a prime opportunity to end on a high note, some observers said.

"I don't think he gave the great speech he could have given, he ran out of time, he didn't get to finish a full page of his text, there was no summary, no conclusion," Tobin said.

But McLellan disagreed with his assessment.

"I think it's unfortunate that the speech was as long as it was, he got cut off, and he didn't have the time to finish it. ... But you know what?... This is a man everybody on this floor knows, this man walked through fire for this country, and in fact I'm not sure this speech matters so much for him," she said, referring to Dion's record of taking on separatists in Quebec.

Dryden: "I want my Canada back"

Hockey legend Ken Dryden preceded Dion as the last of the second tier of candidates.

Before his speech, a video set to the music of Coldplay showed clips Dryden on ice, reminding delegates his record as a Stanley Cup-winning hockey player was a source of national pride.

During his address, Dryden portrayed himself as the leader who best understands the achievements of the nation while taking a shot at the Conservatives.

"Mr. Harper has real trouble accepting life that doesn't conform to his own understanding to what life should be. The funding cuts to advocacy groups; the extension of our mission in Afghanistan -- he doesn't like debate. Who doesn't like debate? People who don't trust people and that is not us," said Dryden, taking a conversational tone throughout his speech.

"What's worse -- their understanding of Canada is so small. This region or that region; this group or that group -- so pinched, ungenerous, divisive."

In an effort to answer critics who charged Dryden was not an orator, he savaged Harper with an unusually passionate speech that had delegates standing and roaring in agreement.

"If there was a Stanley Cup for speechifying this guy just won it. The old goalie who had so many triumphs in this city at the forum just a few blocks from here took that puck and ran it down and threw it into the other net," Oliver reported.

"A devastating critique of the Conservative government, a compassionate speech, and wow -- did he hit the spot.

Dryden's final words, "I want my Canada back" were an appeal to delegates to make him their choice during second-ballot voting, which is critical in the success of the candidate who will win the party crown.

Volpe throws support to Rae

Third in the speakers' lineup on Friday night, Joe Volpe sought to portray himself as a Liberal with deep roots in the party and partnerships in the immigrant community.

Volpe, a former immigration minister who came to Canada as a young child from Italy, said he was reminded why he entered the race during a recent encounter with a Canadian of the Sikh faith.

The man said that he wanted a leader that would help him feel like an equal in Canada, Volpe told the delegates.

"No matter my colour, my religion, my culture, my history. I want a leader who will open the doors for me so that some day, I or someone like me can take pride of place in politics, in business, in science. Someone who will make me feel like I belong. Joe, win or lose in this race, be that leader for me and people like me," the man told Volpe, he recounted.

After the speeches wrapped up, Volpe threw his support behind Rae in a bid to thwart Ignatieff's chances of becoming leader.

Brison outlines plan for green economy

Scott Brison, the second delegate to take the floor, painted himself as a leader who would protect Canada's legacy as one of the most socially progressive diverse societies.

The openly gay former Tory challenged delegates to consider what the Liberal legacy would be in the twenty-first century.

"Legacy is the child of purpose, our purpose here today will help shape our legacy tomorrow. What is the greatest challenge facing Canada and the world at the dawn of the 21st century? And how is our purpose as a party and as a country shaped by that challenge?" he asked.

Brison called on delegates who were concerned by storm clouds warning of the dangers of climate change to choose him as the leader of a clean, green Canada who carried a plan of action.

"We can't afford to do nothing. The environment is one of the many areas where Harper is a follower not a leader. If you want to find out what the Conservative government is going to say on global warming this week, all you have to do is listen to what the Bush White House said about it last week," he said.

But he conceded that attacking Harper was not only easy -- "and fun" -- but that the best way to do so was for the Liberals to build a new legacy.

"A vote for me on the first ballot is a vote for the vision that I have described, regardless of who ultimately wins this leadership race -- a plan and a vision for a cleaner, greener, more competitive and more progressive Canada," he said.

When asked whether Brison would be making a move to another camp over the next two days, he told CTV News that this was out of the question.

Brison's speech was a mark of tactical brilliance, Tobin said.

"What we saw tonight was that Scott Brison recognized Dion's claim to fame -- quite rightly so -- is his environmental stewardship and his leadership in that area," Tobin said.

"Scott steps up with this huge, dynamic, powerful environmental declaration, in essence stole some of the thunder from Dion, which from his perspective ... was probably the right thing to do."

Findlay pitches herself as new face

Martha Hall Findlay was the first of the candidates to speak, because the candidates with the most first-ballot delegate support spoke last. She pitched herself as a new face with a fresh vision for the Liberal party.

"Tonight, I ask for your support. I know that in making the right choices tonight, tomorrow and in the days ahead, our children will look on what we have accomplished and say we were the great nation-builders of the twenty-first century," said Hall Findlay, who came into the convention with just one per cent of the roughly 5,000 registered delegates backing her bid.

Hall Findlay, the only female candidate, set the tone early for a convention that seeks to unite the Liberals and put the party back on the track toward electability.

"Leadership campaigns can be tough, feelings can run high,'' said Hall Findlay. "But when this is over, I know I will and I also ask you to provide your support, your hands and your hearts to whomever we chose.''

While delegates made their first-ballot votes on Friday, the real action begins Saturday as the lowest-ranking candidates get progressively eliminated.