Mr Dion has had more success with his improvised idea for an emergency meeting of federal and provincial leaders to come up with a government plan for the economy.

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But his big ears and resourcefulness also serve him well in more open, less-structured improvised settings.

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On his hands and knees, he had painstakingly searched a ditch, often with little more than his fingertips, for improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

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