The Liberal Party rally in Brampton, Ont. began with Canadian Olympic athlete Adam van Koeverden who spoke briefly to the approximately 7,000 people in attendance then he introduced Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau. Sophie thanked the volunteers and the crowd for coming to the rally, for “having the vision we all share.” Sophie joked about Gilles Duceppe, the long campaign, and the slip that Justin made during the last debate. “You know, he does have beautiful blue eyes but when your husband starts calling Gilles Duceppe ‘mon amour,’ you know it’s been too long.”
Before the onset of Justin’s run for the Liberal Party position, Sophie collaborated at great length with Justin while considering the future of their children and what kind of country they envisioned. The decision to run was the “correct” decision. Sophie said that not only do their children feed the positive energy Justin thrives on, but he gets it from the crowds too, from Canadians across this great country while discussing ideas and action plans for a new vision of Canada.
Sophie added how she admired and was inspired by Justin right from the beginning when they first met for his dedication and fearlessness. Justin’s true nature has always been and has remained “positive, hopeful and honest. Justin is willing to work hard to make Canada a better country. Take it from me. What you see is what you get. When he says ‘we can make change happen,’ he means it. But we all know that he can’t do it alone. That’s why we need you! That’s why we have brought together a community of leaders who are ready to make Real Change happen. Let’s meet them,” exclaimed Sophie.
A video came on where a few members of his team spoke. After the short video ended she said, “Leadership must work for all Canadians” followed by an introduction of Justin Trudeau who emerged from a side entrance. He shook hands with people non-stop on his way to the stage. People of all ages showed up at this rally and it was a sea of red, people wearing red and carrying red Liberal signs. Once he reached the stage, he hugged and kissed his wife. “Thank you. Merci mon amour.”
“Are you ready for change my friends?” Justin shouted at the crowd. “Are you ready to bring Real Change to Ottawa?” The crowd responded positively, yes. “Well that’s good to hear because I’ll tell you something because this is an important election my friends and I’m determined to win it! So what’s left to say about the Conservatives these days? After 10 long years in power, it’s like they’ve stopped trying. This is Stephen Harper’s eighth election. He’s asking for a fourth term as Prime Minister. It’s like a bad movie franchise. By the time you get to the third and fourth sequel, most of the stars are gone and the plot is getting pretty thin. This government is out of touch and out of ideas. And if we stay focused and work hard, in two short weeks they’ll be out of time.”
Justin spoke of the traffic jams in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and how being locked in traffic hurts our economy, robs us of time with our kids, and is not good for business.
“It’s time for a clear and honest plan that will meet our challenges head on. It’s time to invest in transit and roads so we can create the jobs and growth this economy so badly needs. It’s time to raise taxes on the wealthiest 1 percent, so we can cut them for the middle class. It’s time to give middle class families more money to help raise their kids. And it’s time to lift 315,000 children out of poverty. It’s time for an open and honest government that works hard every day to earn Canadians’ trust by putting its trust in Canadians. It’s time, my friends, to close the book on the Harper Decade. Having failed to help Canadians where it matters, what is Stephen Harper left with? Fear. The politics of fear and division. Franklin Roosevelt said, ‘ We have nothing to fear but fear itself.’” The crowd roared in support of Justin Trudeau’s words.
Justin continued with his philosophy that has set him apart from the other leaders. “Fear makes us weak, not strong. The Prime Minister’s job is to bring Canadians together, not to tear us apart. In 10 years, Stephen Harper has never missed an opportunity to divide Canadians. East against west. Urban against rural. French against English. So-called ‘old stock’ Canadians versus newcomers. His first instinct is to appeal to the worst instincts. He and his party have brought unprecedented nastiness to our country’s public life. Their way of doing politics is mean and small and negative. It doesn’t have to be that way, my friends. Canadians want a better government, not just a different one.”
Justin spoke of how politics is a rough business, not for the faint of heart but he admitted that he is a “fierce competitor” who knows how to fight for values. It’s important to set oneself apart from political adversaries by being bold and tough, to promote policies in a unique way to show contrast.
“I’m a fierce competitor. I believe in what we’re doing and I’ll fight hard for it. But I want you to keep something in mind. Always. In the end, we are all Canadians. Conservatives are not our enemies. They are our neighbours. They want what’s best for their country, just like we do. They want safe communities and a growing economy. They want better jobs and more opportunities for their kids. They want their country to stand for something in the world, with the tenacity to solve big problems. We don’t need to convince them to leave the Conservative Party. We just need to show how Stephen Harper’s Party has left them.”
He explained that the Canadian economy doesn’t depend on a figurehead but rather it depends on Canadians, on our work ethic, our intelligence, and our desire to build a better life for our kids and consequently our country.
“It’s past time we had a Prime Minister who gets that. A government that knows that Canadians are the strength of the Canadian economy. One that gives Canadians the right tools and a real chance to create jobs and grow the economy. Harper isn’t protecting this country’s economy. He’s holding it back; he’s holding us back. There are many, many issues where Harper and I part ways. But none is greater than this: His vision of Canada is small, meek and fearful. He lacks ambition for this country.”
In comparison, he continued to describe his vision of Canada. “My vision of Canada is strong, confident and hopeful. I have confidence in Canada and Canadians. We have solved tougher problems in the past than we have faced today.” He referenced World War II, the fight for Medicare, and pension plans.
“Let me tell you my friends, we are strong not in spite of our differences but because of them. It will continue with leadership to bring Canadians together. This is a great country my friends. The polls have gone up and down but none of this matters. I’ll tell you what matters. We’ve spent months asking what kind of Canada do you want to build? What kind of Canada do you want to build for your kids? Do you want a small suspicious Canada or one that is confident and optimistic, that we have everything to meet the challenges head on?”
He talked about this long campaign, “You see, this campaign has never been about me, about the Liberal Party. It has always been about Canadians.” He gave some examples about families, dreams, and talked about seniors who have helped their cities and country but want nothing more in return than to have a dignified retirement. “In short, we are in this for Canadians who deserve a better government.”
Justin closed his speech when he referred to the impending end of the campaign. “There are 2 weeks left my friends, 14 days. Let’s make the most of every minute of it. Let’s know that they will throw every nasty ad and every dirty trick in the book at us. That’s the way they came into office. It’s the way they’ve governed and it’s the way they’ll go out.”
In contrast, he was more positive of the future. “Because of all your hope and hard work, we are on the verge of something special. We have the chance to beat fear with hope. We have the chance to beat cynicism with hard work. We have the chance to prove that fear and division won’t work here. Not in Canada. We have the chance to replace a vision of this country that’s small and mean and nasty with a vision that’s confident and optimistic and positive. Most of all, we have the chance to take this country from Stephen Harper and give it back to Canadians. And the whole world will be amazed at what we do with it. Stay hopeful. Never stop working hard. A better Canada is possible my friends. On October the 19th, let’s make it happen.”
After his speech ended, his young family joined him on stage waving to the crowd in solidarity. The crowd of 7,000 people cheered and the applause lingered. Justin Trudeau has forged a powerful plan for Canadians, envisioning what Canada can become. Most of all, he has listened to what Canadians want from coast to coast and is willing to fight for Canadian values reflected in his evolving platform that was laid out before this lengthy campaign. At the press conference after his speech he concluded with: “This is Canada. We are a hopeful, ambitious, confident people.”
Links
Macleans transcript of Justin Trudeau’s Brampton Speech
Liberal Party website where you can see his whole platform
Justin Trudeau’s announcement today about financial help for students
