OTTAWA 鈥� The morning after former federal Conservative minister Jason Kenney led his UCP party to a majority election victory in Alberta, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau focused his message on the fight against climate change and the value of diversity.
Speaking to Liberal Party supporters in Waterloo, Ont., Trudeau did not address Tuesday night鈥檚 results鈥擴nited Conservatives won 63 of 87 seats, with Rachel Notley鈥檚 NDP holding on to the other 24鈥攁nd instead spoke about the choices voters will have to make in this year鈥檚 federal election.
The 28-day provincial campaign was closely watched by the federal political community for a multitude of reasons, from the new challenge Trudeau will face with another provincial foe, to the implications for the upcoming national campaign.
As Trudeau set it up, he sees the coming campaign to be about a choice between 鈥渓et鈥檚 hunker down and hold on to the way things were as long as we possibly can,鈥� versus saying 鈥溾�極K, challenges, the transforming world we鈥檙e facing is coming at us fast, let鈥檚 jump forward to meet it.鈥欌��
鈥淭he choice Canadians will be facing is one about striving forward confidently into the future and knowing that if we work together we can solve these big problems鈥� we鈥檒l do so if we manage to stay confident, optimistic and focused on being able to work together,鈥� Trudeau said.
One of these 鈥渂ig problems鈥� is climate change, which Trudeau named among the key issues he looks forward to working with Kenny on But the approach the two leaders have to environmental issues and aiding Alberta鈥檚 hurting energy sector are considerably different, and set to soon clash.
Kenney, who drove in front of his cheering crowd of supporters in a UCP-embellished blue pick-up truck Tuesday night, campaigned on making his first order of business the repealing of the NDP鈥檚 carbon tax and joining the pact of Conservative premiers who are taking the federal government to court over its climate change plan.
He鈥檚 also promised a referendum on equalization鈥攁 federal formula that was adopted by the Harper government he was once a top member of鈥� to have Albertans weigh in on the future of the provincial transfer payments, tied to the progress of the Trans Mountain pipeline. And Kenney wants to set up a 鈥渨ar room鈥� to fight against pipeline critics and take on various legal battles.
In contrast, Trudeau and the federal Liberal government have framed adopting more environmentally-friendly policies as an economic opportunity. Though, they have also been condemned by Indigenous and environmental stakeholders for spending billions to purchase the Trans Mountain pipeline after being caught in the middle of Alberta and B.C. who were, and remain, at odds about the major energy project between the two provinces.
Wednesday, Trudeau defended his government鈥檚 approach of implementing a climate plan that includes imposing a federal price on carbon -- up to $50 per excess tonne by 2022, with a direct refund to residents -- in provinces that don鈥檛 implement a plan that suits the government鈥檚 criteria. The list of provinces this tax is being imposed in may soon include Alberta.
鈥淭he ability to look at this as an opportunity as well, to invest in the kinds of solutions we need is the other thing that I鈥檓 excited about in our path forward, and quite frankly those who are peddling the politics of fear or division don鈥檛 quite get,鈥� Trudeau said.
'Go forward confidently or to hunker down in fear'
Wednesday morning, Trudeau also spoke at length about diversity being a source of strength, something he said the Waterloo community was emblematic of. While an oft-repeated Liberal message, it comes in contrast to some of the conversations that bubbled up during the Alberta campaign.
During the race Kenney was forced to confront some aspects of his 22-year-long record in Canadian politics, including his opposition to same-sex marriage, while having to defend the hateful and racists remarks some of his candidates made.
鈥淲hen we look at the choice that the people are faced whether to go forward confidently or to hunker down in fear, it often hinges around that diversity element as well,鈥� Trudeau told the crowd of party faithful. 鈥淒iversity is always a source of strength, of resilience, of richness, whether you鈥檙e talking about an organization, a neighbourhood, a city, or a country. That capacity to fold together different views鈥� is something we鈥檙e going to need to draw on even more.鈥�
Throughout his remarks Trudeau spoke of these two choices, putting his opponents in the category of being the choice for fear, though that鈥檚 something Trudeau鈥檚 main competitor, federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, has rejected.
He viewed the Alberta race鈥攚hich was at times consumed by by name calling and personal attacks, prompting criticism of the Notley campaign鈥檚 approach鈥攁s a lesson for Trudeau鈥檚 team, who he thinks are not rising above the politics of fear he often speaks against.
鈥淣egative and nasty personal attacks didn鈥檛 work in Alberta. And in October, Justin Trudeau will learn that they won鈥檛 work for him. Canadians will see through his fear and smear,鈥� This comment came just after Scheer posted that he鈥檚 keen to work with premier-designate Kenney to help get Albertans 鈥渂ack to work and back on track,鈥� a message that the federal Conservative Party is embracing Canada-wide. In a new email to supporters, the party said Kenney鈥檚 victory is 鈥渢he first step towards getting Canada back on track in 2019.鈥�
鈥淣ow, we move on to Phase 2 of getting Canada back on track: defeating Justin Trudeau,鈥� the fundraising message said.
With files from CTV News' Amanda Coletta and Brooklyn Neustaeter
