OTTAWA -- After weeks of running what he鈥檚 described as a 鈥減ositive campaign,鈥� Conservative Leader Erin O鈥橳oole came out swinging hard against his main opponent, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau on Monday, levelling personal attacks at his morning event, and in a series of new attack ads.
鈥淭he differences between Justin Trudeau and myself are stark鈥� When Mr. Trudeau was partying鈥攁nd we've all seen the photos鈥� I was doing search and rescue missions in the military. Every Canadian has met a Justin Trudeau in their lives: privileged, entitled, and always looking out for number one,鈥� O鈥橳oole said.
His remarks during the morning announcement in Liberal-held Kanata-Carleton had a backdrop of young children and their parents playing, while O鈥橳oole focused considerably more on criticizing Trudeau than on the parent-focused policy promise of the day.
鈥淗e was looking out for number one when he called this expensive and unnecessary election in the middle of a pandemic. A $600 million power grab. An election that has done nothing to stop the fourth wave, it's only made things worse by taking the government's eye off the ball. That's not leadership, it's self interest. And it's Justin Trudeau through and through,鈥� he continued.
In his remarks, O鈥橳oole also touched on the resurfaced SNC-Lavalin scandal, as an example of Trudeau promising to be one kind of leader and governing like another.
鈥淚t's not 2015, Mr. Trudeau. I am a new Conservative leader, and the Justin Trudeau of 2015 is not the Justin Trudeau of 2021,鈥� said O鈥橳oole. 鈥淚n 2015 I disagreed with him, but I could respect him. I could agree when he talked about what unites us, rather than divides us. I could understand when he talked about a better future Canada could have鈥� Where is that Justin Trudeau? Where is that guy? What would the 鈥榮unny ways鈥� Justin think of the prime minister we see today?鈥�
Promising one thing and then changing positions is a critique the Liberals have already levelled against O鈥橳oole, O鈥橳oole鈥檚 change in message and tone on the 2021 election trail, compared to when he ran in the 2020 Conservative leadership race on guns and other key issues.
Asked about his tone kicking off the final seven days of the race, O鈥橳oole defended going personal, saying that with just a week left until election day he wants Canadians to think about what it is they are considering voting for.
鈥淚 want them to look at why we're in this election and vote for change,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o in this last week, I invite Canadians take a real look. Do you want to reward Mr. Trudeau with this pandemic election? Or do you want a positive change with a plan to bring the country together and secure our economic future?鈥�
His remarks seemed to be focusing on getting through to two key audiences: Those who may be disaffected Liberal supporters, and voters considering throwing their support behind smaller or fringe parties in an act of protest.
鈥淢ake no mistake: A vote for anyone other than Canada's Conservatives is a vote for more of the same from Mr. Trudeau,鈥� he said.
The latest Nanos Research dally ballot tracking shows the Liberals in the lead, with 33.2 per cent support, and the Conservatives in close second with 30.2 per cent support. Currently in fifth place in terms of national ballot support, the People鈥檚 Party of Canada has been seeing an uptick in support and it鈥檚 prompted some questions about the risk of pulling votes away from the Conservatives.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e [Conservative Leader] Erin O鈥橳oole and play fantasy politics, you'd say 鈥榳hat would the world look like without Maxime Bernier?鈥欌�� Nanos said on Friday鈥檚 episode of CTV News鈥� Trend Line podcast, suggesting that if the People鈥檚 Party vote went to the Conservatives, it could put bring them closer to majority territory.
Following up and using some of the same Monday messaging from O鈥橳oole, the Conservative Party has released a series of new on Trudeau and his decision to call the election when he did.
鈥淚f Justin Trudeau is willing to put his own ambition ahead of protecting Canadians during a pandemic, how can we trust him on anything else?鈥� it asks.
At an announcement about promised new protections for health workers, Trudeau shot back at the attacks levelled against him.
鈥淭here is a difference between the kinds of personal attacks that Mr. O'Toole has been engaged in since he became leader, and that we're seeing right now. And the clear differences of perspective and policy that I've been highlighting from the very beginning,鈥� he said, defending his own attacks on O鈥橳oole.
鈥淚'm saying he's wrong about how to ensure jobs and prosperity and a protected country for people in the future. But that's what Canadians get to choose. I'm going to let him and his proxies in the anti-vaxxer movement, in the gun lobby, in the anti-choice crowd, continue to attack me. Fine. I'm going to continue to stay focused on Canadians on what Canadians are telling me about what they need,鈥� he said, adding that Canada is seeing a 鈥渓ack of leadership from Mr. O'Toole on a number of different subjects.鈥�
