Trudeau’s Canada Day message fell flat, as did his poll numbers

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If you want a glimpse into the upcoming election campaign, just look at the Canada Day messages from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. They are a study in contrasts in style, tone, content and vision. They also illustrate why the Conservatives are 20 points ahead of the Liberals in the polls, and why they should stay that way.

Trudeau began his speech by urging Canadians to celebrate “Canada’s incredible people, land and history.” He acknowledged Indigenous peoples and paid tribute to Canadian soldiers from the Second World War, but said nothing about anyone else. He thanked “the pioneers, the journalists, the activists and the organizers” for protecting Canadians’ rights and freedoms, and said that Canada continues to confront and learn from injustices “that we are stronger not because of our differences, but because of them.”

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In closing, Trudeau thanked the workers and volunteers during the pandemic, the firefighters who are protecting Canada from wildfires, and the Canadian Armed Forces who are fighting for democracy and freedom. The entire video shows Trudeau speaking to the camera for about 2 1/2 minutes.

In contrast, Poilievre’s four-minute message opened with images of Canada’s natural grandeur, accompanied by dramatic music and the Conservative leader’s voiceover. Poilievre acknowledged the importance of Indigenous peoples and described Canadian inventions, topped with grainy black-and-white historical footage. He described Canada as “a warrior nation” that “helped defeat ugly socialist ideologies like Nazism, fascism and communism.”

The message then turned political. Poilievre criticized the federal government for the fact that “a quarter of our population lives in poverty,” while “crime, chaos, drugs and disorder reign on our once safe streets.” He lamented that “strange and woke obsessions are dividing our people, destroying our education, denigrating our history and degenerating on our streets.”

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Poilievre spoke about how “ordinary people” will take back control of their lives, praising merchants, farmers and soldiers, and concluded with a John Diefenbaker quote about freedom.

On every level, the two messages were polar opposites. Unlike Poilievre’s montage of Canadian footage, Trudeau’s message only showed him speaking to the camera. In fairness, it was a speech to the crowd celebrating Canada Day in Ottawa. Trudeau was in Newfoundland, so it was Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland who addressed the crowd in the nation’s capital, which did not go unnoticed.

It was, however, a poor production choice, especially at a time when many accuse Trudeau of putting his ego before the good of his party and his country by remaining leader.

For his part, Poilievre politicized the event as he knew he would. As he did at Brian Mulroney’s state funeral, the Conservative leader did not miss the opportunity to criticize the government, whether it was appropriate or not. Poilievre could have mentioned the difficulties people face without pointing fingers, but he preferred to score political points and raise money.

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He may not be a statesman, but Poilievre has captured the national mood better than the prime minister. The fact that Trudeau has not even acknowledged people’s pain shows how out of touch he is. It’s as if he were speaking in 2015, a time when progressive causes were all the rage, and he was their beloved global champion.

In 2024, Canada and the world are grappling with dire economic conditions and growing anti-immigrant sentiment. The populist right is on the rise in Europe, the United States and here at home. A real leader should confront these sentiments and promise to do better, instead of repeating a message that is sorely outdated.

Trudeau also suggested that the Toronto—St. Paul’s byelection never happened. The activists and organizers he praised were one of the reasons his party lost that vote. The hateful anti-Semitic messages that flooded Canadian streets have turned the Jewish community against the Liberal Party and angered Canadians of all faiths who value Canada as a country of tolerance and respect.

In 2024, diversity is no longer our strength, and the government’s failure to address it is tearing our country apart. When faced with a choice between Trudeau’s progressive vision and Poilievre’s brutal realism, voters are clear on where they stand. They want change, and Trudeau’s time is up.

Postmedia Network

Tasha Kheiriddin is Postmedia’s national political columnist.

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