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Trudeau’s Canada Day message fell as flat as his polling numbers
The prime minister’s message sounded like it was recorded in 2015, while Poilievre showed genuine concern for the issues affecting Canadians
If you want a preview of the next election campaign, just watch the Canada Day messages from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. They were a study in contrast in style, tone, content and vision. They also illustrate why the Conservatives are 20 points ahead of the Liberals in the polls, and likely to remain so.
Trudeau began by exhorting Canadians to celebrate “the incredible people, the land and the story that is Canada.” He acknowledged Indigenous peoples and honoured Canadian soldiers in the Second World War, but spoke not a word about anyone in between. He thanked “trailblazers, journalists, activists, organizers” for safeguarding Canadian rights and freedoms, and mentioned that Canada continues to confront injustices and learn from them “that we’re stronger not in spite of our differences, but because of them.”
In closing, Trudeau thanked workers and volunteers during the pandemic, fire fighters protecting Canada from wildfires and the Canadian Armed Forces fighting for democracy and freedom. The entire video consisted of Trudeau addressing the camera for about 2½ minutes.
In contrast, Poilievre’s four-minute message opened with images of Canada’s natural grandeur set to dramatic music and the Conservative leader’s voice-over. Poilievre acknowledged the stewardship of Indigenous people and described Canadian inventions, overlaid by grainy black-and-white historical footage. He described Canada as “a warrior nation” that “helped defeat ugly socialist ideologies like Nazism, fascism and communism.”
