After a slow start in the federal Liberal leadership race, MP Justin Trudeau is only now starting to find traction with the left wing of his party. He has stopped shooting from the hip, telling people what he thinks they want to hear and feeding the Conservatives their attack ads. He is starting to have a more positive impact on public opinion polls. If he can just stay to the left side of the political divide, he will be the only choice for the Liberal Party leadership and for the country.
The polls tell the story. We are starting to see a gradual reversal in Conservative trends in Ontario. Polls show that with Justin Trudeau as leader, federal Liberals once again improve their position with women, while also attracting votes away from the New Democrats. These are key areas where votes have to come from.
The other source of new votes is from among the disaffected, the youth and the generation that lost contact with a party that lacked direction and consistency. There was no common thread between Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin, Stéphane Dion and Michael Ignatieff. The name Liberal was not enough. Today, the name Liberal has no clear meaning to almost 40 per cent of Canadian voters. It has to be given meaning.
The Trudeau name can only gain Justin a moment’s attention. He has to make the most of the moment. He has to evoke recognition of what the name means to Canadians. History says the name evokes a tradition of individual rights. He has to exemplify that. It also evokes controversy. He has to always be ready to handle that too.
Leadership is fragile. The first task of any leader is to ensure his or her support. Justin has made the right moves by promising to return control over nominations to local party members. In this way, he has assured Liberal members that he will restore democracy to the party and that is the key to party support. He also needs to assure party members that they will have the say on the broad policy directions of the party.
What we are now seeing in the polls is a cautious but positive change and it is from the left. Justin is not competing for support from Harper and the Conservatives but from Mulcair and the New Democrats. That is where the votes are that can beat Harper. We should always remember that Liberals are the party that brought old age pensions and Medicare to Canada. And we are the party that fights for individual rights.
But the party has a long way to go to once again earn the trust of Canadians. Justin Trudeau has to have the fire and the youth and the drive to lead. We have to help him with the policies and the vision. Right wing Liberals can go join Stephen Harper’s Conservatives. We do not need them. We do not need their hypocrisy. We have to care about people first. We can be a real party. The challenges are great. We have a job to do.
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Copyright 2013 © Peter Lowry
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