Justin Trudeau visits Belleville

By Tyson Leonard

BELLEVILLE, ON (05/06/12) Liberal MP Justin Trudeau speaks to a crowd of around 200. Photo by Tyson Leonard.

Liberal MP Justin Trudeau wants people to know his party will not resort to polarizing the country to win votes.

Trudeau was in Belleville Tuesday night as a guest speaker at the annual general meeting of the local Liberal riding association. He spoke to a crowd of about 200 people.

“We need to understand that how we connect to each other is far more important than how we are different from each other,” said Trudeau.

Trudeau is the MP for the Papineau riding in Montreal. He was first elected in 2008. Trudeau is the son of the late former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.

To make a comeback the Liberals will have to focus on including all Canadians rather than any particular group, said Trudeau.

He said the federal Conservative government is the perfect example of the current politics of division in Canada.

“The current prime minister we have, with a majority government is proof that strategically selecting issues, and voter groups, and regions is a way to get yourself elected.”

Trudeau went on to say the government in power was similar to the NDP under the leadership of Thomas Mulcair. Both rule their caucus with an iron fist.

“Right now in Ottawa we have two political parties who form government and opposition who are in fact the flip sides of the same coin.”

Trudeau pointed to Mulcair’s recent comments on oil production in Alberta as an example of polarizing politics.

“Mr. Mulcair and the NDP are worried about the west, campaigning against the west, and the money from our natural resources coming in there.”

He said he has high hopes that the Liberals will be able to run on a positive message in the next federal election in 2015.

“We are reaching the end of a cycle of cynicism in politics,” said Trudeau.

The liberals went from the official opposition party to holding 35 seats in the House of Commons after the federal election in 2011.

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