Trudeau shifts to attack mode

Shifts to attack mode as party slips in polls

When Justin Trudeau called the federal election, he probably envisaged selling Liberal policies in Conservative-held ridings. A week later, he finds himself attacking Conservative policies in Liberal ridings that may flip to his political opponents if his fortunes don't improve.

As the first public opinion poll showing the Conservatives overtaking the Liberals appeared, so Trudeau's assault on Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole became more furious.

In a baking parking lot bordering the Miramichi River, in front of a couple of hundred broiling New Brunswickers, Trudeau's stump speech assailed O'Toole for his position on pandemic relief, mandatory vaccination, childcare and private health care. “Shame on you in a pandemic,” he said, with the mock fury that only a politician whose prospects are heading in the same direction as his polling numbers can summon up. “His instincts and values are not aligned with helping vulnerable Canadians.”

The comments were based on an interview with O'Toole in which the Tory leader made the case for healthcare reform within universal coverage, such as the use of private diagnostic clinics in Saskatchewan that former premier Brad Wall said had improved service and reduced waiting times.

Perhaps more pertinently, Trudeau was asked if he was going to match the commitment made by O'Toole to introduce a six per cent escalator to the Canada Health Transfer, a pledge that would inject $60 billion into health care over the next decade. The Liberal leader said there would be more funding but did not commit to an amount.

“We will be there for the provinces with more investment. What we will not do, is argue — as Erin O'Toole has — that the solution is more private, for-profit health care.”

Trudeau said he had disagreements with New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs over the funding of abortion services at a clinic in Fredericton but that he agreed with Higgs over his introduction of mandatory vaccinations for New Brunswick public servants.

He used that contrast with O'Toole's position of requiring unvaccinated public servants and rail and air passengers to take rapid COVID-19 tests to let rip with a negative tirade.

“Mr. O'Toole is there to rip up the childcare agreements we've already had, because he doesn't think families in New Brunswick or anywhere across the country deserve $10-a-day daycare; he certainly doesn't think we should be enforcing the Canada Health Act and ensuring safe access to abortion right across the country; and, more than that, Erin O'Toole doesn't agree we need to make sure anyone who gets on a train or a plane is vaccinated to protect everybody else, including kids who get on that train or plane,” he said.

The problem with turning it up to 10 this early in the campaign is that Spinal Tap was a satire and you can't really turn it up to 11. In 2006, the Liberals used strong, sometimes questionable language in their attacks on Stephen Harper and it backfired.

Does Erin O'Toole really want unsafe abortions or kids getting sick on trains or planes? Did Harper really want to put soldiers on our streets?

The fact we were in Miramichi before heading to Charlottetown, P.E.I., and then Halifax — all Liberal-held ridings — indicates how markedly things have changed in the past week.

Leaders visit every province during most campaigns, so it would be too much to suggest that the Liberals are in trouble in P.E.I. on the basis of Trudeau's plane touching down there.

But it would be no surprise if Trudeau was back in New Brunswick and Halifax again before the end.

A campaign to pick up 15 new seats has quickly become one where the focus is as much on not losing what is already held.

Miramichi-Grand Lake was won by 370 votes last time out by retiring Liberal Pat Finnigan — and that was only because 1,179 votes went to the People's Party and 1,160 to Allison MacKenzie, an independent candidate who had sought the Conservative nomination.

Two former MLAs — Liberal Lisa Harris and Conservative Jake Stewart — are on the ballot paper this time, and it will likely be a close contest.