Trudeau stops in Sherbrooke to boost local candidates
In the midst of a last minute tour through Quebec, Liberal Party Leader Justin Trudeau was in Sherbrooke on Wednesday night to speak with party supporters alongside his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, and the liberal candidates for Compton Stanstead, Meganticl’érable, Sherbrooke, and Shefford.
“We did what we promised to Quebecers and Canadians that we were going to do,” Trudeau said, giving a speech that leaned heavily on his party’s investments in families, seniors, science, research and the environment while also working to remind people of the political situation when the Liberals were elected in 2015.
Rally-goers were greeted at the door by a group of protestors from the group “La planète s’invite à l’université de Sherbrooke” who are continuing to demonstrate in favour of action on climate change. Although the group was clearly taking advantage of the high profile visit to help make their message heard, a press release issued by the group in advance of the action explained that the protest was not meant as a direct attack on the Liberal Party.
“We are fighting for our future,” said Vincent Boisclair, one of the spokespeople for the group. “These elections represent a point of no-return. Politicians need to act for us to survive. Elections without engagements and without actions for the planet present a future where there is no tomorrow.”
Although Trudeau did not address the demonstrators directly, he did use their presence to support his points while speaking to supporters inside.
“They are passionate about the fight to protect the environment from climate change, and we agree, we need to do more” he said, “but let’s make things clear; there is no Government that has done more to protect the environment in the history of our country.”
Trudeau cited his party’s plan to plant two billion trees, the implementation of a national carbon tax, significant increases in shoreline protection, and a push to transition the economy to a focus on green business and energy as evidence of his position.
The party leader also had choice words for the Bloc Quebecois, whose popularity has been surging in Quebec over the weeks leading up to the election.
“I understand that in an election campaign people always have choices and consider different options,” he said, “but there is something that frustrates me a little. When we hear talk of the Bloc Quebecois, they make it seem as if they have a monopoly on Quebec pride, but I tell you they do not.”