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“Now, perhaps that was overly idealistic in an election year, but at the same time I know that Canadians want both their physical security protected and their rights upheld.

“What came before us is a bill that brought in definite measures to immediately increase the security of Canadians but didn’t do enough to uphold and protect people’s rights.

“And we made a call that we were going to support the bill, push to have it amended, but try and remove it from political debate.”

Trudeau said that, by comparison, the Conservatives and NDP are on either side of the spectrum and are “blasting away” at the Liberals.

“Mr. Harper is playing up fear of terrorists. Mr. Mulcair is playing up fear for Islamic communities, for environmentalists, for First Nations. But they’re both playing politics of fear.”

Trudeau said his approach to politics is rooted in the conviction that he will not “play the politics of fear.”

“You won’t hear me say, ‘Mr. Mulcair, who voted against physical security, doesn’t care about Canadians’ safety.’ And yes, it’s a position that is more easily attacked than the other positions are. But it’s also the right position. Because we are in a position of saying, ‘We will do both. We will protect Canadians’ physical security and uphold their rights and freedoms by demonstrating that we will repeal the parts that are problematic with C-51.”

Trudeau said a Liberal government would bring in “proper oversight” and a clause that requires review of the law every three years.

He said that he will move “as quickly as possible” to bring in amendments, because he knows Canadians want both “physical protection” and protection of rights.

“As the party of the Charter, as the party that has always understood how important people’s rights and freedoms are, as someone who has demonstrated it on a wide range of issues throughout my leadership, we will move on it very quickly.”

mkennedy@ottawacitizen.com

Twitter.com/Mark_Kennedy_