Open Letter from Justin Trudeau to the Voters of Brandon—Souris

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I have had the pleasure and honour of being in Brandon three times in as many months. You have welcomed me into your community and your homes. It has been a terrific experience and I want to thank you for it.

Monday’s by-election is an important moment. Your choice could not be clearer. Do you want a representative who will be your voice in Ottawa, or do you want someone who will be Mr. Harper’s voice in your community?

If you want a strong, passionate voice for Brandon, please vote for Rolf Dinsdale.

I believe that Canadians deserve leaders who tell the truth. Leaders who are open and honest, and who answer straight questions with straight answers.

I am writing to you in that spirit. Many of you will have received in the mail malicious, negative and false attacks on me from the Conservative Party and – in an unprecedented move – Mr. Harper himself.

Allow me to answer the charges raised in the letter directly.

Our plan is to replace the failed Conservative drug policy with one that will make it harder for our kids to get drugs, and starve organized crime of the hundreds of millions of dollars they currently make from the marijuana trade.

On crime, I believe that serious crimes deserve serious punishment. As for mandatory minimum sentences, for years our party has supported them for serious crimes, and continues to do so. We simply believe that the Conservatives have applied them across the board and are now wasting your money fighting losing battles in the courts, as they get overturned on constitutional grounds.

That, my friends, is the truth. Sophie and I are proud, proud parents of two young kids. We have a third on the way in the spring. Anybody who suggests that I am anything other than fully committed to protecting my kids and yours from crime and exploitation needs to think hard about the way they practice politics.

Mr. Harper and his party have brought politics to a new, nasty low in this country, and it is catching up with them. He wants you to elect a representative who will work for him, not for you. Let me give you a recent, stark example of what I mean.

Two weeks ago in Ottawa, on the floor of the House of Commons, we witnessed an extraordinary event. We Liberals had just tabled a motion that would have compelled everyone involved in the Senate scandal currently engulfing the Prime Minister’s Office to testify, under oath, in front of the House ethics committee.

One by one, every single Conservative M.P. voted to help the Prime Minister cover up his involvement, and that of his senior staff. We have since learned from the RCMP that this scandal reaches the highest levels of the Prime Minister’s Office, including his Chief of Staff and at least 12 of his closest advisors.

There can be no doubt that a Conservative M.P. for Brandon—Souris would vote to protect Mr. Harper and his party’s interest, not your interest, the public interest.

Mr. Harper long ago forgot the promise he made to you. You believed you were sending good, community-oriented, local Conservatives to be your voice in Ottawa. Instead, what you got back was nothing but Mr. Harper’s voice in your community. You have a chance to change that on Monday.

Send Mr. Harper a message he can’t ignore. Send Rolf Dinsdale to be your strong, local voice in Ottawa.

Justin Trudeau, M.P.

Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada