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Former Liberal prime minister Jean Chrétien once had to calm the “nervous Nellies” in his caucus, who were flustered at the early polling success of new Conservative leader, Kim Campbell.

“We don’t need to get excited because they have changed the label on the product … If you have a can of tainted tuna, and you change the label, it doesn’t change the product,” he said.

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The Trudeau Liberals are banking on Canadians agreeing with their wily, old former leader.

Environment Minister Catherine McKenna tweeted last weekend that the Conservative position on the carbon tax confirms “it’s still Stephen Harper’s Conservative Party.”

It’s a line of attack we can expect to see repeated as we get closer to an election. An Angus Reid poll over the weekend suggests it will prove a successful strategy.

If Trudeau defines himself against Harper, rather than Andrew Scheer or NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, he can secure those NDP voters who still have a visceral aversion to the former prime minister.