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Gérard Deltell grew animated Wednesday when he discussed Justin Trudeau’s keynote speech to the Liberal policy convention in Halifax the previous weekend — a speech inordinately preoccupied with the Conservatives.

Deltell, a former TV journalist and Quebec politician and now the Conservative MP for a Quebec City riding, cackled at the prospect of the pioneer of “sunny ways” resorting to scorn, with added vitriol, when talking about his party.

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“Thank you for your speech, Justin,” he said. “We’re coming for you faster than you expected.”

In his Saturday afternoon speech the Prime Minister appeared to heed comments made the previous evening by former Obama strategist David Axelrod. Reinforcing positive policies won’t be enough in the next election, the American warned, and the Liberals will have to “push back hard” on their opponents.

“It may be Andrew Scheer’s smile but it’s still Stephen Harper’s party,” said Trudeau in his speech.