By: Kathleen Harris
Source: CBC News
Justin Trudeau has promised to end a decade of divisive politics, vowing to unite Canadians and embrace diversity.
“I will be the prime minister of all Canadians,” he told a crowded rally in Montreal after winning a historic Liberal majority government.
Trudeau credited his stunning electoral success to an “old-fashioned strategy” — meeting and listening to Canadians. He committed to lead a government that is hard-working, transparent and inclusive, reaching out to Quebecers, aboriginal people and ethnic minorities.
“We beat fear with hope. We beat cynicism with hard work. We beat negative, divisive politics with a positive vision that brings Canadians together,” he said.
The Liberal win is a remarkable finish for a party that began the race in third place 11 weeks ago. A swell of support that grew in the second half of the campaign was reflected as soon as early voting results began to trickle in from Atlantic Canada.
The party took all 32 seats in Atlantic Canada, a Liberal wave that rolled right across the country.
Appointing a cabinet
One of prime minister-designate Trudeau’s first orders of business will be to assemble a cabinet, and he will likely bring a mix of former ministers and fresh blood to his front bench.
Experienced veterans like Ralph Goodale, Scott Brison, John McCallum and Stéphane Dion could be at the table with newcomers such as former Toronto police chief Bill Blair, former Crown prosecutor and regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations Jody Wilson-Raybould, and Toronto businessman Bill Morneau. Two former high-ranking Canadian Armed Forces officers, Andrew Leslie and Karen McCrimmon, could also be in line for posts.
Gerald Butts, principal adviser for the campaign, said Trudeau will talk to a “key group” of people about a transition plan.
He said the campaign was a success because Trudeau spent the last three years talking to Canadians.
“It’s true we got lots of advice from experts on our economic plan, but at the end of the day he was the person who was able to decide whether it was going to ring true with what Canadians wanted, because he’d had thousands and thousands of conversations with regular people,” Butts told CBC News.
Read the full analysis and profile at the CBC News website.
