Trudeau and Grits suffer blows with anti-Alberta comments

Unearthed video clip combines with David McGuinty comments to damage Liberal prospects and leadership bid.

by Ish Theilheimer and Samantha Bayard

OTTAWA, November 22, 2012, (SGNews) — Federal Liberals and Justin Trudeau, resurgent in polls since Trudeau joined the party's leadership race, were dealt a double blow this week in the run-up to a prominent byelection in Calgary Centre. First, natural resource critic David McGuinty embarrassed his party with anti- Alberta comments and was censured by his own leader by having his critic portfolio yanked.

Then on Wednesday, the right-wing media empire Sun News aired a clip of Justin Trudeau two years ago in a French interview, in which he said, in French, "Canada’s in bad shape right now because Albertans are controlling our community and social democratic agenda. That’s not working."

Then he was asked if he thought Canada was "better served when there are more Quebecers in charge than Albertans." Trudeau replied, "I'm a Liberal, so of course I think so, yes. Certainly when we look at the great prime ministers of the 20th century, those that really stood the test of time, they were Mps from Quebec… This country, Canada, it belongs to us."

Although Trudeau's campaign team says the comments were taken out of context, observers see this comment as a body blow both to Liberal aspirations in Monday's byelection and to his own leadership bid. Even though the comments were from two years ago, they will be used repeatedly against him to by those raising judgement or arrogance as issues.

Immigration Jason Kenney was all smiles over the clip and seized the occasion to make himself available for a scrum with reporters, which Conservative Cabinet ministers rarely do. "This is another reflection of the arrogance of the Liberal Party, its divisiveness," he told reporters. "Yesterday Mr. Trudeau said that essentially David McGuinty was being divisive and that his campaign, the Trudeau campaign, is based on bringing Canadians together from all regions. And so we would ask, if that’s true, why was he on Quebec television criticizing Albertans for being involved in national politics, in our Parliament, for taking an active role in our country’s future?"

Jason Kenney pounces on anti-Alberta comments by McGuinty and Trudeau in a rare scrum.

© Copyright 2012 Ish Theilheimer and Samantha Bayard, All rights Reserved. Written For: StraightGoods.ca