O'Toole urges Canadians to punish Trudeau for calling 'unwanted and unnecessary election'
CBC
With just six days left in this election campaign, Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole is ramping up the pressure on his Liberal opponent — urging Canadians to punish Justin Trudeau for triggering what he called an "unwanted and unnecessary election."
Since day one of the campaign, opposition leaders have centred their critiques of Trudeau on the election call itself — an effort to capitalize on lingering frustration among voters over the decision to hold an election campaign in the middle of the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking to reporters at a campaign stop in Russell, Ont., today, O'Toole said that a leader who calls a snap election during a health crisis "is not a person you can trust." He said Trudeau is trying to stage a self-interested "power grab" at a dangerous time.
"For Canadians, the choice is clear. Do we reward Mr Trudeau for calling an unnecessary $600 million election in the middle of a pandemic?" O'Toole said, before going on to cite the example of one of Trudeau's most prominent critics — former justice minister Jody Wilson Raybould.
"Jody Wilson Raybould had the audacity to say 'no' to Justin Trudeau. On Monday, you can say 'no,' too," O'Toole continued. "'No' to being taken for granted. 'No' to more corruption. 'No' to more borrowing. 'No' to more lies. 'No' to more of the same.
"Justin Trudeau started this election. But you can finish it."
Trudeau launched his own assault on the Conservative leader today. At a campaign stop in Richmond, B.C., the Liberal leader said Canada is at a critical juncture in the pandemic and voters should have a say on how the country is governed in the next phase of this fight.
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