Trudeau offers advice to the Liberal Opposition

As we embark on a task from which we have been estranged for some time, Pierre Elliott Trudeau offers his notion of an effective opposition:

"I do think… that it is now more important than ever for the Opposition to present realistic alternatives, especially on fundamental questions. I don’t think that at this sophisticated stage of our democracy people conceive of the Opposition as merely a tool with which to find scandals in the ranks of the government or to level criticism or jibes at specific actions. I think the Opposition will more and more be called upon to suggest alternatives, which means spelling out their own policy rather than merely attacking [the government’s].

The Canadian public is participation in the discussion of many of the major issues. Academics are participating; editorial writers, newspapers, and the magazines are arguing for certain courses of action, and, I think, more and more the Opposition will also have to state its priorities and its solutions…"

The Tory caucus is doubtlessly pledging to itself that it will navigate around the mistakes of the Liberal governments of the past 12 years. We should learn from the mistakes that the Tories made and remade on the other side of the floor. I expect this to be a sophisticated, logical, ambitious, and practical opposition.

Vive la resistance.