Supporters of Liberal Party of Canada Leader Mark Carney packed a Richmond hotel ballroom Monday night.
The rally, his second in as many days in B.C., was at the Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel on April 7. It was also his third stop in B.C. of the day, with a campaign event in Saanichton in the morning, followed by the first face-to-face meeting between Carney and B.C. Premier David Eby at the legislature in Victoria.
Prior to the event starting, supporters were lined up around the building waiting to get in. There were also protesters, with some holding anti-COVID and anti-SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identification) and at least one person with a "F*ck Trudeau" flag.
Carney's wife, Diana Fox Carney took to the stage to kick off the rally and introduce her husband.
"I want to tell you a little bit about someone that I know well, and that you are just beginning to get to know," Fox Carney said. She spoke about their first date where he said he wanted to move back to Canada and dedicate himself to public service, which is where she said she learned a few things: "that he was a man of unusual conviction, as well as integrity, values and " a deep belief in service to this country."
"The second thing I realized I thought about was perhaps he needed to work a little bit on that romantic side."
Carney came out shortly after, joking that Fox Carney's speech was a slightly embarrassing and that "it's a miracle she's still with me."
The Liberal leader said the April 28 election is the most important election.
"To put an exclamation mark on it, last week, once again, (U.S. President) Donald Trump imposed massive tariffs," Carney said to loud boos as soon as Trump's name was uttered. "This time he skipped Canada. We got the best in a series of bad deals."
Carney detailed the three sets of tariffs, and said now the U.S. is threatening more tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber.
"This is a tragedy, but it’s a new reality that we are responding to.”
He highlighted the Liberals plans to "diversify away from the United States."
He added he would be speaking more on Tuesday about a housing plan, but he said the Liberals have a strategy to double the pace of housing by half a million homes a year. He pointed to innovation and mass timber produced in B.C. "that we don't need to share."
