With 57% of the votes cast in his favour, Jamil Jivani crushed Justin Trudeau’s Liberals and dealt them their worst electoral defeat on record in Durham, Ontario.[i]
For Jivani, the road to victory was paved by the basics: a strong work ethic, a deep commitment to serve his fellow citizens, and determination to outwork his political opponent street by street.
That trifecta earned him the victory in a contest that the Liberals were committed to win, which makes his victory all the sweeter.
Robert Rock, Jivani’s rival, faced many challenges, including from his own party. Trudeau – a master of projection – insisted Rock would be “their voice in Ottawa, not Ottawa’s voice here in Durham.”[ii]
Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpot know first-hand just how disingenuous those words are.
A tone-deaf government, a hated prime minister, the surname ROCK, and a riding with a healthy number of licensed firearms owners who cast votes, all contributed to Mr. Rock’s demise.
Gun owners have a long memory, and not one of us remembers a former justice minister of the same surname in a favourable context.
“There’s really no other way to describe it,” wrote Michelle Rempel Garner. “The byelection results were terrible for Mr. Trudeau and his Liberal Party. It was a major, historic routing in a riding in vote-rich southern Ontario. In the boxing world, this would be the electoral equivalent of a decisive K.O.”[iii]
Jivani Taps Into Growing Sense of Betrayal
“When we talk about what’s happening in the country right now, I do think it is the Liberal elites betraying the working people of this country, betraying the middle class, betraying the working class,” Jivani said after his electoral win.[iv]
Those Liberal elites include Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Liberal party, big banks and telecommunication companies, he said, who are “driving up the cost of everything.”
That sense of betrayal grows stronger every single day, as was reflected in the Nanos political poll released March 5, 2024.[v]
The Conservative Party of Canada, at 48.2 percent, is polling 17 points higher than Trudeau’s Liberals (23.3 percent), who are only two points higher than the NDP.
“Pierre Poilievre is the top choice as prime minister and hit a level not reached by any Conservative leader since 2013,” wrote Nik Nanos.
Personally Attacked, Jivani Stays On Point
“Justin Trudeau is talking about me today.” Jivani said in a January 25th video posted on X . “During a speech to his Liberal caucus, Trudeau referred to me as a twofer.”
“And now, Pierre Poilievre’s new candidate in Durham is a twofer,” Trudeau says in a video clip.
“I’m not exactly sure what that means, in reference to a human being. I’m also not sure how the Prime Minister has time to be name-calling when he should be trying to save his failed administration. But I thought I would take this as an opportunity to introduce myself since you certainly can’t take Justin Trudeau’s word for it.”
Jivani then spelled out the challenges he and so many Canadians face because of Trudeau’s disastrous policies.
“I wish I could tell you I own a home here, but I don’t. I’m a renter because like many Canadians my age, I can’t afford a home,” he continued.
“I can’t afford a down payment and mortgage payments. After eight years of Trudeau, just can’t do it. And that’s one of the reasons I’m running for office, because we need generational, transformational change. We need meaningful change in this country after the damage that Trudeau has done,” he said.
Rock Destined to Fail?
Jivani’s rival faced a number of challenges. A tone-deaf government, a hated prime minister, the surname ROCK, and a riding with a healthy number of licensed firearms owners who also cast votes.
Gun owners have a long memory, and not one of us remembers a former justice minister of the same surname in a favourable context.
“There’s really no other way to describe it,” wrote Michelle Rempel Garner. “The byelection results were terrible for Mr. Trudeau and his Liberal Party. It was a major, historic routing in a riding in vote-rich southern Ontario. In the boxing world, this would be the electoral equivalent of a decisive K.O.”[vi]
Congratulations, Mr. Jivani. We’re confident you will represent your constituents well in the years ahead.
Sources:
[i] https://enr.elections.ca/ElectoralDistricts.aspx?ed=2170&lang=e
[ii] https://twitter.com/liberal_party/status/1755995335455920442
[iii] https://michellerempelgarner.substack.com/p/in-durham-trudeau-trapped-himself
[iv] https://ca.news.yahoo.com/conservatives-candidate-jamil-jivani-clinches-044209710.html
[v] https://nanos.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Political-Package-2024-03-01-Compiled-FINAL.pdf
[vi] https://michellerempelgarner.substack.com/p/in-durham-trudeau-trapped-himself
