The leader of the Ontario Tories says he's willing to embrace good ideas, no matter where they come from. It seems he feels the same about good slogans.
A new Ontario Progressive Conservative party ad, unveiled at the party's convention last weekend, shows leader Patrick Brown presenting himself as a "new kind of conservative."
Ontario PC Leader Patrick Brown is shown at his desk in a screengrab from a new party ad. (Photo: Screengrab)
The optimistic spot, dubbed "For the better," contains a line that should sound familiar to those who paid attention during last fall's federal election campaign
"I'm Patrick Brown," the PC leader says. "I believe that better is always possible."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau repeatedly expressed that same thought on the campaign trail, perhaps most notably during his closer at the first leaders' debate,
"We are who we are and Canada is what it is because in our hearts we've always known that better is always possible," Trudeau told viewers in August.
The line was also featured prominently in an October ad that may have helped federal Liberals seal the deal.
Playful jab at PM last month
Brown, a former Tory MP, sat on the opposite side of the House of Commons as Trudeau for years before winning the leadership in May, 2015.
In February, Trudeau took the unusual step of campaigning alongside Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne during a byelection in Whitby-Oshawa. After the PC candidate won in a rout, Brown couldn't resist a playful jab at the prime minister.
"It's nice to see sunny ways have come with blue skies here in Whitby-Oshawa," he told supporters at an election night party.
'It doesn't matter who you love'
Brown's new ad hammers home the message that he is trying to build a big tent party to defeat Wynne's Liberals in 2018. He mentions his mother was a teacher and his dad once ran for the federal New Democrats.
It also shows Brown and members of his caucus marching in Toronto's Pride Parade.
Though he developed a reputation as a social conservative in Ottawa, Brown told PC delegates Saturday that his party must be open to change in order to build a broad coalition.
"It doesn't matter who you love," he said. "It doesn't matter where you worship. It doesn't matter if you belong to a union."
He also came out in favour of putting a price on carbon to tackle climate change and protect the environment.
"Climate change is a fact. It is a threat. It is man made," he said during his keynote address.
"We have to do something about it, and that something includes putting a price on carbon."
The party also unveiled a new look: a logo that features a green leaf.
With files from The Canadian Press
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