Sunny ways, my friends, sunny ways. This is whatpositive politics can do. This is what a causative,hopeful – a hopeful vision and a platform and ateam together can make happen. Canadians –Canadians from all across this great country sent aclear message tonight. It's time for a change in thiscountry, my friends, a real change.
I also want to specifically thank my good friendsKatie Telford and Gerald Butts. Katie and Gerry aretwo of the smartest, toughest, hardest workingpeople you will find anywhere. They share with me the conviction that politics doesn't have tobe negative and personal to be successful, that – that you can appeal to the better angels ofour nature, and you can win while doing it.
Tonight, my very good friends, we proved that. I hope it is an inspiration to like-mindedpeople to step up and pitch in, to get involved in the public life of this country and to knowthat a positive, optimistic, hopeful vision of public life isn't a naive dream; it can be apowerful force for change.
And I also want to thank the incredible volunteers that made tonight happen. Over 80,000Canadians got involved in the core of this campaign. They knocked on their neighbours' doors.They made phone calls. They sent emails. Hundreds of thousands more supported us activelywith their friends and online. They convinced their neighbours and their families. And all ofthese people had one thing in common: they care deeply about their families, theircommunities and their country. They believe that better is possible and that active citizens canplay a real part in making it happen.
Now, this movement we've built was fuelled by these amazing volunteers, and from thebottom of my heart, I thank you.
Now, I want to take a moment to speak about my colleagues across the aisle. Tonight, Ireceived phone calls from all of them, including from Mr. Harper. Stephen Harper has servedthis country for a decade, and as with anyone who has devoted their life to this country, wethank him for his service.
Now, over the course of this campaign, I had the opportunity to have a couple of briefpersonal conversations with him about our families. It reminded me of the extraordinary andunique sacrifices that are made by anybody who serves this country at the highest levels, and Iwant to remind everyone, as I've said many times over the course of this campaign:Conservatives are not our enemies, they're our neighbours. Leadership is about bringing peopleof all different perspectives together.
Now, you're all going to hear a lot tonight and tomorrow about me and about our campaign.Lots of people are going to have lots of opinions about why we were successful. Well, for threeyears, we had a very old-fashioned strategy. We met with and talked with as many Canadiansas we could, and we listened. We won this election because we listened. We did the hard workof slogging it across the country. We met with hundreds of people in the dead of winter in theArctic and with thousands of people in Brampton in the middle of this campaign.
You built this platform. You built this movement. You told us what you need to be successful.You told us what kind of government you want, and we built the plan to make it happen. Incoffee shops and in town halls, in church basements and in gurdwaras, you gathered. You spenttime together with us, and you told us about the kind of country you want to build and leave toyour children.
Over the past three years, you told us what you're going through. You told us that it's gettingharder and harder to make ends meet, let alone to get ahead. You told us you're worried aboutwhether you'll be able to afford a dignified retirement. You told us that your communities needinvestment. You told us you need a fair shot at better jobs. You are the inspiration for ourefforts. You are the reason why we worked so hard to be here tonight, and you will be at theheart of this new government.
So my message to you tonight, my fellow citizens, is simple: have faith in yourselves and inyour country, know that we can make anything happen if we set our minds to it and work hard.