Prime Ministers Of Canada

"I'm not just in this race so you will remember my name at some future date. I'm not here now for some next time. I am not bidding now for your consideration for some vague convention in 1984- perhaps when I've mellowed a bit. My time is now and now is no time for mellow men!"

"In any democracy, there is always a tug-of-war between policies to achieve equality and policies to promote excellence. I am certain that Canada can achieve both equality and excellence."

"I've told you and I've told the Canadian people, Mr. Mulroney, that I had no option."

"I'm not going to allow Mr. Mulroney to sell out our birthright, I'm not going to let Mr. Mulroney destroy a great 120 year old dream called Canada."

"For the courtesy of appearing before you, as for other courtesies, I am sure I am largely indebted to my good friend, Prime Minister Mackenzie King. I was particularly happy to be present yesterday when he was honored in the rotunda of this Parliament building. It was a wonderful ceremony, and one which I think he richly deserved. I also appreciate very highly his political advice which he gave me. I have come to value and cherish his friendship and statesmanship. As our two nations have worked together in solving the difficult problems of the postwar period, I have developed greater and greater respect for his wisdom."

"Nearly forty years ago, a distinguished Prime Minister of this country took the part of the United States at a disarmament conference. He said, "They may not be angels but they are at least our friends." I must say that I do not think that we probably demonstrated in that forty years that we are angels yet, but I hope we have demonstrated that we are at least friends. And I must say that I think in these days where hazard is our constant companion, that friends are a very good thing to have."

"William Lyon Mackenzie King Sat in a corner and played with string, Loved his mother like anything, William Lyon Mackenzie King."

"Do nothing by halves Which can be done by quarters."

"That Canada should desire to restrict immigration and remain a white man's country is regarded as not only natural, but necessary for economic, political and social reasons.""

"We had no shape Because he never took sides; And no sides Because he never allowed them to take shape."

"ISIL would like us to see them as a credible threat to our way of life, our civilization. We know Canada is stronger, much stronger, than the threat posed by a gang of murderous thugs who are terrorizing some of the most vulnerable people on earth. Call us old-fashioned, but we think that we ought to avoid doing precisely what our enemies want us to do. They want us to elevate them, to give in to fear, to indulge in hatred, to eye one another with suspicion and to take leave of our faculties. The lethal enemy of barbarism isn't hatred. It is reason. And the people terrorized by ISIL every day don't need our vengeance. They need our help."

"Canadians are shocked by tonight's attack in Nice. Our sympathy is with the victims, and our solidarity with the French people."

"Because it's 2015."

"We believe in our hearts that this country’s unique diversity is a blessing bestowed upon us by previous generations of Canadians, Canadians who stared down prejudice and fought discrimination in all its forms. We know that our enviable, inclusive society didn’t happen by accident and won’t continue without effort. ... Have faith in your fellow citizens, my friends. They are kind and generous. They are openminded and optimistic. And they know in their heart of hearts that a Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian."

"Sunny ways my friends, sunny ways. This is what positive politics can do."

"A Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian"

"The North American idea that diversity is strength, is our great gift to the world. No matter where you are from, or the faith you profess, nor the colour of your skin, nor whom you love, you belong here. This is home."

"The concerns expressed by a few people gathered in Ottawa right now are not new, not surprising, are heard, but are a continuation of what we have unfortunately seen in disinformation and misinformation online – conspiracy theorists about microchips, about God knows what else that go with the tinfoil hats."

"The Liberal Party believes that terrorists should get to keep their Canadian citizenship ... because I do, And I'm willing to take on anyone who disagrees with that."

"I want to lead Canada. All of Canada, not just parts of Canada. ... I am not going to write off certain parts of the country just because we had a tough past 10 years. Or, tough past 100 years."

"To me, pluralism means diversity, and diversity is at the very heart of Canada. It is who we are and what we do. We do it better than anyone else on Earth. So well, in fact, that we often take it for granted. So let’s remind ourselves: Canada is the only country in the world that is strong, not in spite of our differences, but because of them."

"We will be here for whatever is needed. We need to rebuild. We need to rebuild more resilient infrastructure that's going to be able to handle 100-year storms every few years because that seems to be the pattern we're on. It's going to be expensive but it would be far more expensive to do less or not to do enough.”"

"We should be past tolerance in Canada .. In Canada, can we speak of acceptance, openness, friendship, understanding? It is about where we are going and what we are going through every day in our diverse and rich communities .. Tolerating someone means accepting their right to exist on the condition that they don’t disturb us too, too much."

"Tomorrow, millions of people will gather with loved ones across Canada and around the world to mark the Christmas holiday. On this day, Christians reflect on their faith and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. This occasion inspires families and communities to come together, share what they have, and give back to those less fortunate. May we take this time to reflect on our many blessings, and remind our loved ones how much they mean to us. On behalf of the Liberal Party of Canada and our entire Liberal Caucus, Sophie and I wish you all a most joyous holiday season. From my family to yours: merry Christmas."

"50 years ago today, Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau announced multiculturalism as an official government policy. It was the first policy of its kind in the world, and it recognized and celebrated a fundamental characteristic of our heritage and identity - our diversity."

"I would agree that encyclopedias could teach me facts, but only a great story could transport me into the mind of another person. These stories taught me about empathy, about good and evil, about love and sorrow. My tastes covered many different genres, but the books I loved most proposed the idea that ordinary people (not to mention hobbits) are born with the capability to do extraordinary, even heroic things. The realization came as a sort of code to all the lessons my parents had taught me about looking beyond wealth and appearances, and appreciating the worth of everyone I met. ... It’s a lesson that sticks with me to this day. No real leader can see the people around them as static creatures. If you cannot see the potential in the people around you, it’s impossible to rouse them to great things. That may be one of the reasons why, even now, I always make time for a novel or two every month, amongst the mountains of serious works and briefing notes. Facts may fuel a leader’s intellect. But literature fuels the soul."

"We have to realize that the way of thinking that got us to this place no longer holds. We have to rethink elements as basic as space and time, to go all science fictiony [sic] on you in this sense."

"Yes, yes. I am a feminist. Proud to be a feminist. My mom raised me to be a feminist. My father raised me, he was a different generation, but he raised me to respect and defend everyone's rights, and I deeply grounded my own identity in that, and I am proud to say that I am a feminist. The things we see online, whether it is issues like Gamergate, or video games misogyny in popular culture, it is something that we need to stand clearly against."

"The Incident Response Group met today to discuss the floods, landslides, and extreme weather conditions that are affecting thousands of people in BC. We’ll keep doing everything we can to make sure people get the help and support they need. More here: [blocked by WMF spam filter]"

"Be a superhero this Halloween, not a super-spreader. Wear your mask, keep your distance, and follow your local public health rules. And whatever you get up to tonight, stay safe. Happy Halloween, everyone!"

"You're not going to hotbox my office, no way!"

"Canadians are deeply disturbed and saddened by the attack on democracy in the United States, our closest ally and neighbour. Violence will never succeed in overruling the will of the people. Democracy in the US must be upheld - and it will be."

"You know, there's a level of admiration I actually have for China because their basic dictatorship is allowing them to actually turn their economy around on a dime and say "we need to go green fastest...we need to start investing in solar." I mean there is a flexibility that I know Stephen Harper must dream about of having a dictatorship that he can do everything he wanted that I find quite interesting. But if I were to reach out and say which...which kind of administration I most admire, I think there's something to be said right here in Canada for the way our territories are run. Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and the Yukon are done without political parties around consensus. And are much more like a municipal government. And I think there's a lot to be said for people pulling together to try and solve issues rather than to score points off of each other. And I think we need a little more of that. But Sun News can now report that I prefer China."

"Honour killings shouldn't be called "barbaric""

"We are in an unprecedented global pandemic that really sucks. ... This sucks, it really, really does. But we're going to get through it by doing what Canadians always do: by pulling together, by working hard, and by knowing that better days are coming."

"What we witnessed was an assault on democracy by violent rioters, incited by the current president and other politicians. As shocking, deeply disturbing, and frankly saddening as that event remains, we have also seen this week that democracy is resilient in America, our closest ally and neighbour. Violence has no place in our societies, and extremists will not succeed in overruling the will of the people."

"Your voice, your talents, and your passion are needed now more than ever. Enjoy this moment - and all the best to you and your fellow graduates in the years to come. This is only the beginning of an incredible journey, I’m sure."

"We need genuine and deep respect for each and every human being, notwithstanding their thoughts, their values, their beliefs, their origins. That's what my father demanded of his sons, and that's what he demanded of his country. He demanded this out of a sense of love. Love of his sons. Love of his country, and that's why we love him so."

"You understand not just the value, but the power, of community better than most. And that's why I trust you will be the 21st century's greatest generation. You know what is wrong with the world and how to fix it. Your job is not only to challenge people like me, but to bring us along."

"For me, to represent people who represent the future of Canada and the great challenges we will face over the coming decades — this is where I wanted to start. … I'm a teacher; I'm a convenor; I'm a gatherer; I'm someone who reaches out to people and is deeply interested in what they have to say. And people see that I'm not faking it. I'm actually genuinely committed to this dialogue that we're opening up, and this understanding that needs to happen in order to be an effective MP."

"Everyone's got peer pressure at this age. I mean there's pressure to smoke, there's pressure to do all sorts of stuff. And, um, I've never been affected by peer pressure. Never."

"I pointed out that globally Canada is up against big countries (China, for one) that can address some major issues quickly. It’s ridiculous for anyone to suggest that I of all people would trade our rights and freedoms for any other system of [government]. Some countries play by rules we wouldn’t and shouldn’t ever accept, but, we still have to compete with them. We need to get better at coming together to address big issues, and that’s what I asked people to think about last night."

"This is not the first time our country has been called to stand united and strong. In the face of change, our Greatest Generation showed us that overcoming crisis isn’t easy. They didn’t give up. And neither can we."

"We know that, even as we watch with extreme concern everything unfolding in the United States over these past few days ... we are not immune to that in Canada. ... We have a responsibility as Canadians to continue to lead with respect, to engage substantially with different points of view and to never resort to violence as a way of impacting public discourse. That is something that Canadians have recommitted to across the country over these past days and we will continue to be extremely vigilant to remember that the choices we make as leaders, as politicians, have consequences."

"Mr. Speaker, as I stand here today, I think of the young men who died taking Vimy Ridge. I think of the Greatest Generation who grew up during the Depression and fought through WWII. They showed us how to fight for what we believe in and how to sacrifice for what we hold dear. Today, across this country, the last members of this Greatest Generation live in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. They’re in their small apartments and the homes they built so long ago with their own hands. They are the ones most threatened by this disease. They fought for us all those years ago. And today we fight for them. We will show ourselves to be worthy of this magnificent country they built. And for them and for their grandchildren, we will endure. We will persevere. And we will prevail."

"Vandalizing cellphone towers does nothing but threaten emergency services and impact the daily lives of Canadians across the country."

"Well, I thought it was, like, a fairy tale ... I think she is very beautiful, and I am glad Prince Charles has picked her."

"Look, Barack Obama and I agree on many things... but on this, we disagree because he’s clearly wrong. I’ll put it on the record again here: “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie."

"If you're risking your health to keep this country moving and you're making minimum wage, you deserve a raise."

"the commitment needs to be a commitment to grow the economy and the budget will balance itself"