Trudeau,  Joly and Schiefke engage citizens after election victory

MONTREAL – Newly elected Liberal MP for Vaudreuil-Soulanges, Peter Schiefke, hit the town Friday morning, meeting constituents by the Vaudreuil train station.

Between the hugs, small chat with taxi drivers and coffee pouring, the message was clear – Schiefke says he “just wanted to thank everybody that came out and thank them for voting. We had a record turnout.”

He notes that this is not a one-off event and that he intends to continue to make himself available in the coming months.

“I wanted to show them that I’m going to be here once a month to answer any questions they have and tell them about things that we are doing in the House of Commons,” he says.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I wanted to show them that I'm going to be here once a month to answer any questions they have and tell them about things that we are doing in the House of Commons," he says.

It’s part of a broader strategy initiated by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that seeks to engage citizens after the election.

On Tuesday, Trudeau was in the Montreal metro to meet Canadians. With constituents gathering around him, he made it clear that the “selfies” will continue under his leadership.

Newly elected Liberal MP for Ahuntsic-Cartierville and public relation’s expert, Mélanie Joly, explains the post-election Liberal strategy.

“You never take people for granted. And you gain their trust. That’s it. That’s all,” says Joly.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "You never take people for granted. And you gain their trust. That's it. That's all," says Joly.

She says the metro visit is reflective of Trudeau’s character.

“It’s representative of a certain humility towards the function of Prime Minister.”

Joly says the Liberal success was based on a grass-roots campaign. She’s been thanking supporters throughout the week and is hosting a brunch on Saturday at her campaign office to express her appreciation.

She posted a thank you video on her Facebook page after the election victory. She says the video went viral and was widely appreciated by her constituents.

The people we spoke to were happy that their new Prime Minister took the time to meet and greet even after his big win.

One man told Global News “He wanted to come closer to his constituents and the people that voted for him. I think it was a very nice gesture.”

Other people we spoke to on the street wished they met Trudeau and felt bad that they weren’t at the right place at the right time.