Rt. Hon. Pierre Trudeau: Well, all the news is not bad (for federal Liberals). There is a lot of good news in the happenings of tonight. The first is that I obvious have your friendship and support. The real good news is that democracy is still full of vitality in Canada. And those of you and I believe it must include everyone in this hall - who have been fighting hard in this campaign know that the interest has been very high.

The turnout in the vote has been very high, and the issues which have been discussed by all parties and certainly by ours have been ones that are extremely important for Canada and for the future of this country. And the fact that citizens have shown that kind of interest and expressed their vote in a free way, though in a somewhat undesirable way as far as we're concerned, is certainly the first piece of good news. The second is that we've all fought so hard and well, and the important thing is that we haven't given up an inch on our principles as Liberals. We've stood for minority rights as the Liberal party always has and always will stand for minority rights in every part of this country. We've fought for equality of opportunity; we've put forth programs while we were the government and during the election campaign to ensure that equality would be even greater.

We've ensured that our policies were meant to continue the traditions of concern in the Liberal party for the people of Canada and attempted to make sure that everywhere in this country did have equality of opportunity, and I think that's very basic.

We've fought also for something which I think extraordinarily important at this time in our history - that is a strong national government. And I believe we were right in that, and still believe that is the kind of government not that this country deserves but that it needs at this time. - want to say for those of you who were perhaps surprised to see me talk in the last weeks of the campaign about having a Canadian Constitution made by Canadians in Canada for Canadians, I still think this was the right course. I knew that when we took that course, we took the risk of failing greatly and perhaps we did in the short run.

But I'm absolutely certain that in the medium and longer term this is the course that Canada will have to follow. The good news too is that I found that in the Liberal Party of Canada we have the greatest assembly of public-spirited Canadians that I've ever had the privilege of working with and I'm very grateful for that privilege.

So we've lost a campaign but during (audience shouts) well, we lost. We've lost a campaign but we'll continue to fight for these principles.

In the course of the past 11 years, I've been given the greatest privilege that any Canadian can aspire to have - - it's to serve as the head of this great party and to serve at the head of this great country, supported by the people that I have known... (B)e of good cheer and don't be sad, because the Liberal party has fought a great fight and it will fight many great fights in the future. One thing I know is certain is that the Liberal party closes ranks whenever it has to. I've seen it happen in the past when we went through some shallow times, and I know it's going to happen again. I count on the loyalty of every member of this party to close ranks around those principles.

The good news too is that many of us have been elected. We've drawn support certainly in Quebec and Ontario - here in Ottawa especially. That is extremely significant and it does show that with perseverance and courage and understanding on the part of the people, some of the policies which we have stood for and will continue to stand for - that is, equality of linguistic opportunity - these policies are being understood here in Ottawa. And the good news too is that the people of Mount Royal that I salute out there have elected me, that they have shown the usual great devotion.

The many hundreds of people who have worked during the campaigns and between campaigns to ensure that our message in Mount Royal was heard and understood in spite of the fact I've been unwillingly, something of an absentee Member of Parliament. But that has always been understood in my riding, and I want to greet the people of Mount Royal English, French and of all ethnic origins - tonight. Naturally within two - at most three days I will be meeting my colleagues, those who formed the cabinet with me, as many of the caucus.

I want to tell you now very seriously - and I'm very encouraged by your feelings - but I think it is my duty at this time to recommend to my colleagues that we hand the government over, that I recommend to the governor-general that he ask Mr. Clark to form a government. Mr. Clark will know his duty, and I take it he will want to seek the confidence of Parliament in good time.

And as for me, I think I will be a pretty good leader of the Opposition. Just seeing the many faces, just seeing all of you in this hall tonight, and seeing particularly the kind of people we've had at our meetings and the meetings that you've organized in your various ridings, I know that we're in the process of putting together a great coalition of Canadians that will stand for Liberal principles. And this country will need us in the future as it has needed us in the past. So, keep smiling and let's go on fighting, and we'll see victories in the not-too-distant future...

The principles of the Liberal party are the principles for which we have fought, for which we are going to continue to fight. These principles that we stated and the programs that we have put forward have not had the support of a majority of seats in Parliament in this election but they are principles to which we are deeply attached, principles to which the Liberal party in the past and in the future has been and always will be deeply attached - protection of minority rights, equal opportunity for all, the importance of having a strong Canadian government that can speak in the name of all Canadians and shorten the distances that often separate us.