Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives at Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Sept. 17.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press

There was, almost in passing, an allusion to reflecting on things. But the word that set the tone for Justin Trudeau’s reaction to yet another gut-punch by-election loss was “continue.”

“We know we have an enormous amount of work to do to regain people’s confidence in Lasalle, and people across the country who are worried by the situation they find themselves in,” the Prime Minister told reporters. “So we have lots of work to do and we’re going to continue to do it.”

This was a very Trudeau-esque acceptance of defeat in the Liberal bastion of Lasalle-Émard-Verdun: a gracious acknowledgement of the fact that so many people are having a rough time, and that for whatever reason, they’re taking it out on the government.

Mr. Trudeau’s conclusion is that he has to carry on. Continue.

What’s more, he said it would help if the public would pay closer attention – presumably because he thinks Canadians would come to their senses if only they’d snap out of their........

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