Canada election 2015: What exactly is a 'stump' speech?

Ever feel like politicians just say the same thing over and over again? That's because they do. Eachpolitical party crafts a "stump" speech for its leaderto deliver when speaking to voters out on the campaigntrail.

Journalists travelling with the leaders can often recite these speechesverbatimbecause they change so little over the course of an election. Staying on message is a virtue, after all.

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There are notable exceptions, of course. After Alan Kurdi'sbody washed up on a Turkish beach last week, Conservative LeaderStephen Harper added a line to his stump speech:"It has shockingly reminded us all of the nature and of the scale of the violence in that part of the world.That is why the Canadian Armed Forces are proudly participating in the fight against the so-called Islamic State." The addition was a response to critics who said his government wasnot doing enough to deal with the Syrian refugee crisis.

The other leaders made adjustments as well, but mostly in an effort to deride the Harper government's policies and to promise greater help for refugees.

Butjust how important is the stumpspeech? Why is it so important to say on message? And where does the term "stump" even come from? The CBC's Tom Parry has the answers. Watch the video above.