It hasn’t been a great year for the Liberal government, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he has no intention of resigning.
Recent opinion polls show the Liberal Party is far behind the Conservative Party in voter support.
But in a year-end interview, Trudeau told CBC News chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton that he was determined to remain Liberal leader.
“When I think about the challenges people are facing right now, the way the world is going, and all the things we are doing to bring about positive change during a very difficult time that is not over yet, I am “And be willing to leave this situation now,” he said.
The Prime Minister touched on a number of issues and challenges in his interview with Mr Burton.
carbon tax
face internal pressure from members of his Atlantic caucusIn October, Prime Minister Trudeau announced a carve-out for one of his major environmental policies.
the government Exempting kerosene from the federal carbon tax 3 years. Prime Minister Trudeau said the measure is aimed at helping people who currently use oil furnaces in their homes switch to more environmentally friendly energy sources, such as electric heat pumps.
The exemption became a political flashpoint during the fall sitting of the House of Commons, with Conservative Leader Pierre Poièvre claiming Trudeau had made the carbon tax an issue. the next election will be decided.
Asked if he was trying to save the Liberal seat in Atlantic Canada, where 30 per cent of homeowners own oil furnaces, Trudeau said the exemption was meant to give people time to switch to heat pumps. He claimed that
“Politics is about dealing with people’s problems, and that doesn’t mean there aren’t serious real policy concerns,” he said.
The federal carbon tax would apply to provinces and territories that do not have a carbon price system that Ottawa deems sufficient to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Households in these states receive a rebate to offset their taxes.
Asked if the government wasn’t communicating how the policy would work, Trudeau said he would continue to reach out to Canadians.
“It’s always harder for a government to talk about its own proposals than for an opposition party to criticize them. That’s the way our government works, that’s how our democracy works,” he said.
foreign interference
Foreign interference dominated the political scene in the first half of this year after numerous media outlets accused China of interfering in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections, citing anonymous security sources and classified documents. did.
Under pressure from opposition parties, the federal government launched a public inquiry into foreign election interference.
Mr. Barton asked Trudeau whether he thought anyone who leaked confidential information would be held criminally liable.
“I certainly hope so. The integrity of our intelligence services and the well-being of the people who, frankly, are risking their lives in very dangerous places around the world. [are] We are at risk every time there is a leak from our national security framework,” he said.
Barton noted that without the leak, the public inquiry may never have been launched. But Trudeau suggested his government has been proactive about preventing foreign interference. He pointed to the establishment of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security and Intelligence, a group of parliamentarians given access to top secret information.
“We have very robust oversight mechanisms, including parliamentary national security and intelligence committees, set up precisely for these oversights so that politicians can raise the flag when things happen. “I did,” he said. “We have done a lot and will continue to do a lot.”
housing
The Liberal Party returned to the House of Commons in September and immediately began pushing for new housing policies.
Prime Minister Trudeau shuffled his Cabinet over the summer, putting Nova Scotia MP Sean Fraser in charge of housing policy. Fraser then announced: Number of financing transactions Cooperation with local governments to promote housing construction.
However, Canada’s National Housing Agency estimates that approximately 3.5 million new homes need to be built by the end of 2010 to address the issue of affordable housing, far more than is already being built. We estimate that there is.
While Prime Minister Trudeau agrees more needs to be done on housing, he said programs are needed to: rapid housing initiative And that First Home Savings Account (FHSA) More Canadians will be able to buy a home.
“I think it’s natural that young people are worried.” [affording a home] “Because the current situation is very difficult,” he said, “but what we have in place means young people can aspire to owning a home.”
Prime Minister Trudeau acknowledged in an interview that 2023 was a difficult year for him. In August, he and his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau announced their decision to separate.
Trudeau told Barton that his personal challenges had not affected his work and that he credited his cabinet with limiting the impact of the separation on his work.
“I have a great team of great ministers around me who are doing a great, great job,” he said.
Prime Minister Trudeau said the separation has given him a “new focus.”
“One of the things that this personal process and this personal year has brought us is a refocus on what’s really, really important,” he said. “At the heart of this is building a better country and a better future for our children.”
When asked where there is optimism after a difficult year, Prime Minister Trudeau pointed to childcare agreements between the government and provinces as well as recent efforts. Signs contract to establish electric vehicle battery factory in Ontario and Quebec.
“Many of the things we are implementing now will be implemented in the future. [results] in the next few years,” he said.
“Yes, times are really tough right now and people are frustrated and anxious, but the fundamentals are there.”