The West Block – Episode 15, Season 13 – National | 24CA News
THE WEST BLOCK
Episode 15, Season 13
Sunday, December 24, 2023
Host: Mercedes Stephenson
In Conversation with the Prime Minister
Location:
Ottawa, ON
Mercedes Stephenson: Thanks for becoming a member of us at this time. I’m Mercedes Stephenson right here with a particular yr finish dialog with the Prime Minister.
It’s been fairly a yr for Justin Trudeau, from the affordability disaster to questions on his personal political management, after which there have been the nationwide safety and international coverage challenges that he needed to cope with.
I sat down with the Prime Minister per week earlier than Christmas. Here’s our dialog:
Mercedes Stephenson: Prime Minister, welcome. Thank you for becoming a member of us.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: It’s at all times a pleasure, Mercedes.
Mercedes Stephenson: It is Christmastime and it’s a tricky time for lots of people presently of yr and I think about possibly a little bit of a tricky time for you. You’ve had a tricky yr politically, personally. How are you doing?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: But that’s the query we’re at all times asking one another. Right now, instances are robust for everybody and that’s why that actually we see the very best of Canadians coming ahead at this second as folks proceed to roll up their sleeves and lean in for one another, even as if—even whereas the whole lot is difficult, and I feel this a second on the holidays when everybody’s going to be pulling collectively and reflecting on hopefully, a a lot better yr in 2024.
Mercedes Stephenson: Your polls would point out that you simply’re not heading for a greater yr. Seven out of ten Canadians need you to step down. There was a current ballot saying that Chrystia Freeland and Mark Carney have been each extra common decisions than you to guide the Liberal Party. Why do you assume Canadians are so annoyed with you?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Well I feel to begin with, it’s a extremely irritating time. Full cease. There is a lot happening all over the world. There’s a lot impacting us right here at residence. There’s so many challenges individuals are going through of their each day lives, from groceries to hire that yeah, there’s a whole lot of frustration. But we’ve been working extremely onerous to ship for Canadians in actually concrete methods, and to my thoughts, that is precisely not the time to be slowing down or to cease preventing for folks. We have been centered on delivering for Canadians for eight years now, and the context we’re in proper now the place progress has change into so fragile due to world and enormous macro occasions is the time to doubling down and rolling up our sleeves and that’s what I’m right here for.
Mercedes Stephenson: And I perceive eager to advance that agenda and that it’s onerous to let go of being in energy when you’re in, however traditionally Canadian prime ministers don’t get elected 4 instances in a row and individuals are being very clear that they don’t such as you in these polls.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Listen, individuals are annoyed proper now. But on a private stage, I made a dedication in 2015 to an entire bunch of younger individuals who got here out to vote for the very, very first time that we have been going to be doing the best sorts of issues to safe the promise of this nation in a means that folks have been fearful about. And years later, even with the whole lot we’ve executed on the atmosphere, on inclusion, on gender equality, on rising the economic system, on reconciliation, these younger folks, eight years later, are having hassle paying their hire, fearful about their future in methods which can be simply as tangible, if no more, due to the worldwide context we’re in, and I didn’t make a promise that I used to be going to make issues higher for them after which stroll away after 4 years and even after eight years. I stated I’d be there to struggle for them each single day. That’s what I’m doing now…
Mercedes Stephenson: Even in the event that they don’t need you there.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Listen, there’ll be an election finally through which folks will get to make that selection. But I’m not giving up on them. I’m not giving up on Canada. I’m not giving up on the progressive imaginative and prescient of progress that we’ve been preventing for each single day over the previous years.
Mercedes Stephenson: Let’s speak about housing as a result of it’s one thing that impacts everybody, and there’s been a whole lot of wrestle in each Canadian metropolis, each Canadian province, to attempt to discover reasonably priced housing. One of the problems which your authorities has acknowledged is that there’s extra folks than there may be housing vital. There is, I consider, a necessity for 3.5 million properties by the tip of the last decade. You’ve promised 30 thousand. That’s only one per cent of the availability. Why so low?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: On the opposite, we’ve really made commitments which can be including as much as about 300 thousand new items over the approaching decade. These are the sorts of issues we have to speed up and there’s no a method of doing it. What we’ve come at shouldn’t be a single silver bullet however an enormous vary of initiatives, whether or not it’s the First Home Savings Account that 300 thousand folks have used to start out with the ability to save up for a down fee. Whether it’s the fast housing initiative that has shortly received issues up and operating throughout the nation, whether or not it’s the housing accelerator that’s securing offers with cities which can be reworking their zoning, reworking densification in order that they’re constructing extra locations close to public transit and to create extra habitable cities and communities. And these issues are beginning to land and they’re going to simply speed up over the approaching years.
Mercedes Stephenson: On housing, one of many massive points has been whether or not there may be sufficient for many who are being welcomed into Canada. In the latest survey, we noticed extra folks got here into Canada within the final quarter than since 1957, and but your authorities can be acknowledging that there’s not sufficient housing. Do you assume that you simply bear some duty for the housing disaster primarily based in your insurance policies?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: We completely should be a part of fixing for this. But let’s be clear in regards to the numbers we’re seeing. Only a few quarter of these numbers are the federal everlasting resident immigration numbers. Three quarters of these numbers are literally in three classes: asylum seekers who’re arriving repeatedly, worldwide college students the place there’s been a tremendous spike in that—a regarding spike in that, and momentary international staff as nicely which can be wanted for rising our economic system, for working in our companies. And on all three of these, we’ve particular plans on it. We’re working with worldwide companions on the asylum seekers. We’re ensuring that establishments throughout the nation as they get accredited by the provinces are each legit establishments as a result of we’ve seen some fraud and a few sketchy practices there, however are additionally in a position to home the worldwide college students which can be coming so we’re not placing pressures on communities, and round momentary staff ensuring that staff and employers have a job in guaranteeing housing. If they completely want to usher in international staff, they should guarantee that there’s going to be housing for them as nicely.
Mercedes Stephenson: I simply wish to return to immigration, although, as a result of that may be a federal duty, and also you have been clearly articulating once I seemed on the interviews from you final yr that you simply knew housing was an issue, but it took till the final month or so so that you can act. So I’m going again to the query of do you bear some duty right here?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Well in fact, all of us bear duty. This is a problem that we’ve to work on all collectively. But from 2017 onwards, we put ahead a nationwide housing technique that has been ensuring and securing extra properties on folks. The spike in momentary arrivals over the previous two years, a complete upwards of two million folks, should be responded to and that’s why there are very particular challenges that we’re addressing in partnership with municipalities and provinces, but in addition with worldwide companions to guarantee that we’re managing that stream proper. We must proceed to guard immigration. We want continued immigration on this nation, however we’ve to guard the integrity of our system, and that’s very a lot what we’re engaged on.
Mercedes Stephenson: Up subsequent, what the Prime Minister says about Iran, China and India. And I ask him about his observe document on defence spending.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: “We are continuing to invest in our front lines, in our equipment for military as people expect us to, but we’re doing it in a responsible way.”
[Break]
Mercedes Stephenson: I wish to transfer on to international and defence coverage, one thing that actually has performed a big function in home politics this yr, maybe extra so than traditional with the all of the disaster that the Canadian Armed Forces have been referred to as on to assist with. You say a Canadian citizen murdered on our soil by a international authorities, concern about Iranian senior regime officers intimidating Canadians, considerations about China intimidating the diaspora inhabitants right here as nicely. When you take a look at the nationwide safety image for the nation, what do you see?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: I see an extremely complicated world through which Canada being a rustic of legislation, as a rustic of defence within the worldwide guidelines primarily based order, has a extra essential function to play than many different international locations all over the world. If you look over the previous variety of years, whether or not it’s been with China and the 2 Michaels, whether or not it was the challenges we had with Saudi Arabia, whether or not it’s the challenges we’ve proper now with India, whether or not it’s ongoing challenges with Iran round PS752 and international interference on the bottom, continued challenges with Russia and their violation of the UN Charter and the worldwide guidelines primarily based order in participating—invading Ukraine. Every step of the best way, Canada has doubled down on our values and on the foundations primarily based order, and we’ve proven that we rise up for what is correct and what’s our system of justice, and we’ve stayed sturdy at a time the place larger international locations and international locations that play by totally different guidelines have tried actually onerous to affect us and we’re persevering with to defend ourselves in all the best methods.
Mercedes Stephenson: Do you assume that a part of the explanation why a few of these larger international locations or our allies aren’t listening is our lack of funding in international coverage and defence?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Canada has continued to step up as a member of NATO, as a global companion, whether or not with our Indo-Pacific Strategy, or issues like investing in vaccine amenities in South Africa, or being a part of important investments throughout Eastern Europe, in nuclear vegetation and issues like that. Canada is a really engaged worldwide companion and international locations all over the world proceed to look to us as a type of international locations that’s at all times going to face up and defend the foundations.
Mercedes Stephenson: That’s not what I hear from our allies. They level to us having three days’ value of ammunition if a warfare have been to interrupt out, to not having tanks that perform and people which can be, are abroad in Latvia and the federal government has not made efforts to interchange them. They level to a billion {dollars} coming in defence cuts. They level to you, allegedly, privately saying that we’ll by no means hit 2 per cent of GDP.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Okay. Well these examples are particularly on defence. What I’m speaking about is the big worldwide body. But even on defence, we’ve since 2017, stepped up with 70 per cent will increase on our defence spending. We’re going to proceed to do an increasing number of in defence. We’ve simply introduced a $38 billion NORAD modernization. We’re stepping up with F-35s. Yes, we’ve needed to make up for misplaced time when underneath the Conservative authorities defence spending dipped under 1 per cent for the one time.
Mercedes Stephenson: But you’ve been in energy for eight years. You’ve stated you’d by no means purchase the F-35s, which was a part of the delay there and your personal chief of the defence workers is saying that if there have been to a be a warfare tomorrow, Canada could be in massive hassle. Isn’t that on you after eight years in energy?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: But everyone seems to be in massive hassle as a result of have been delivery—all of us as allies, as NATO allies—delivery huge quantities of ammunition to Ukraine proper now as a result of Ukraine is on the entrance line of defending not simply their very own territory however the worldwide guidelines primarily based order and that’s why we’re so unequivocal on Ukraine and fairly frankly, even sure, as we’re fixing these procurement challenges to ensure we’re getting extra ammunition for Canada, for coaching, persevering with to be there for Ukraine regardless of the hesitations by the Conservative Party is the easiest way to guard our future as a rustic and our system of democracy.
Mercedes Stephenson: But Canadian troopers are this and saying we are able to’t defend our nation proper now.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: We are persevering with to try this. We are persevering with to spend money on our entrance strains, in our tools for our navy as folks count on us to, however we’re doing it in a accountable means.
Mercedes Stephenson: On the nationwide safety entrance, why do you assume that we’re the main target of a lot international interference? Whether it was the killing of a Canadian citizen by India, whether or not it’s the Chinese authorities interfering with the diaspora and attempting to intrude with our elections, which I do know Russia has executed as nicely, or whether or not we’re speaking in regards to the Iranian regime intimidating folks right here. The FBI is saying it’s a priority even for them. Why is it that we’re topic to so many simultaneous important nationwide safety threats?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Canada is without doubt one of the international locations on the planet with the biggest diasporas from all these international locations you talked about. We are an extremely various nation, the place we’ve made these variations into an unimaginable supply of energy. But one of many basic challenges we’ve proper now could be guaranteeing that we’re defending all Canadians, together with from their residence international locations that possibly do wish to intrude with them. And that’s why as a rustic that’s standing up sturdy for democracy and the rule of legislation, we’re a goal to international locations like Russia and Iran who wish to destabilize democracies and we’re seeing it all over the world.
Mercedes Stephenson: So why haven’t you established issues but then like a international agent’s registry, which has been really helpful for nearly a yr now: adjustments to deporting Iranian officers who’re right here. The CDSA is deporting, too, but it surely’s been very gradual. One of the people being deported, who someway received into Canada regardless of your adjustments within the legislation, is the previous head of the Morality Police, the identical pressure that was killing girls for refusing to put on a hijab.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: No. Obviously that’s unacceptable and these are issues that we’re engaged on. But these are kind of the following steps that we’re proper now engaged on, together with the international agent registry, however we’ve been performing on this since 2015. We introduced in a nationwide safety committee of parliamentarians. For the primary time, there’s oversight by all totally different events over our nationwide safety with folks with…
Mercedes Stephenson: They say they’re not getting transparency.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: They are getting the best stage of clearance. They are getting all the mandatory instruments to supervise the whole lot that’s being executed. We transfer ahead on an election panel of prime civil servants and safety businesses to make sure the integrity of the elections, as they did in 2019 and 2021. We’ve moved ahead with important investments in and countering international interference. We even led on that in 2018 on the G7 assembly right here in Canada, the place we created the fast response mechanism that the G7 depends on when it comes to electoral and home interference. So we’ve executed so much, however you’re completely proper. There’s much more to do and that’s what we’re persevering with to do.
Mercedes Stephenson: Coming up, I ask the Prime Minister in regards to the rising risk of terrorism in Canada.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: “What we’re seeing is terrifying and it is something that we absolutely have to act on.”
[Break]
Mercedes Stephenson: I wish to discuss you about terrorism on this nation. I’ve been talking with a whole lot of nationwide safety sources and what they inform me is—these are folks with a whole lot of expertise domestically and abroad with terrorism—that the risk image they’re seeing proper now could be terrifying. That is it a mix of ISIS as soon as once more attempting to radicalize younger folks and neo-Nazi teams like Atomwaffen additionally attempting to do the identical, and it’s a little bit of this good storm. We not too long ago heard a few younger man in Ottawa, a 15-year-old, who’s been charged on terrorism expenses by the RCMP, together with possession of an explosive system—or pardon me—of explosive substances. And the RCMP put out an precise press launch and stated there’s been 5 circumstances of individuals underneath the age of 18 going through terrorism expenses or terrorism peace bonds simply since this summer season. What are you being briefed right here on what’s occurring?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Oh that it is vitally, very critical. We have taken the difficulty of terrorism extremely critically from the start, whether or not it’s empowering our nationwide safety businesses, guaranteeing that there’s oversight that’s encouraging them and ensuring they’re doing extra and getting that accountability. What we’re seeing, notably proper now with the rise of antisemitism linked to what’s occurring abroad proper now could be terrifying and it’s one thing that we completely should act on and we’re performing on. The arrest on the weekend was a particularly essential second, the place we’re demonstrating that we’re doing the whole lot we are able to to maintain the Jewish group on this nation protected and we’ll proceed to maintain all communities protected on this nation.
Mercedes Stephenson: What do you consider a few of the protests that we’ve seen right here in malls, exterior Jewish companies? There was one right here in Ottawa surrounding the Santa picture sales space, the place children have been taking their footage. These are folks protesting in help of Gaza, however some folks really feel these protests are crossing a line. What do you assume?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: First of all, the liberty to protest, the liberty to specific their political beliefs is awfully essential in Canada. We will at all times, at all times defend that. The strains get approached and crossed when they’re really focusing on particular person Canadians who haven’t any extra duty for what’s happening abroad than that they occur to be Jewish, for instance. That’s unacceptable. You know, protesting and sharing the legit aspirations for the Palestinian folks, completely. Knock your self out. We must be doing that and free to try this in every single place and anyplace. But the particularly making different Canadians really feel unsafe, whether or not it’s Jewish children on campus, whether or not it’s households eager to rejoice Christmas with their children at a photograph sales space and made to really feel responsible due to the horrific incontrovertible fact that there are children dying abroad in Gaza is one thing that folks may be made conscious of, however the aggressive and the underlying violence in making different folks really feel unsafe on this nation isn’t a part of free protest—of freedom of speech or lawful protest.
Mercedes Stephenson: Do you assume the police ought to do one thing about that?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: I feel the police must guarantee that they’re arresting people who find themselves engaged in acts of violence and who’re breaking the legislation. Whether it’s a sound ordinance or a trespassing, these are issues that we do should take critically as a result of they snowball. We see possibly there’s 50 folks exhibiting as much as peacefully specific their help for a legit and actual concern that they’ve, that there are many them on the market, however the one one that then will get inspired or incited to interrupt a window or assault somebody or pull somebody’s clothes off or go at them, that’s one thing all of us have a duty to be considerate about, and to recollect who we’re as Canadians. We are the nation on the planet that does variety higher than simply about anybody else. And our capability to really hear and perceive one another’s fears and considerations and grief and anguish, and join with one another as folks and never as caricatures of what they’re and the dehumanization that goes on, on each side, whether or not it’s round Islamophobia or antisemitism, is one thing that we’ve to ensure we’re remembering who we’re as Canadians, that we’re open to one another. That we really feel one another’s ache, even when we don’t come from the identical perspective. And the faster we are able to get to remembering who we’re as Canadians, the extra we’re going to have the ability to be helpful in spreading that peace and safety all over the world.
Mercedes Stephenson: One final query for you. You modified your place on Israel over the course of the final couple of months. You have been initially very pro-Israeli, Israel’s proper to defend itself and also you’ve since determined {that a} ceasefire is important. What led you to make that call in your change in place?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Let me be very clear. We haven’t modified our place. From the very starting, we talked about Israel’s proper to defend itself in accordance with humanitarian legislation and the necessity to defend civilian lives. What we’ve seen over the previous 9, ten weeks is an evolving humanitarian disaster that requires us to repeatedly shift in our approaches. We have been among the many first international locations to name for humanitarian pauses and we’re now calling, like a lot of the remainder of the world, for work in direction of a ceasefire. But a ceasefire that may’t be one-sided, a ceasefire that continues to acknowledge that Israel has the best to defend itself. That Hamas should lay down its arms, launch hostages, not use people as shields and perceive that there isn’t any future for Hamas within the governance of Gaza, notably as we transfer in direction of a two state answer, the place you might have a peaceable, safe Israel alongside a peaceable, safe, viable Palestinian state with out Hamas in cost. That’s the place we have to get to. That has been Canada’s place from the very starting and that continues to be our place. We are responding, as vital, to occasions as they unfold as time goes on. But our place stays precisely the identical.
Mercedes Stephenson: Can you might have a ceasefire with Hamas that doesn’t ultimately legitimize them?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: There was a ceasefire that Hamas broke on October seventh. There’s been a ceasefire since 2021.
Mercedes Stephenson: So why belief them once more?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Because the one path in direction of peace is getting hostages launched, getting humanitarian assist in and eradicating Hamas because the governing physique of Gaza. That’s the one means ahead and that’s—these are the circumstances we’re placing in in direction of a ceasefire.
Mercedes Stephenson: Prime Minister, I do know that you’ve so much to do and we recognize you sitting down with us and answering questions for Canadians. And we’ll see what 2024 brings.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: We shall. But thanks very a lot for taking the time, Mercedes.
