Liberal cabinet minister Catherine McKenna says Canada still has credibility on the world stage as a climate change champion despite the controversy over Liberal Leader Justin TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 past dressing in blackface.
McKenna, the environment minister, tried to push the fractious federal election campaign onto more familiar territory for her and her embattled party on Saturday, framing the fight against climate change as the core issue facing voters.
Trudeau had to contend with global mockery on Friday, including from late-night American comedians as images of the three times he chose to put on black- or brownface as part of costume events continued to flash around the world. U.S. President Donald Trump said he was surprised by the images of Trudeau.
McKenna promised to advocate for a ban on single-use plastics from federal government buildings, museums and parks at an event on the shores of the Ottawa River just west of Parliament Hill. The pledge was part of her local campaign as the MP for Ottawa Centre, and was not a plank in her partyB次元官网网址檚 federal platform.
McKenna deflected a question about whether the controversy had undermined CanadaB次元官网网址檚 efforts to lead globally on climate change.
B次元官网网址淭he measure of a person and of a party should be based on what you have done,B次元官网网址� she said, citing CanadaB次元官网网址檚 international actions to tackle climate change and B次元官网网址減rovide a leadership role at the tableB次元官网网址� as well as B次元官网网址漚ction to combat racism or our announcement yesterday that we would eliminate assault weapons.B次元官网网址�
She added that B次元官网网址渢his election could not be more important,B次元官网网址� noting that issues like climate change are at stake.
B次元官网网址淲e have (a) Conservative Party and Conservative politicians who do not believe in action on climate change,B次元官网网址� McKenna said.
Trudeau wasnB次元官网网址檛 campaigning Saturday and neither was Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer. Both were taking a break from the road, as is common on Saturdays during federal elections, after keeping up full-tilt schedules since the federal election call on Sept. 11.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh campaigned in Toronto, reiterating his commitment to help self-employed workers who are feeling left behind economically.
Singh was campaigning with Andrew Cash, a former NDP MP whoB次元官网网址檚 trying to take back his Davenport seat from the Liberals. They held a discussion on precarious work at a neighbourhood coffee shop.
Green Leader Elizabeth May is in Winnipeg, where sheB次元官网网址檚 to make an announcement in the morning and campaign with Manitoba Green candidates at The Forks later.
PeopleB次元官网网址檚 Party Leader Maxime Bernier is in northern Ontario for a plowing match and a rally in North Bay.
The Canadian Press
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