Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is rejecting the suggestion that the Liberals could benefit from a change at the top, similar to whatB次元官网网址檚 happened with the Democratic party since U.S. President Joe Biden left the presidential race last month.
Trudeau is in Halifax for a three-day cabinet retreat preparing for the upcoming fall sitting of Parliament, and the time for him to woo voters is becoming increasingly narrow.
He has been less visible than usual since the Liberals lost a critical byelection in Toronto in June, but said he spent the summer listening to Canadians who have real concerns that his government is working to address.
B次元官网网址淚 think the big lesson is in responding to the things that people are actually worried about,B次元官网网址� he said on Monday morning, when asked if heB次元官网网址檚 taking an lessons from seeing the surge of support for vice-president Kamala Harris and the Democrats since Biden left the race and she became the presidential candidate.
B次元官网网址淩ight now in Canada, the decision to be there to invest in Canadians has left Canada with one of the strongest economies in the world in a very difficult time,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淎nd we believe that using that strong economy to support Canadians in responsible ways is the best way to build the future. ThatB次元官网网址檚 what weB次元官网网址檙e focused on. WeB次元官网网址檙e not focused on culture wars, on complaining that everything is broken, going off on strange tangents that, quite frankly, Canadians are scratching their heads about.B次元官网网址�
He was referring to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who has seen success in the polls by making the case to Canadians that Trudeau has left people poorer and less safe than they were a decade ago.
Poilievre has said this retreat is just a B次元官网网址渞ewardB次元官网网址� for cabinet ministers who have made Canada worse off.
Trudeau did move Monday to address two significant issues for his government, rolling back changes that saw a massive uptick in temporary foreign workers and announcing plans to impose new tariffs on electric vehicles made in China.
The government moved in 2022 to lift some restrictions on the hiring of low-wage foreign workers during a post-pandemic labour shortage, but with unemployment now creeping back up B次元官网网址� particularly among young people B次元官网网址� the government says that has to change.
It is undoing the changes in made in 2022.
ItB次元官网网址檚 also moving to match new U.S. tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles. Biden announced in May he would quadruple the import taxes on Chinese-made EVs to 100 per cent and Canada is now matching that on Oct. 1.
During a working dinner on Sunday night, the Liberal cabinet heard from U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who warned about ChinaB次元官网网址檚 economic policies including overproduction and state subsidies that lead to unfair pricing and competition.
Sullivan told reporters that the U.S. wonB次元官网网址檛 tell Canada what to do but that there are significant issues around economic fairness and data security related to Chinese-made cars.
B次元官网网址淭he U.S. does believe a united front, a co-ordinated approach on these issues, benefits all of us,B次元官网网址� he said.
The Liberals are in a make-it-or-break-it moment with about a year left before the next federal election, and have been trailing Poilievre and the Conservatives in the polls by double digits for almost a year.
The cabinet will also be forced to contend with the labour strife at the two national railways. Teamsters president Paul Boucher travelled to Halifax and plans a protest on Tuesday.
B次元官网网址淎n injustice against us has been done by government,B次元官网网址� Boucher said in an interview. B次元官网网址淲hat they have done to the railworkers B次元官网网址� to stop the work stoppages, fundamentally takes rights away from the rights to free collective bargaining, and weB次元官网网址檙e protesting against that.B次元官网网址�
Traffic at the Canadian National Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Kansas City was set to resume Monday, after both companies locked out their workers last Thursday.
Labour Minister Steven Mackinnon asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to impose binding arbitration to end the dispute, and the board agreed to do so Saturday.
Teamsters intends to fight the decision in court.
Trudeau and the Liberals argue the work stoppage was having a massive negative effect on thousands of other workers, as it disrupted supply chains.
B次元官网网址淭he best results happen at the negotiating table. ThatB次元官网网址檚 why weB次元官网网址檝e done everything in our power to continue to look for negotiated resolutions,B次元官网网址� Trudeau told reporters Monday.
B次元官网网址淚n this case we needed to take action after talks had broken down B次元官网网址� because too many Canadian jobs and livelihoods were at stake.B次元官网网址�
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