Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thrilled a largely supportive crowd at the BC Forest Discovery Centre in Duncan on Saturday afternoon.
Some protesters greeted his motorcade as Trudeau pulled up with his wife Sophie Gr茅goire Trudeau and their children, but inside the protest was drowned out by applause from the excited crowd that had congregated to meet the prime minister.
B次元官网网址淚 just wanted to say what a pleasure it is to be here today with all of you,B次元官网网址� Trudeau said to the crowd. B次元官网网址淥bviously the B.C. forest industry is a really important one, it leads to great jobs for all your families, and communities right across the Island and B.C. I know youB次元官网网址檝e faced some challenging times in the past and thereB次元官网网址檚 ongoing challenging times with out neighbours to the south, but I also want you to know that we have your back. We will continue to support workers in the forestry industry, we will continue to support workers right across this country. We have your back and IB次元官网网址檓 really excited to be here today.B次元官网网址�
First Trudeau greeted some forestry workers and their families, then recieved a short tour of the FDC from longtime volunteer Roland Brown as he walked down to where a forestry obstacle course was set up for children (this is KidB次元官网网址檚 Weekend at the Centre) where his son tried out the activity.
Trudeau shook hands and spoke with many of those who had gathered to get a glimpse of the prime minister, stopping to take numerous photos with members of the crowd.
He then took a few moments and answered a number of questions from the press about immigration, the Trans Mountain Pipeline, national security and North Korea and supply management and NAFTA talks.
B次元官网网址淭here are people out there who still think there is a choice to be made between whatB次元官网网址檚 good for the environment and good for the economy. I donB次元官网网址檛,B次元官网网址� Trudeau said in response to a question about the protests he faced at the Forest Discovery Centre and elsewhere in B.C. over the buying of the Trans Mountain Pipeline. B次元官网网址淭he only way to build a strong economy moving forward is to protect the environment, and ensuring that we are protecting the environment for future generations is deep priority of mine.B次元官网网址�
The national plan to fight climate change is all about that, he said, as is the oceans protection plan.
B次元官网网址淚t also includes getting our resources to markets other than the United States,B次元官网网址� he said of building a strong economy. B次元官网网址淢ost Canadians knowB次元官网网址hat we need sustainable jobs into the future, we need to move towards a lower carbon economy, but we canB次元官网网址檛 get there quite yet, we canB次元官网网址檛 get there tomorrow.B次元官网网址�
On supply management and NAFTA, Trudeau said itB次元官网网址檚 clear that the U.S. is targeting the sector, demanding elimination.
B次元官网网址淚 can tell you here today, as I have been saying for months if not years, we will protect supply management,B次元官网网址� Trudeau said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a system that works for our farmers, itB次元官网网址檚 a system that works for our consumers. The challenges theyB次元官网网址檙e facing in the United States are due to a massive oversupply of milk which is not a problem that we have in our supply managed sectors. We canB次元官网网址檛 pretend there a global free market in agriculture; the U.S. subsidizes to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars every year their milk farmers, we donB次元官网网址檛 subsidize our milk farmers in the supply management sector. We are able to have a system that works for our famers, for our consumers and protects the quality of Canadian supply managed productsB次元官网网址 will continue to stand up for supply management at the NAFTA table and anywhere else I need to.B次元官网网址�
