On this Sunday, one-on-one with the prime minister for a wide-ranging interview on oil, China, and during this holiday season, the faith and values that underpins his work in office.
THE WEST BLOCK
Episode 16, Season 8
Sunday, December 23,2018
Host: Mercedes Stephenson
Guest Interviews: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Johanna Mizgala, Geoff Regan, Heather Lank
Location: Ottawa
On this Sunday, one-on-one with the prime minister for a wide-ranging interview on oil, China, and during this holiday season, the faith and values that underpins his work in office.
Then, we’ll tour the hallowed halls of Centre Block, as the country says goodbye to the iconic building for at least a decade.
And maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. How the Grinch Stole Christmas like you’ve never heard it before.
It’s Sunday, December 23 rd. I’m Mercedes Stephenson, and this is The West Block.
Well, 2018 has been a year full of political challenges, from the oil crisis in Alberta to immigration, and diplomatic spats with China and Saudi Arabia, not to mention deficits. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is the man who’s had to handle it all. As Canada’s most powerful politician, he is ultimately accountable. He agreed to sit down with The West Block for a yearend interview, looking at his successes and challenges.
Mercedes Stephenson: Prime Minister, welcome to The West Block.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Thank you, Mercedes.
Mercedes Stephenson: You’ve spoken in this chamber so many times. It looks a little different today. What message do you want to send to Canadians as we head into Christmas and the election in 2019?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Just that political debate that happens here, that happens in the West Block that we’ll be moving to after Christmas will continue to be focused on them, will be focused on bringing people together and talking about how we try to respond to the big challenges we’re facing now and into the future. And the fact that we come together as representatives from every corner of the country to serve and bring forward the concerns of our citizens is one of the extraordinary strengths of Canada.
Mercedes Stephenson: And speaking of concerns of your citizens and big issues, oil, of course, a huge one right now. Your government has announced over $1.6 billion for Alberta, but it’s not for more pipelines or for railcars.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: I think, first of all, we need to understand how much of a crisis folks in Alberta are going through right now, families are suffering. This is an extremely difficult time. We know the only real solution for Alberta oil companies, and for the industry, is to get our resources to new markets other than the United States. That’s been something that has been at the top of the industry’s wish list for about a decade and a half now, and we think we’re getting closer than we ever have before but there is still a lot of work to do.
Mercedes Stephenson: Why not buy the railcars that the Alberta government’s asking for?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Our officials are engaged very much with the Alberta government and we’re looking at that as a possible solution. We’ve heard from farmers and other folks who are worried about picking one important commodity over another. We know farmers have had challenges with getting their grain to ports on rail. We need to make sure there are no unintended consequences, but we’re absolutely looking at how the best solution is. We’re working with the Alberta government and if railcars end up being the right solution, then we’ll be happy to participate.
Mercedes Stephenson: In terms of going forward, you are, of course, running Trans Mountain. It goes through British Columbia. British Columbians say, “When Quebec said they didn’t want a pipeline, they didn’t get a pipeline. When we said we don’t want a pipeline, we’re having one bought by the federal government forced down our throat.” What do you say to British Columbians?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Actually, the British Columbia government, under Christy Clark, was supportive of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. There was a change in government and the government was opposed, but there were also a lot of folks in B. C., including Indigenous communities, who understand that it is important for us to get our resources to new markets other than the United States.
Mercedes Stephenson: How serious do you think western alienation is?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: I haven’t met a lot of Canadians in any part of the country that have ill will towards any other Canadians in any other part of the country. I haven’t met—
Mercedes Stephenson: Although Albertans were booing French the other day.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: I haven’t met a lot of Albertans who genuinely wish ill of Quebecers and I haven’t met many Quebecers at all who wish ill of Albertans. I have seen politicians of various stripes in various places, trying to foment negative sentiments and play the kinds of divisive cards that we’ve seen in the past. That’s not my job as prime minister.
Mercedes Stephenson: Is part of this based on votes, because that’s one of the theories. There are only a few seats in Alberta for the Liberal party and therefore there has been a reluctance to act.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: And yet, I bought a pipeline because they’re looking for more seats—
Mercedes Stephenson: But only one pipeline.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: That was the only one for sale at that particular moment. I mean, what do you want me to say? This was the project we needed to move forward in the right way on. It was about to be cancelled by the proponent.
Mercedes Stephenson: One of the big concerns for Canadians this year has been asylum seekers and immigration. Your tweet saying, “Welcome to Canada” is often cited as the reason why these people are pouring across the border. Do you ever regret that tweet?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: I think, first of all, if people are in the midst of migration around the world right now, it’s not because of a tweet restating almost word-for-word, Canadian policy on refuges, because that’s exactly what it was. And, certainly if people are fleeing the United States right now and are choosing to leave the United States right now. It’s not something I said. It is perhaps domestic realities within the political context in the United States that is driving people to move—
Mercedes Stephenson: The Trump administration.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Or to make certain decisions. We have made sure that anyone coming to Canada, including through an irregular border crossing like Roxham Road in Quebec, gets a full security screening as soon as they arrive, gets put into our refugee processing system and will have their file properly analyzed.
Mercedes Stephenson: Are you concerned that this is going to turn Canadians against immigration?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: When you have politicians deliberately disseminating falsehoods, like the global compact on immigration is a binding attack on our sovereignty. I mean these are the kinds of things that unfortunately, the Conservative party has chosen to start spreading as information, when they know, in fact, that that’s patently false. We see a political party going to a place that no mainstream political party in Canada has gone before, which is playing a very, very dangerous game of starting to turn Canadians against immigration, when most Canadians know full well that new families coming to their communities, integrating, creating jobs, creating opportunities, is part of what is growing and strengthening our economy.
Mercedes Stephenson: China has been a huge issue for your government in recent weeks. Do you believe that China is a national security threat?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: I think China as the world’s second largest economy and growing is going to be a place that Canada needs to have a consistent and very carefully thought out policy on. We need to make sure that there is a framework, a predictable level of protections for Canadian businesses and for Canadians when they go to China, when they engage with China, while at the same time we’re standing up consistently for the rule of law, whether it’s concerns around the South China Sea, whether it’s concerns around a treatment of Uyghurs in Western China.
