Wednesday, October 23, 2019 ~ NATIONAL
~ West Shore Voice News
This morning Justin Trudeau held his first media conference since achieving re-election in the October 21 federal election.
He identified affordability and climate change as top issues for addressing the needs of all Canadians, as well as his intention to address Indigenous peoples issues. For all of that, the prime minister says he and his government will move forward.
“We’re going to work on issues that Canadians say they clearly care about,” Trudeau told media today.
Trudeau’s Cabinet for the 43rd Parliament of Canada will be sworn in on November 20, 2019. It will have the same number of men and women, he told media.
Until then, Trudeau plans to “sit down with all party leaders in the coming weeks about their priorities about how we can work together to respond to the preoccupations Canadians have”.
As for the structure of government now that the Liberals hold a minority government (no longer a majority as in 2015-2019), he said: “But I can tell you, it is not in our plans at all to form any (sort of) coalition at all, formal or informal.” It would be in-keeping with the Liberal party philosophy and Liberal governing style to maintain top authority and work on a ‘case by case’ basis with the other parties on issues of importance to the country.
Trudeau said he will be reaching out to the premiers of Alberta and Saskatchewan where no Liberal seats were won Monday night. Trudeau said it will be his government’s intention and goal to address the needs of all Canadians, even where there is no representation for particular provinces in Cabinet.
He reiterated that the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion will proceed, as a way to improve economic conditions for not only Alberta and Saskatchewan (where he says people have been impacted by factors beyond their control) but the entire country.
Trudeau insists that Canadian natural resources must reach markets beyond just the United States. “We have been selling our natural resources to the United States at a discount,” he said, adding that it takes money and resources to deal with climate change which includes addressing environment protections, oceans protection, and better conditions for Indigenous people. Trudeau said his government will “invest all profits and revenues into green energy and dealing with climate change” that he says Canadians expect them to address.
“Canadians gave me a lot to think about on Monday night,” said Trudeau, adding that Canadians returned them to government “with a clear requirement to work with other parties”.
Any upcoming appointments to the Senate will be based on merit not party affiliation, said Trudeau.
Regarding Bill 21 in Quebec, which is considered discriminatory. “My first responsibility is to defend basic human rights,” Trudeau said, adding that he has been clear with Quebecers and all Canadians on that point. “I cannot close the door to defending basic rights,” he told media today.