(OTTAWA) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says more needs to be done to protect elected federal officials, but says not all ministers agree on the need to be accompanied by a bodyguard.
Posted at 2:55 p.m.
In a press briefing on Wednesday on the sidelines of a minor cabinet reshuffle, he mentioned the differences of opinion on this subject, particularly between men and women.
“I think this is an extremely personal decision for many ministers. I think we should have more opportunities to have them. »
In Quebec, all provincial ministers have an assigned bodyguard.
“(There are) people who feel more vulnerable, who have experienced more discrimination and more moments of fear in their lives than others. We have to do more and the Minister of Public Security is looking at that,” said Mr. Trudeau.
He added that the accessibility of ministers to the public is “a strength in our democracy (and) our society”. The Prime Minister pointed out that many Canadians are delighted to be able to meet these politicians at the grocery store, for example.
“At the same time, we have to recognize that the political conversations (and) the debate are becoming more bitter, more aggressive,” he continued.
He reiterated his call for all elected officials to dissociate themselves from this climate of “toxicity” and set an example by debating with respect. He insisted that “it’s everyone’s business”.
“We are seeing how we can offer more security (to elected officials) in a more structured way. These are expenses that we would like not to have to make,” insisted Mr. Trudeau, mentioning that these sums could otherwise be invested in measures to reduce violence by firearms within the communities.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrytia Freeland was insulted a few days ago in Grande Prairie, Alberta. Asked Wednesday whether she intended to use increased security measures, she replied that she will continue to follow the advice of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
In an email, the RCMP said it is “constantly adapting its protective measures to the current context in order to ensure an adequate level for all the people it protects”.
In this statement sent Tuesday, the RCMP did not respond to a request from The Canadian Press to indicate how many threats against elected officials have been reported to it in recent years.
“To protect public servants, as well as our members, we do not release any information on threats, threat assessments, related topics or specific protective measures,” it reads.
On Wednesday, the Deputy Premier insisted that the “unpleasant incident” which targeted her is not representative of the people of Alberta and the other interactions she had during her subsequent stay in the province. of Western Canada.
“The most important thing for me is the generous and warm welcome I received […] (in) the province in which I was born and in which I grew up”, she summarized in a press briefing in Calgary.
In a video that circulated widely on Twitter on Friday, we can see Mme Freeland enter an elevator as a tall man approaches her, swearing and calling her a “traitor”.
The man in the video stands in front of the open elevator doors and tells Mme Freeland to leave Alberta, while a woman tells him she doesn’t belong here.
The finance minister also noted Wednesday that other women and members of visible minorities who may be particularly vulnerable to verbal abuse or threats have access to “much less support” than her.
Earlier in Ottawa, Minister Filomena Tassi said she doesn’t believe being surrounded by security personnel “24/7” is the answer to stopping inappropriate behavior .
“While I recognize that measures are important and provide a certain level of security such as the surveillance by cameras of our homes, it will not be enough at the end of the day,” she argued after being sworn in as Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
In his opinion, politicians must encourage all Canadians to speak out against harassing and threatening behavior in order to put an end to it.