Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s appearance on American late-night show The Late Show with Stephen Colbert began with some standard jokes about bacon and Canadians who apologize often Monday night, but also led to more serious moments when the host asked Mr. Trudeau about the confidence vote scheduled for this week in the House of Commons.
“People are suffering. People are struggling to pay for groceries, to pay rent, to get gas,” Trudeau acknowledged during his appearance on the show, which aired Monday night on CBS. The interview was recorded in New York, where the prime minister is spending a few days for the United Nations General Assembly meeting.
Trudeau acknowledged there is frustration among the population, calling it a “really tough” time. He argued that the housing crisis “is a little bit more acute” in Canada than in the United States. And while he noted that Canada’s “macro” economy is doing better than its southern neighbour, people aren’t feeling it when they pay the bills.
The prime minister nevertheless argued that it is important to move forward with $10-a-day child care, dental care and pharmacare, so that diabetes drugs and prescription contraceptives are available for free.
Mr. Trudeau will return to Ottawa on Wednesday, in time for a vote on a non-confidence motion that the Conservatives plan to introduce in hopes of bringing down the minority government.
“People sometimes want change, but the reality is I believe deeply in continuing to fight climate change and investing in people, continuing to be there to support them. And I’m going to continue to fight,” he said.
At one point, Mr. Colbert pointed out that ideologies like fascism and xenophobia are gaining ground around the world. He noted that even in Canada, Mr. Trudeau’s opponent has already been dubbed the “Canadian Trump.” The host asked why such ideologies are making a comeback even in a country “as polite as Canada.”
Trudeau didn’t respond to the “Canadian Trump” question, but he acknowledged that Canada isn’t perfect. He noted that it took decades to fight for universal health care, and that things like being a world leader on climate change are worth fighting for.
“There’s a big debate right now about whether dental care even exists. We’ve provided it to 700,000 people across the country and my opponent is manipulating us by saying that dental care doesn’t even exist yet,” he said.
In a statement released earlier in September, Conservative health critic Stephen Ellis criticized the government for botching the dental program, saying the vast majority of Canadians don’t qualify for it and those who do may have to pay out of pocket.
Colbert also asked Trudeau about issues between Canada and the United States, such as lumber tariffs, which the U.S. Commerce Department nearly doubled in August. Trudeau said Americans were paying too much for lumber because of the tariffs.
“We cross the border to buy cheaper medicines. Is that okay with you?” Mr. Colbert asked.
“We’re happy to try to help you, but it would be a lot easier if you got universal health coverage,” Trudeau replied, to loud applause from the audience.