(Ottawa) One year after the occupation of downtown Ottawa by thousands of angry people who came to denounce the sanitary measures imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau draws up a disturbing observation.
“There are a lot of people who are suffering in Canada,” he said straight away during a recent interview with The Press when he was asked to explain the lessons he learned as a result of those events that compelled him to invoke the Emergency Measures Act.
According to the Prime Minister, the pandemic, the rising cost of living, the fight against climate change and the necessary transition to a carbon-neutral economy are challenges to which many are having difficulty adapting.
“People are very worried about the future, about their place in the future of the country. They do not see the positive evolution that we are experiencing in society. […] There is a more inclusive evolution. But for some, it is undermining the advantages that certain communities have always had in our society,” he said, referring to his government’s efforts to advance the rights of indigenous peoples, those of the LGBTQ+ community and minorities in general.
According to him, there are people who see this as “a loss” or “a threat”. And he admitted that he has become the target of the ire of many Canadians.
“Even in terms of the environment, when we say that we will find ways to succeed in a carbon neutral world, people who depend on the oil industry, it is easy to scare them when we tell them that we won’t need it anymore. »
There are many people who are afraid and who want to stop these changes, who grumble against me because I am the symbol of this future that we are building.
Justin Trudeau
Mr. Trudeau wants to counter this concern by emphasizing the opportunities available to Canadians in this period of transition.
“We are going to need these workers who are currently in the oil industry because they will be able to work in the hydrogen industry or in gas sequestration, for example. I want to send the message that there is room for success for all our communities, from all our regions. We need these people and these workers. »
An arrow at Poilievre
In passing, Mr. Trudeau cannot help but deplore that his main opponent, the leader of the Conservative Party Pierre Poilievre, according to him seeks to amplify people’s fear without proposing real solutions. The latter gave his support to the “freedom convoy”.
“He’s very good at amplifying people’s anger by saying Canada is broken. We live in difficult times. There is inflation, the rising cost of living, anxiety about the future. Food bank use is on the rise. These are not easy times. But Pierre Poilievre is not proposing solutions. I am very open to the idea of comparing my ideas. But he doesn’t even talk about his ideas. He’s just amplifying people’s anger,” he said.
In the same flight, Mr. Trudeau corrected himself. “Actually, that’s not true. He offered one thing. He told people that if they wanted to avoid inflation, they had to buy crypto. If people had followed his advice, they would have lost more than half of their savings. »