Trudeau pans Poilievre's approach as 'dangerous for Canadians'
Less than a week after naming his new cabinet vowing a renewed focus on the concerns of Canadians, the one name Prime Minister Justin Trudeau couldn’t keep out of his mouth on Monday was Pierre Poilievre.
At an event announcing multimillion-dollar joint federal-municipal investment towards building more homes in Hamilton, Ont., Trudeau brought the Conservative leader up multiple times, from panning his housing, health and homelessness policy proposals, to distilling his leadership style down to "cuts and be angry," while vowing the Liberals intend to take a different tack.
"His answer to everything is cuts and be angry, that's not Canada. That's not how we build a stronger future... Canadians roll up their sleeves and get to work, and build and invest in themselves and their communities. That's what we do, we partner with people. We don't pick fights with mayors," said the prime minister, who was wearing a bandage in the middle of his forehead.
It was the result of bumping his head over the weekend while playing with his kids, his office confirmed to CTV News.
"That's where the anger that he is drumming up is dangerous for Canadians, who would much rather work hard and build a strong future than throw up their hands and say, 'Oh, it's all terrible, it's all broken, let's all stay home.' No. That's not who Canadians are," Trudeau continued.
"So I won't be stirring up anger, I will be pointing out where his proposals are irresponsible and unserious. But, I will stay focused on solving the challenges Canadians are facing, rather than exploiting them for political gain, like Pierre Poilievre does."
This lengthy retort was in response to a question about Trudeau's repeated referencing of Poilievre, and whether the prime minister was threatened by his leadership or what he's tapped into. Trudeau said no, his focus is on Canadians who are having a hard time making ends meet.
Though, during the event Trudeau slammed the Conservatives for pulling themselves "entirely out of the housing business for 10 years" as contributing to the current supply crunch; criticized their position on tent encampments; and chalked their opposition to dental care up to hypocrisy and being "completely disconnected."
"Why would you say that dental care is fine for MPs and their families, and it's not inflationary for people to send their kids to the dentist if you have money to do it? But to let low-income people and people who are otherwise struggling, have kids with a brighter smile, and vote against that in the name of protecting from higher inflation, when inflation has steadily been going down, that's him making baseless arguments, completely disconnected from fact," the prime minister said.
These latest comments build on a renewed messaging approach launched last week— an effort by an embattled minority Liberal government to reset the agenda—seeking to present a clear contrast between what a re-elected Trudeau team would offer and what a vote for Conservative change could mean for the country.
With still several hot weeks left before the fall sitting of Parliament will see the two leaders square off across the aisle in question period, both men have been travelling across Canada to drum up support.
Poilievre, at his own campaign-style stops this summer, has offered his fair share of anti-Trudeau rhetoric, while proposing his own contrasts to how a government led by him would be better for the country.
"After eight years of Justin Trudeau, things are going very badly for the people of Sudbury and all across Northern Ontario. The stories that I have heard in places like Kenora, Timmins and Thunder Bay have both shocked and broken my heart… Something new is happening in Canada: tent cities, tent cities in almost every town, village, and metropolitan centre. Something that was almost unheard of eight years ago before Justin Trudeau, but what do you expect people to do? They can't pay 100 per cent increase in rent," he said at a Sudbury, Ont. "Axe Trudeau's Tax" rally over the weekend.
"This is the misery and brokenness that people are living as a result of eight years of Justin Trudeau. But, the good news is that it wasn't like this before Justin Trudeau and it won't be like this after he's gone. A common-sense Conservative government will reverse his policies and bring home the Canada we know and love," Poilievre said.
IN DEPTH
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
'Democracy requires constant vigilance' Trudeau testifies at inquiry into foreign election interference in Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified Wednesday before the national public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada's electoral processes, following a day of testimony from top cabinet ministers about allegations of meddling in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. Recap all the prime minister had to say.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
Supports for passengers, farmers, artists: 7 bills from MPs and Senators to watch in 2024
When parliamentarians return to Ottawa in a few weeks to kick off the 2024 sitting, there are a few bills from MPs and senators that will be worth keeping an eye on, from a 'gutted' proposal to offer a carbon tax break to farmers, to an initiative aimed at improving Canada's DNA data bank.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Parents of infant who died in wrong-way crash on Ontario's Hwy. 401 were in same vehicle
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has released new details about a wrong-way collision in Whitby on Monday night that claimed the lives of four people.
Three Quebec men from same family father hundreds of children
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
'What have we done?' Lawyer describes shock at possible role in Trump's 2016 victory
A lawyer who negotiated a pair of hush money deals at the centre of Donald Trump's criminal trial recalled Thursday his "gallows humor" reaction to Trump's 2016 election victory and the realization that his hidden-hand efforts might have contributed to the win.
New scam targets Canada Carbon Rebate recipients
Fake text message and email campaigns trying to get money and information out of unsuspecting Canadian taxpayers have started circulating, just months after the federal government rebranded the carbon tax rebate the Canada Carbon Rebate.
B.C. mayor stripped of budget, barred from committees over Indigenous residential schools book
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Conservative MP says Chinese hacking attack targeted his personal email
A Conservative MP is challenging claims by House of Commons administration that a China-backed hacking attempt did not impact any members of Parliament, because the attack was on his personal email.
Loblaw leaders call criticism 'misguided,' say they aren't to blame for high food prices
Loblaw chairman Galen Weston and the company's new CEO are pushing back against critics who blame the grocery giant for soaring food prices, as a month-long boycott of the retailer gets underway.
Heavy police presence at McGill University as counter-protesters assemble opposite pro-Palestinian encampment
A heavy police presence was at McGill University on Thursday morning, as counter-protesters assembled opposite the pro-Palestinian encampment at the school.
Captain sentenced to 4 years for criminal negligence in fiery deaths of 34 aboard scuba boat
A federal judge on Thursday sentenced a scuba dive boat captain to four years in custody and three years supervised release for criminal negligence after 34 people died in a fire aboard the vessel.
Local Spotlight
Three Quebec men from same family father hundreds of children
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
Here's how one of Sask.'s largest power plants was knocked out for 73 days, and what it took to fix it
A group of SaskPower workers recently received special recognition at the legislature – for their efforts in repairing one of Saskatchewan's largest power plants after it was knocked offline for months following a serious flood last summer.
Quebec police officer anonymously donates kidney, changes schoolteacher's life
A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.
Canada's oldest hat store still going strong after 90 years
Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Road closed in Oak Bay, B.C., so elephant seal can cross
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
B.C. breweries take home awards at World Beer Cup
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
Kitchener family says their 10-year-old needs life-saving drug that cost $600,000
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
Haida Elder suing Catholic Church and priest, hopes for 'healing and reconciliation'
The lawyer for a residential school survivor leading a proposed class-action defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church over residential schools says the court action is a last resort.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.