What Prime Minister Trudeau Told Colbert on ‘The Late Show’
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told host Stephen Colbert on a Sept. 23 appearance of "The Late Show" on that many Canadians are blaming their economic issues on him for "understandable reasons."
The prime minister was a guest on Colbert's show while in New York for the United Nations General Assembly and the Summit of the Future.
"I've been here, and I've been steering us through all these things, and people are sometimes looking at change," he said in reference to an upcoming Sept. 25 confidence vote in the House of Commons.
"But the reality is, I deeply believe in continuing to fight climate change and continuing to invest in people, continuing to be there to support people, and I'm going to keep fighting."
Trudeau said while Canada's macro-economic outlook is "slightly more positive" than the U.S., many Canadians are still struggling to buy groceries and afford rent.
"So there's a lot of frustration, and that's one of the reasons why, even though our economy is by macro-metrics doing very well, we're saying, 'OK, even if it's doing well macro, let's invest more in people,'" he told Colbert.
Trudeau highlighted several of his government's priorities such as $10-a-day childcare, dental care, and pharmacare to make diabetes medication and prescription contraceptives free. "These are the kinds of things that we're investing in so people can actually get relief and have more money to pay for groceries," he said.
Colbert also asked Trudeau about "the far right and flirtations with fascism" and referenced Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who he said has been referred to as Canada's Donald Trump.
"I'm curious why at least some form of nativism or far-right xenophobia might grow in a country even as polite as Canada?" Colbert asked Trudeau.
Trudeau responded that Canada is "not some magical place of unicorns and rainbows all the time" and said Canada has "more than its fair share" of problems. He said the Liberal government is focused on bringing "people together around thoughtful ideas," citing fighting climate change with a price on pollution and expanding resources for low-income Canadians.
Trudeau told Colbert that earlier in the day, he had been engaged in a meeting about ways to solve Haiti's current political crisis.
"Your cats and your dogs are fine?" Colbert asked in reference to Trump's recent comments about some Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, eating cats and dogs.
"I'm going to move right past that one," Trudeau responded.
