Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered a full-throated defense of Canada’s place in an increasingly anxious, nativist, protectionist world on Thursday, arguing that Canadian faith in the merits of trade makes us uniquely positioned to lead the way forward.Citing the succession of trade pacts inked on his watch, including the pitfall-strewn renegotiation of NAFTA during a surge of protectionism south of the border, the Prime Minister said Canada stood strong and now is thriving as “the only G7 country with a free trade deal with every other G7 country.” Speaking in “fireside chat” format with Toronto MP and Liberal caucus colleague Adam Vaughan Thursday night at downtown Toronto’s Design Exchange, Trudeau credited the resolve of everyday Canadians for unity on the trade front.Even as populist trends take hold elsewhere, with politicians feeding the impulse to surrender to “anxiety, skepticism and cynicism” in the age of disruption, Trudeau told an intimate crowd of about 70 Liberal party donors that his government was able to advance trade deals confident that Canadians were with him.“It is natural human instinct to hunker down, but Canadians are not natural hunker-downers,” Trudeau said.Instead, he said, the attitude was, “We’ve got this. We can do this.”In what seemed a replay from a scene at the nearby King Edward Hotel six weeks ago, Trudeau’s remarks were hijacked by an activist campaigner for Grassy Narrows mercury victims, demanding the government follow through on its pledge to build a treatment centre.But unlike the scene in March, when Trudeau sarcastically dismissed the interlopers, telling them repeatedly, ‘Thank you for your donation,’ the Prime Minister listened patiently to the protest message, then said to the protester, “You are welcome to stay,” to discuss the issue. The invitation was declined, and, as the person exited, Vaughan and Trudea ...
|
