Justin Trudeau on Stephen Colbert: It’s a ‘tough time’ for Canadians

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants Americans to cognize Canada has much to connection than conscionable “maple syrup and mountains.”

During a Monday nighttime quality on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the Canadian governmental person got laughs from the assemblage arsenic helium tried to acceptable Canada isolated from the U.S. and boast astir what makes the bluish federation palmy connected the satellite stage.

There were besides respective much sombre moments from Trudeau’s appearance, with the premier curate noting it’s a “tough time” for galore Canadians. Part of the night’s speech focused connected far-right nationalism and increasing governmental part among radical successful some Canada and the U.S.

Colbert said Trudeau’s main governmental opponent, Conservative Party of Canada Leader Pierre Poilievre, has been called “the Trump of Canada.”

In response, Trudeau said Canada is not exempt from extremist rhetoric oregon xenophobia. He did not mention immoderate circumstantial examples.

“We’re not immoderate magical spot of unicorns and rainbows each the time,” helium said. “The things that we’ve managed to do, we’ve had to enactment really, truly hard at.”

Trudeau mentioned cosmopolitan wellness care, ongoing efforts against clime alteration and dental attraction for low-income Canadians arsenic policies that “we person to combat for” continually.

“There’s a large statement close present astir whether dental attraction adjacent exists,” Trudeau said. “We’ve delivered it to 700,000 radical crossed the state and my hostile is gaslighting america and saying, ‘Dental attraction doesn’t adjacent beryllium yet.'”

Earlier this month, Conservative MP Stephen Ellis said the authorities has failed successful the transportation of subsidized dental care and claimed astir Canadians don’t suffice for sum oregon indispensable inactive wage retired of pouch for services.

The Canada Dental Care Plan is accepting applications from radical implicit the property of 65, for children nether the property of 18 and those who person the Disability Tax Credit. Applicants request to beryllium confirmed, and past volition beryllium enrolled with Sun Life which manages the means-tested plan, which is unfastened to those whose adjusted household nett income is little than $90,000 per twelvemonth and who don’t person entree to dental attraction programs done leader plans, backstage coverage, oregon pupil oregon pension benefits.

Additional eligibility phases volition rotation retired adjacent year.

Trudeau’s quality comes arsenic helium is acceptable to look a ballot connected a non-confidence motion successful the House of Commons, enactment guardant by the Conservatives connected Tuesday and coming to a ballot connected Wednesday. If the ballot is lost, Canada could spot a drawback election, but the NDP and Bloc Quebecois person indicated they volition enactment the Liberals successful defeating the motion.

“It’s a truly pugnacious clip for radical successful Canada close now,” Trudeau said. “People are hurting. People are having occupation paying for groceries, paying for rent, filling up the tank.”

“People are frustrated and the thought that possibly they privation an predetermination present is thing that my opponents are trying to slope connected due to the fact that radical are taking a batch retired connected me, for understandable reasons,” helium said. “I’ve been here, and I’ve been steering america done each these things and radical are sometimes looking astatine change.”

The premier curate said helium volition “keep fighting” to enactment Canadians and added that “Canada’s the champion state successful the world.”

Trudeau described the country’s “beautiful” wilderness and scenery, but maintained “Canada is astir the people.”

“It’s a scope of radical from each imaginable inheritance who travel unneurotic and — a small antithetic from the melting cookware successful the United States wherever everyone gets to beryllium American — we effort to observe differences, and radical support their cultures and support their languages.”

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Colbert, portion noting that Canada is America’s “closest ally,” asked Trudeau what the 2 nations combat about.

The premier curate said determination are galore “small issues that matter” betwixt some countries, but claimed the U.S. pays excessively overmuch successful tariffs connected softwood lumber.

This summer, the U.S. announced a 14.54 per cent work rate connected Canadian softwood lumber imports — an summation from the erstwhile 8.05 per cent tariff.

Colbert half-joked that galore Americans besides transverse the U.S.-Canada borderline to bargain cheaper drugs extracurricular of the country.

“We’re blessed to effort and assistance you out, but it would beryllium a batch easier if you guys had cosmopolitan wellness care,” Trudeau said, earning cheers from the in-studio audience.

In lighter moments from Trudeau’s Late Show appearance, helium joked Canadians, contempt the stereotype for ever saying “sorry,” would not apologize for the nominal differences betwixt bacon and backmost bacon (or arsenic Americans telephone it, Canadian bacon).

Trudeau has been Canada’s premier curate since 2015. This week, helium travelled to New York City up of the 79th United Nations General Assembly. This twelvemonth marks the UN’s first-ever Summit of the Future, which gathers satellite leaders to sermon themes including bid and security, sustainable development, clime alteration and quality rights.

Trudeau said attending the General Assembly makes him consciousness some much and little hopeful astir the future.

“You person to beryllium fundamentally hopeful successful this job, and peculiarly successful this clip wherever challenges are monumental,” helium said of politicians. “But if you don’t judge you tin really enactment with others and marque a affirmative difference, past you’re not successful the close enactment of work.”

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‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ airs connected Global astatine 11:30 p.m. ET connected weeknights.

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