The Council of Canadians Quinte chapter is disappointed that it wasn’t able to get into the town hall meeting with Justin Trudeau in Belleville this evening.
While the chapter both registered online ahead of time and arrived 45 minutes before the event began (as recommended), the chapter was not able to enter the Empire Theatre given the huge lineup. Not giving up, chapter activists Lynne Rochon and Rob Williams help up their placards on proportional representation and encouraged people in the line to ask Trudeau about electoral reform.
The Globe and Mail now reports, “An audience member urged him to honour his pledge to change the voting system.” The Canadian Press adds, “On electoral reform, he said he personally favoured a ranked ballot system, and insisted his government is not backing away from its plans to change the way Canadians choose their leaders.”
In terms of other questions, Bloomberg reporter Josh Wingrove tweeted, “Trudeau asked about Site C dam. Gave long answer. Said gov considered reversing Harper approval; ‘on balance’ did not. Said BC gov backs it.”
Earlier today Trudeau was in Kingston. CBC reports, “In the space of an hour, Trudeau took questions about the welfare of Indigenous Canadians, military exports, subsidies for the fossil-fuel industry, electoral reform and support for the manufacturing sector. An Indigenous woman became emotional while asking the prime minister to protect Canadian waters from environmental harm. ‘Please, from the bottom of my heart, and my grandchildren, please keep our water clean’, she said. Another woman seemed to choke up as she criticized the Liberal government’s handling of benefits for veterans.”
Trudeau is also being asked about cash-for-access fundraising, his vacation on a billionaire’s private island in the Bahamas, and the Phoenix pay system for government workers.
CBC also notes, “Liberal MPs invited those wishing to attend to RSVP through the MPs’ websites, raising questions about whether the information would be used by the Liberal party for political purposes. But a spokesman for the prime minister said signing up on the websites was not required in order to attend, and was intended to ensure attendees received any updates with details of the events. Notice of one event was posted on the Liberal party’s website, but a party spokesman later said that was a mistake and the posting had been deleted.”
The Council of Canadians Peterborough-Kawarathas chapter and London chapter will attempt to ask Trudeau questions at his public appearances tomorrow.
The full schedule of this tour over the next three weeks has not been released, but The Globe and Mail has reported, “[The Ontario stops] will be followed up by stops in British Columbia, Quebec and the Prairies, with events still being planned for the Atlantic provinces.”
The tour presents an opportunity to ask questions about free trade deals, tar sands pipelines and climate change, health care funding, water protection, and electoral reform as well as to put forward the positive vision outlined in Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow’s vision for 2017.
