At its lowest point in the polls, the Trudeau government is proposing a “return to.” [ses] Roots” this winter. The Prime Minister and his ministers will identify their key priorities for action during a three-day retreat in Montreal.
At the heart of the program: efforts to “support the middle class.” In particular, ministers will discuss measures to reduce the cost of living, build more housing and improve the healthcare system.
The cabinet's resignation also comes at a time when the immigration issue is weighing on the government. Last Wednesday, Quebec Premier François Legault called on the Canadian prime minister to stem the flow of asylum seekers, otherwise Quebec would reach its “breaking point.”
“We found Mr. Legault's letter very constructive and very useful. Now it is up to us to find common solutions,” said Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez on Sunday evening at the end of the first evening of the ministerial meeting.
“We need to address the pressures posed by foreign students and temporary workers… We agree [sur le fait] “It is a challenge, we will solve it together,” he added in an interview with journalists.
Earlier this week, Justin Trudeau invited higher education institutions and businesses to find housing solutions for these temporary residents. The same applies to industries that claim to have a significant need for temporary workers.
The issues of living and housing costs were at the forefront of Canadians' concerns in 2023, according to several national pollsters. However, two in three Canadians believe the federal government is doing a “poor” or “very poor” job of implementing policies aimed at making housing more affordable in Canada, according to a Nanos survey released earlier this year .
According to the latest Abacus poll, Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives now lead the Liberals by 17 points. At the same time, the same poll also found that approval of the Trudeau government has declined and disapproval is now at its highest level since the Liberals were elected in 2015.
A return of Donald Trump?
Discussions about relations between Canada and the United States are on the agenda as the upcoming presidential election looms over former U.S. President Donald Trump's possible return to the White House.
Last week, Donald Trump won the Republican caucus in Iowa in a landslide, receiving 51 percent of the vote.
The Prime Minister has already reiterated that a possible second Trump presidency “is not the case.” [serait] not easy.” Justin Trudeau served as Canadian prime minister during the former president's first four-year term, during which relations were difficult at times.
“Do you want to be a state that looks to the future with optimism and commitment? Or will they opt for a look back, a nostalgia for a time that never was, a populism that reflects a lot of fear and the anger that people feel without necessarily offering solutions? » introduced Mr. Trudeau during a discussion at the Montreal Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce earlier this week.
“We are witnessing a democratic change, a decline in democratic values around the world and at many levels,” he added.
A second retirement
The Council of Ministers meeting that began in Montreal is not the first to focus on the cost of living and the housing crisis. These same questions were also the “top priority” of the recent retreat in Charlottetown, the capital of Prince Edward Island, last summer.
At the end of this meeting, the Prime Minister promised to make life accessible to young people affected by the rise in property prices, without, however, announcing any concrete measures.
“We have made significant progress on these issues. “The housing minister and other ministers have been working with their counterparts at the provincial and municipal levels to implement very concrete measures that will have a positive impact on affordability issues,” Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Sunday evening.
Minister LeBlanc and several colleagues also took the floor to announce a national summit to combat vehicle theft, including the cross-border transport of stolen vehicles.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not respond to questions from reporters upon his arrival Sunday evening. “It is a pleasure to see you with me,” he simply told reporters.
All federal parties will hold parliamentary group meetings before parliament resumes its work on January 29th.