The Prime Minister repeatedly defended criticism from anti-oil protesters during his public hearing on Friday in Nanaimo, British Columbia.
The protesters denounced, among other things, the Prime Minister’s support for the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project , which would triple the amount of bitumen transported from Alberta to British Columbia.
The heckling began after the question of a woman who was begging the prime minister, insisting on “please, please, please,” to block Kinder Morgan’s expansion project .
While Mr. Trudeau was trying to answer the question, he was interrupted every time he spoke by the cries of rowdy people scattered in the crowd.
“I try to talk to you and answer a question that I can not answer because you refuse to listen,” replied Mr. Trudeau, visibly irritated by the continuous interruptions.
Protesters removed
If you do not respect other people in this room, please leave the room.
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
Three protesters who refused to sit were taken out of the room by police.
Mr. Trudeau was finally able to answer the question about half an hour later, saying that the Trans Mountain pipeline was “an issue that raises strong emotions on both sides, but that the compromise must have been accepted. in the interest of all Canadians.”
Upon arriving in the hall, the Prime Minister was greeted by both applause and crowd hooting, obviously divided in their opinions.
A man in the front row continually called Mr. Trudeau a “liar”, prompting the Prime Minister to ask the crowd if the man in question had the right to ask a question.
The majority of the crowd said no, and the Prime Minister said, “The crowd has decided. The man was then taken out of the room by police.
Many questions, especially about French in a minority setting
The participants who took the microphone asked questions all over the place. These concerns revolved around the protection of the environment with the various energy projects, but also access to housing and the opioid crisis, which particularly affects British Columbia. Other issues related to the thorny issues of NAFTA and softwood lumber, as well as racism and human rights.
Then, a mother of Nanaimo students called the Prime Minister about access to French-language education in a minority setting. In response to this question, Justin Trudeau assured that an investment will be devoted to French-language education in the government’s next roadmap on official languages.
This roadmap will be released in a few months, said the Prime Minister. “After 10 years of underinvestment by the former government, we will move forward to really support you in defending our beautiful official languages across the country,” he said.
