Trudeau attends General Assembly where Biden makes final UN speech
U.S. President Joe Biden reflected on the motivation behind his decision to step away from politics and sent a message of unity to global leaders gathered at a time of increasing division and geopolitical instability.
"My fellow leaders, let's never forget, some things are more important than staying in power," Biden said at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York Tuesday.
"It’s your people that matter the most," he said in his final address to the General Assembly.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau looked on as Biden stressed the importance of multilateralism, a theme that has been common to Trudeau's speeches in recent years as well.
When Biden came to office nearly four years ago, he pledged to restore American leadership on the world stage. He spoke about his vision for how the world comes together to solve problems.
But, near the end of his speech, Biden urged leaders to remember whom they serve.
"Never forget we are here to serve the people, not the other way around," he said.
Biden removed himself from the U.S. presidential race in July amid growing concern over his mental acuity and ability to win re-election following a disastrous debate with former Republican president Donald Trump.
Vice-President Kamala Harris has since ascended to the top of the Democratic ticket ahead of the razor-thin race to the White House in November.
Trump has often campaigned on America taking a step back from its role on the global stage, but Biden's speech to the yearly gathering of world leaders at the United Nations said that's the wrong approach.
On his final day at the United Nations on Tuesday, Trudeau was presented with the Order of Freedom by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of assembly, a Ukrainian official said the honour was for outstanding personal contributions in strengthening interstate co-operation, and supporting state sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
"You are a great friend of us," Zelenskyy said.
Trudeau said he accepted the award on behalf of all Canadians.
"We stand with you in this fight that is your fight, but that is all of our fight for democracy, for sovereignty, for territorial integrity," the prime minister said.
Trudeau will return to Canadian soil Wednesday as his government faces its first test in the House of Commons since the NDP ended its supply-and-confidence deal with the Liberals. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre introduced a motion of non-confidence in the government in the House of Commons Tuesday morning.
MPs can vote remotely but they must be in Canada to do so, requiring Trudeau to be back in Canada in time for the vote.
The New Democrats and Bloc Québécois have both indicated plans to vote against the Conservative motion, which would prevent Trudeau's government from falling.
Trudeau addressed the confidence vote during an interview on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" on Monday night. He admitted there's frustration and people are having trouble paying for groceries, rent or gas but Trudeau said he was going to keep fighting.
Trudeau addressed the confidence vote during an interview on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" Monday night. He admitted there's frustration and people are having trouble paying for groceries, rent or gas, but Trudeau said he was going to keep fighting.
The prime minister stood by his vision for leadership Tuesday.
"Every politician has a choice about why they serve, of what they are trying to do, how they are trying to help," Trudeau said during a news conference.
"My focus is very much, and always has been, on how to serve Canadians and build a better future. That’s not what we are seeing from the Conservative party.â€
The prime minister arrived in New York on Sunday and delivered remarks to the Summit of the Future, telling leaders they can choose to stick their heads in the sand or come together to confront global challenges.
Trudeau attended high-level meetings about innovating for a sustainable future and took part in an armchair discussion hosted by Canadian entertainer Lilly Singh, a UN sustainable development goals advocate, who joked the prime minister brought her Tim Hortons coffee. The prime minister also met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to discuss shared priorities on the environment and putting a price on carbon.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly will deliver Canada's national statement later during the UN General Assembly. The speech will emphasize "Canada's commitment to promoting multilateral co-operation, human rights, democracy and the rule of law," a news release from her office said.
During Biden's wide-ranging address, the president urged countries to continue their support for Ukraine to defend against Russian aggression.
"We cannot grow weary. We cannot look away," Biden said.
Russia has a permanent seat on the Security Council and has been resoundingly criticized over its aggression in Ukraine being a violation of the UN Charter.
Last year, Zelenskyy took centre stage at the United Nations, but this year the conflict in the Middle East also weighs heavy at the annual gathering.
“Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest," Biden said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2024.
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½
Police have arrested a Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides and investigators say that they believe two of the victims may have been 'randomly targeted.'
NDP house leader laments 'agents of chaos' in precarious Parliament
NDP House leader Peter Julian says there's more his party wants to do in Parliament before the next election, but if the current dysfunction continues it will become a factor in how they vote on a confidence measure.
Former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters sentenced to 9 years for voting data scheme
A judge ripped into a Colorado county clerk for her crimes and lies before sentencing her Thursday to nine years behind bars for a data-breach scheme spawned from the rampant false claims about voting machine fraud in the 2020 presidential race.
A northeastern Ontario jury has started deliberating in Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial, we can now tell you what they weren't allowed to hear.
A teen charged with the murder of another teen on Prince Edward Island last year has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
At least two people are dead and others are injured after a fire ripped through a century-old building in Old Montreal early Friday morning, sources told Noovo Info.
A French judge in a shocking rape case allows the public to see some of the video evidence
A French judge in the trial of dozens of men accused of raping an unconscious woman whose now former husband had repeatedly drugged her so that he and others could assault her decided on Friday to allow the public to see some of the video recordings of the alleged rapes.
Scientists looked at images from space to see how fast Antarctica is turning green. Here's what they found
Parts of icy Antarctica are turning green with plant life at an alarming rate as the region is gripped by extreme heat events, according to new research, sparking concerns about the changing landscape on this vast continent.
Canadian family stuck in Lebanon anxiously awaits flight options amid Israeli strikes
A Canadian man who is trapped in Lebanon with his family says they are anxiously waiting for seats on a flight out of the country, as a barrage of Israeli airstrikes continues.
Local Spotlight
Chantal Kreviazuk is set to return to Winnipeg to mark a major milestone in her illustrious musical career.
From the beaches of Cannes to the bustling streets of New York City, a new film by a trio of Manitoba directors has toured the international film festival circuit to much pomp and circumstance.
A husband and wife have been on the road trip of a lifetime and have decided to stop in Saskatchewan for the winter.
The grave of a previously unknown Canadian soldier has been identified as a man from Hayfield, Man. who fought in the First World War.
A group of classic car enthusiasts donated hundreds of blankets to nursing homes in Nova Scotia.
Moving into the second week of October, the eastern half of Canada can expect some brisker fall air to break down from the north
What does New Westminster's təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.
The last living member of the legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball team, Kaye Kaminishi, died on Saturday, Sept. 28, surrounded by family. He was 102 years old.
New data from Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley shows a surge in supply and drop in demand in the region's historically hot real estate market.