ǿմý

Politics

    • Trudeau contemplated stepping down while 'undefeated,' but is now all in

    Share

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau contemplated stepping down while "undefeated" last year, but ultimately decided that he "can't" walk away at a time when he thinks the stakes are higher than ever.

    In an interview on published earlier this week, host and psychologist Adam Grant asked the prime minister about how often he thinks about quitting.

    "These days, not at all," Trudeau said.

    "There was a moment last year, as I was facing some difficult moments in my marriage, where I really wondered, 'OK, is there a path?' And I just realized, that's not me," he said.

    "There is so much to do still, and the stakes are higher in some ways for our democracies than ever before," the prime minister continued.

    "The need to try and hold things together in a rational discourse … doing things that are meaningful and are going to nudge the arc of the moral universe forward, matters so much that I couldn't be the person I am, the fighter I am and say, 'yeah, no, this particular fight I'm walking away from,' I can't do that yet."

    In August 2023, Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau announced they were separating, but would continue to co-parent, after 18 years of marriage.

    In the teaser soundbite off the top of the episode, Trudeau was clipped talking about thinking of stepping aside and giving "someone else a chance at it, and say 'OK, I've done enough, let me go out undefeated,'" but that section was not in the main interview that was released.

    Trudeau said while he isn't planning on going anywhere – questions about the prime minister's future have been swirling for months – he does do regular check-ins to affirm that he's "all-in," even though "it's harder now" and despite his opponent "getting traction for all the wrong reasons."

    "If you're going to be honest about doing a job like this, that has the responsibilities and the impact that it has, you have to … check that you're up for it," he said. "Because people out there … deserve a leader that is focused on them with everything they have every single day."

    For some time now Trudeau and his party have been running a consistent second in the polls to the Conservatives led by Pierre Poilievre, with both the prime minister's personal approval numbers and overall party standing sliding.

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau departs Ottawa on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, on route to Italy to attend the G7 Summit. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

    Asked how he deals with knowing that no matter what he does, millions of people disapprove of his decisions or dislike him, Trudeau said he tries to not take it personally, and reminds himself that if no one had a strong opinion of him it would mean he wouldn't be doing anything consequential.

    "The line is you, no matter what you're doing, you know 30 per cent like you, 30 per cent hate you, 40 per cent are completely indifferent to the fact that you even exist," Trudeau said. "You don't get into this job because you want to be popular, or you want to be liked, or if you do you're in for a rude awakening because that's not what this job is all about."

    A recent Nanos Research survey found that 56 per cent of respondents said they'd prefer the Liberals campaign with someone other than Trudeau as leader, while just 17 per cent said they think he should stay on.

    Trudeau said what continues to drive him amidst the polarization is feeling like he's making a meaningful difference in people's lives.

    "Being able to sort of detach yourself from people's perceptions of you is really, really important in a job that requires a certain amount of popularity, for people to vote for you, but you cannot allow that to drive you or even define you."

    When it comes to the more extreme instances, Trudeau said he tries to go to "a place of empathy" and remind himself that no matter how those individuals feel, he still has to think about how to govern in a way that helps them.

    "It gets harder when it goes to my family or some of my team members… Because that's coming after my people. Come after me all you like."

    He also conceded that he's still rethinking how Canadians ended up coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic "so divided," and what he can to do "bring Canadians back together."

    Trudeau has been making the rounds on popular U.S. and Canadian podcasts in recent months, sitting down for longer-form conversations, as part of a refreshed digital media strategy targeting millennials and Gen Z voters that his office started rolling out around the budget.

    In the interview, the prime minister spoke directly to the motivations behind this "politics in full sentences" messaging pivot.

    Trudeau said that while his teacher instincts are to explain his policies to get people to see why they're the right move – he used the carbon price as an example – the feedback he's received from his staff and MPs is "stop it with the explaining."

    He said he's been told that he needs to just "get out there and talk about the world we're building and reassure people that you've got the plan and you're confident in it."

    IN DEPTH

    Opinion

    opinion

    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 ǿմý

    Ottawa city councillor Clarke Kelly says he is not apologizing after a Kinburn daycare owner alleged he screamed and swore in front of children during a dispute that saw police called to the scene on Wednesday afternoon.

    Ireland's prime minister says he's "absolutely appalled" by an assault in the country's capital that resulted in the death of a tourist from Montreal.

    An Ontario man who wanted to spend time with his family in Florida was hospitalized after suffering a cardiac arrest at the airport as he was about to fly back to Canada.

    Five earthquakes were recorded in quick succession off the British Columbia coast on Wednesday afternoon.

    Canada

    • Lacey may look like just another pet chicken on Emily Carrington’s B.C. property. But she has a title her coop mates don’t: Guinness World Record holder.

    • Five earthquakes were recorded in quick succession off the British Columbia coast on Wednesday afternoon.

    • A landlord in Ottawa is facing thousands of dollars in repairs after his tenant left his only rental property damaged and disorderly.

    • A Calgary man is $66 million richer after claiming a Lotto 6-49 jackpot.

    • Regina police have identified 29-year-old Skylar Ochuschayoo as a suspect in the city's third homicide of the year.

    World

    Politics

    • Ottawa city councillor Clarke Kelly says he is not apologizing after a Kinburn daycare owner alleged he screamed and swore in front of children during a dispute that saw police called to the scene on Wednesday afternoon.

    • The co-chair of the Liberals' Ontario campaign is suggesting the party's candidate in the Toronto—St. Paul's byelection needed more time to campaign before the vote.

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    A never-before-lived-in mansion in Whistler is on the market for $17.9 million – with the listing describing it as a 'steal for the international buyer' due to the current exchange rate, which puts the price in U.S. dollars at $13.1 million.

    A new documentary filmed in Nova Scotia by marine biologist and veterinarian Dr. Chris Harvey Clark explores the increased number of white shark observations in Canadian waters.

    Irish singer Niall Horan had to ditch his car and walk to Scotiabank Arena where his concert was being held last weekend because the traffic was 'too bad' downtown.

    A rave at the Ontario Science Centre was the place where Greg LeBlanc says his relationship first began with his husband Mark in 1997.

    The city is entering the final stages of resuming water service through its repaired feeder main, as water consumption continues to fall below the city’s threshold level.

    A grandfather and grandson duo proudly graduated alongside each other at the same northern Manitoba school.

    A large basking shark was captured close to the shoreline on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore.

    • Two washrooms in the neighbourhood – one located at Pigeon Park and the other at 144 East Hastings St. – risk closing due to their funding running out in less than two weeks.

    • As Hurricane Beryl churns through the Caribbean, levelling coastal communities, Global Affairs Canada has issued a travel advisory for areas already devastated – and those in the path of the storm.

    • HandyDART riders are watching closely as the labour dispute between unionized drivers and their employer Transdev heats up in Metro Vancouver.

    • A plainclothes officer with the Toronto Police Service’s Drug Squad has been charged after another Toronto area police service alleged he was found driving while impaired and in possession of illicit drugs.

    • Pro-Palestinian protesters who have been occupying King's College Circle for more than 60 days have moved out ahead of a 6 p.m. deadline set by the court to vacate the encampment.

    • Mosetta Ferguson says she saved up for more than a year to take her first trip to Canada to visit her daughter, a trip she says was wonderful until her flight home was cancelled as a result of a strike involving WestJet mechanics that stranded thousands of people over the long weekend.

    • A Calgary man is $66 million richer after claiming a Lotto 6-49 jackpot.

    • Calgary's new logo for its 'Blue Sky City' civic brand has officially been revealed as creators of the design hope it sends a welcoming message and acts as a nod to innovation.

    • Calgary Stampede crews were busy on Wednesday putting the finishing touches on the grounds before the party begins.

    • Ottawa city councillor Clarke Kelly says he is not apologizing after a Kinburn daycare owner alleged he screamed and swore in front of children during a dispute that saw police called to the scene on Wednesday afternoon.

    • A landlord in Ottawa is facing thousands of dollars in repairs after his tenant left his only rental property damaged and disorderly.

    • Tensions are rising as furniture piles up outside an Ottawa apartment building on Richmond Road, where tenants are receiving eviction notices to vacate for renovations.

    • Ireland's prime minister says he's "absolutely appalled" by an assault in the country's capital that resulted in the death of a tourist from Montreal.

    • In Jamaica, people were shopping for essentials and fishermen were bringing boats back to shore as they braced for the worst ahead of Hurricane Beryl.

    • The number of disciplinary cases against Quebec realtors accused of "financially abusing" their clients is going up.

    • The RCMP are searching for a man they say asked two 15-year-old girls if they wanted to have sex with him and punched a 14-year-boy last Wednesday.

    • A man is in police custody following the early Wednesday morning death of a woman in southeast Edmonton.

    • An Edmonton company that once held a competition for free rent of its former office space is doing it again.

    • After a string of thefts over the Canada Day long weekend in Amherst, N.S., local businesses are raising concerns about shoplifting trends in the town

    • The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season has been off to a rare and dangerous start. Hurricane Beryl is the earliest Category 4 and Category 5 hurricane on record for the Atlantic, developing as a result of primed conditions that favour a very active hurricane season.

    • Police in Cape Breton are investigating reports of a scam involving a seemingly stranded motorist flagging down drivers and offering gold jewelry in exchange for money to pay for gas or repairs.

    • In order to pay what some advocates consider a living wage, a new report says the City of Winnipeg would have to spend more than $3 million more per year.

    • A search of the grounds of a former residential school in northern Manitoba has uncovered 187 anomalies, according to First Nation leaders.

    • It was a giant celebration for a giant birthday in south Winnipeg Wednesday, which featured a flyover from the Royal Canadian Air Force.

    • School divisions across Saskatchewan are making it known that fiscal challenges remain, despite the province's attempts at addressing capacity issues in its most recent budget.

    • A Regina couple who were paid $800 in compensation from Sunwing Airlines are now being taken back to court as the airline seeks to overturn the decision.

    • Regina police have identified 29-year-old Skylar Ochuschayoo as a suspect in the city's third homicide of the year.

    • Mark McCreadie’s family fears his admitted killer will harm someone else if he’s ever released from prison.

    • OpenText Corp.'s chief executive says the company plans to shed about 1,200 roles as part of a business optimization plan.

    • Progress has been made in the ongoing strike at the Cargill meat processing plant in Guelph, Ont., as the union representing workers announced Tuesday they reached a new recommended memorandum of settlement with the company.

    • Shoppers who frequent Co-op stores in Saskatoon and the area may have to shop around to get what they need because of limited supply due to a cyberattack.

    • Traffic restrictions are in place for Northbound traffic exiting from Highway 16 onto Circle Drive East due to a single-vehicle collision involving a school bus.

    • The mother of a Saskatoon homicide victim says getting justice in her daughter’s killing has been painful.

    • A federal court hearing Wednesday saw lawyers for Elliot Lake homeowners and the Attorney General of Canada argue over the definition of nuclear mine waste.

    • The Greater Sudbury Police Service advised of a heavy police presence in the city’s downtown on social media on Wednesday evening.

    • A northern Ontario beekeeper has lost half of her bee population – more than 1.5 million bees to be exact – due to what she believes is an acute chemical kill.

    • Police in Huron County are overseeing a death investigation. Around 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, emergency services responded to an address on Cut Line Road between Parr Line and Tipperary Line in Central Huron.

    • The sexual assault case involving five former Canadian World Junior hockey players was back in court as the trial date draws near. The pre-trial was dealt with this afternoon via zoom at the London courthouse, however a ban on publication was placed any issues discussed during the proceedings.

    • The London Fire Department is working alongside the London Police Service following a fire in the city.

    • Police arrested and charged two individuals for allegedly stealing over $5,000 worth of furniture from an Airbnb.

    • Emergency crews are responding to a motor vehicle collision on Crossland Road and Townline in Tiny Township.

    • On Wednesday, a distressed senior was successfully rescued along a trail in New Tecumseth, Ont.

    • The recent death of a cyclist on Lauzon Road has renewed concerns about Windsor's cycling infrastructure.

    • A Maidstone couple discovers an unexpected object while doing landscaping in their backyard.

    • A trick or a treat? The Town of Kingsville wants residents to weigh in on rescheduling Halloween.

    • Five earthquakes were recorded in quick succession off the British Columbia coast on Wednesday afternoon.

    • Three years after a man was gunned down outside a fast-food restaurant on Vancouver Island, a 42-year-old suspect has been charged with murder.

    • Lacey may look like just another pet chicken on Emily Carrington’s B.C. property. But she has a title her coop mates don’t: Guinness World Record holder.

    • British Columbia residents are being told to brace for a coming heat wave that could send temperatures into the high 30s and beyond, with the government reminding people to check in on their neighbours.

    • A swath of B.C.’s southern Interior is being told to brace for potential severe thunderstorms Tuesday.

    • A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect Sunday for a swath of the B.C. Interior, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

    • One of two men accused of conspiring to kill Mounties at the border blockade at Coutts, Alta., characterized the protest as a last stand and told his mother there “will be a war” if police moved in.

    • With the recent moisture and cooler temperatures, fire bans and restrictions in the Lethbridge area are no longer in effect.

    • Plenty of tourists will descend on Lethbridge to see what the city offers. Locals, too, will have no shortage of activities this weekend.

    • Police and city officials say a Pride display in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., was vandalized.

    • A federal court hearing Wednesday saw lawyers for Elliot Lake homeowners and the Attorney General of Canada argue over the definition of nuclear mine waste.

    • A man has been charged with assault with a weapon following a confrontation between neighbours on Tuesday in the Sault.

    N.L.

    Stay Connected
    Follow CTV News