Liberals planning 2nd half of mandate
Trudeau, cabinet gather in Newfoundland, mark 9/11 anniversary
OTTAWA (CP) — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet are gathering in St. John’s, N.L., where they will look to the past before preparing for the months ahead and the second half of their mandate.
The visit to Newfoundland began with Trudeau marking the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks by joining a discussion on how a small community opened its doors to thousands of stranded airline passengers after U.S. air space was closed.
The prime minister attended the Come From Away forum — named for the awardwinning Broadway musical that chronicles how the residents of Gander, N.L., responded when nearly 7,000 passengers and crew from 38 planes were diverted there following the attacks.
The crowd of invited guests in St. John’s Monday night included 20 Canadian Red Cross volunteers who helped passengers from all over the world stranded for about five days in Newfoundland after 9/11.
Paul Greene was among those who spent the week after the attacks handing out “comfort kits” to travellers from across the U.S. and Europe. They had suddenly diverted to the island in the North Atlantic on Canada’s easternmost edge — a place many had never heard of or ever intended to visit.
Many were afraid, disoriented and had to leave the aircraft without so much as a toothbrush, Greene said.
“We helped a lot of people find lodging and look after immediate needs.”
The musical Come From Away celebrates what happened in the Gander region, but Greene said many passengers also needed help in St. John’s.
Today and Wednesday, Trudeau and his ministers will hunker down for their annual cabinet retreat.
The relationship with the United States will continue to be a focus of discussion, especially with Ottawa hosting the next round of North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations Sept. 23-27.
The retreat will also give ministers a chance to share updates — and grill each other — on their own files, such as what the federal government is doing to assist Canadians affected by the devastation caused by hurricane Irma, as well as the ever-present task of promoting economic growth.
There are just over two years left before the 2019 federal election, so some of the talk is also expected to focus on how the Liberals can make good on more of their promises before Canadians head to the polls.
The cabinet will look at a busy legislative agenda this fall, which includes some massive bills such as the proposed legalization of cannabis for recreational use and a new National Security Act. The Liberals also face a new Conservative leader and an increasingly unpredictable Senate.
“We always want to work as productively as possible in Parliament and have respectful and productive exchanges with all members of Parliament in the House,” said Cameron Ahmad, a spokesman for Trudeau.
“At the same time, we have a mandate we were elected on to fulfil,” said Ahmad, who added parts of the mandate dealing with jobs and the economy will be the biggest priority.