Trudeau says help on way for refugees
PM reassures Tory that the federal government ‘is there to be supportive’
A day after Premier Doug Ford greeted Justin Trudeau by slamming his welcome approach to asylum-seekers and refusing to aid in their relocation, the prime minister promised help is still on the way for Toronto at a city hall meeting with Mayor John Tory.
“I want to thank John for his continued leadership on this. It hasn’t always been easy. The federal government is there to be supportive,” Trudeau said.
“Canadians, we’re there for each other. We’re there for people in challenging situations. We know that we have to continue to demonstrate that our immigration system is strong and applies while staying true to our values and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
Trudeau was speaking to reporters in a staged photo opportunity ahead of a scheduled one-on-one meeting in Tory’s second-floor office.
“I will be looking for, obviously, assistance as I have been from the federal government,” Tory cut in to say, seated next to Trudeau.
“And we’ll be there for that,” the prime minister responded.
Tory pivoted immediately to joke that in order to show deference to Trudeau he did not wear his Toronto Maple Leafs socks, referring to the time Trudeau’s ankles sported the Montreal Canadiens logo on his first visit to city hall during Tory’s leadership.
“I think we’re all baseball fans right now,” Trudeau joked.
The pleasant public exchange was markedly different from the prime minister’s visit up the street Thursday.
Ford’s newly elected Progressive Conservative government blamed Trudeau for creating a “mess” by welcoming “illegal border-crossers.”
The prime minister shot back Thursday that perhaps the rookie premier didn’t have a grasp on the migrant crisis or the UN Convention on Refugees.
Tory has repeatedly called for help from the provincial and federal governments as refugee claimants largely coming over the border in Quebec from the United States have been straining the city’s already overcapacity shelter system.
After two college dormitories were opened to house refugees this spring, they were quickly filled. When those dorms are returned to the colleges in early August, there is still no plan for where to house some 800 people including more than 250 children.
The federal government has said the province needs to partner on a plan to rehouse refugees in other areas.
The prime minister offered no specifics on how his government planned to help in light of Ford’s recent statements and no media questions were allowed.
Tory said he had spoken with other mayors ahead of his meeting with Trudeau to discuss co-ordinating a response to housing and employing refugees making their way to Toronto. He said other cities were ready to help.
“I was very gratified by that,” Tory said.