Trudeau shows off gift for gab
PM fields friendly questions and some heckling during latest town hall forum
HAMILTON— There was a stool for Justin Trudeau but he barely touched it, choosing instead to work the hardwood floor, sleeves rolled up, turning repeatedly to face each side of the packed gymnasium at McMaster University.
So smooth was the prime minister’s 90-minute question-and-answer performance Wednesday, that not only did he coolly field unscripted and mostly friendly questions, but engaged two hecklers — earning a standing ovation in the first instance, and asking another audience member to stay even as he was leaving the room.
The event was the second of six national town hall-style gatherings to interact with Canadians, which Trudeau has called a “grounding exercise” for him. Tuesday he was in Sackville, N.S.; Thursday he is in London, Ont.
From the audience of about 2,000 he randomly called on people whose hands were up and fielded questions about education, youth engagement and how he thinks his legacy will differ from that of his father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau.
On the latter question, the son said that while he is “rock solid” on his own “values and perspective,” he’s more open to input and opinions from others than his father, who was more of an academic who held fast to a distinct vision.
He was asked about drug legalization and the threat of terrorists living in Canada (he said Canadian security and intelligence officials are monitoring 60 “ISIS fighters or potential ISIS fighters” across the country, which he said is the same number as under the previous federal government. U.S. President Donald Trump was invoked once in a question. In Sackville, Trudeau had suggested Canada had “an unruly neighbour” south of the border, but at McMaster he would say only that the importance of the U.S.-Canada relationship “is bigger than the personalities in charge.”
He called on Hridya Rajesh, a Grade 5 student from Cootes Elementary School in Hamilton to ask a question about education; she told him the government should “help youth fulfil their dreams.”
But this was not a policy conference — it resembled a campaign-style rally, and at this type of show, Trudeau’s performance gifts are considerable, and were never more evident than in his dusting of the two hecklers.
First, a woman shouted at him about the Canadian government’s decision to settle a lawsuit with Omar Khadr for $10.5 million.
Later, a man interrupted Trudeau with outbursts including “no antiSemitism!” as Trudeau was answering a question on reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
The PM rolled with the confrontation like a standup comedian, joking that they should all “respect a person’s right to shout.”