Trudeau Sits Down With ‘This Hour Has 22 Minutes’ Comedian to Reflect on 2024

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau leaves after a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Dec. 20, 2024. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

In a year-end interview with comedian Mark Critch of “this Hour Has 22 Minutes,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he is “not ready to stop fighting” for key policies such as gun control and climate change.

Critch and Trudeau are seen seated in a bar where they talk about the prime minister’s “garbage year,” as Critch calls it.

The interview was filmed in early December, before Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned from caucus on Dec. 16. Her resignation was unexpected, and many MPs have joined the call for Trudeau to step down since her departure. In her resignation letter, Freeland said she would remain in the Liberal party and intends to run again, but currently holds no cabinet position.

Following Freeland’s departure, Trudeau cancelled all other year-end media interviews. CBC Radio-Canada had filed a year-end interview with the prime minister prior to Freeland’s resignation but chose not to air it, saying it had become dated after she left cabinet.

At the start of the interview, Critch says Trudeau “went through a devastating breakup” this year, and asked him how his heart was after Jagmeet Singh broke the supply-and-confidence agreement the Liberals and NDP had made to prop up Trudeau’s minority government.

Trudeau laughed and said: “We’ve done good things together as progressives, and we’re gonna still try to bring them along on the more progressive things we’re doing.”

Critch then asked Trudeau about his visit at the end of November with president-elect Donald Trump and how the food was.

”Actually, it was a really good steak,” Trudeau said.

Critch also asked the prime minister about the U.S. president-elect’s suggestion that Canada become the 51st state and his reference to Trudeau as governor.

“There was a lot discussed during those three hours. That was an offhand, jocular moment. I don’t think it’s serious, even from him,” Trudeau said.

When asked about Canada’s “greatest defence” when it comes to threats by Trump to impose a 25 percent tariff on goods exported to the United States, Trudeau replied: “I think our greatest defence is that we do things together across the border, and anything they do that will hurt us will also hurt them and that is something he doesn’t want to do.”

The interview turned to Trudeau’s future, with Critch saying that 40 years ago, Trudeau’s father, former Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, took his famous walk in the snow and decided not to run again. Then he said, “It’s snowing out there now.”

”When my father was my age, he still had a dozen years of prime ministering ahead of him,” Trudeau responded.

Critch said, “Oh my God, another dozen years?”

“God, no,” Trudeau replied, laughing.

Critch pointed out that Conservative Leader Pierre Polievre is ahead in the polls and asked Trudeau, “Do you think you can do this?”

”Right now we’re in a moment where everything is difficult, and Pierre Polievre is trying to convince Canadians not to believe in themselves, not to believe in the CBC, not to believe in climate change, not to believe in gun control, not believe in women’s rights,” Trudeau said.

“I believe Canadians rise to the occasion, and I am certainly not going to stop fighting at this moment when it’s so important.”

New Year’s Statement

On Dec. 21, Trudeau issued a New Year’s statement where he touted what his government had done during 2024, including using the Housing Accelerator Fund to fast-track new home builds, allowing rent payments to be used towards credit score building, and introducing a two-month GST/HST tax holiday. He also noted that the government introduced a dental care plan and increased the child tax benefit.

“In 2024, Canadians did what Canadians do best. We stuck together, supported one another, and got through good times and bad times alongside each other,” Trudeau said.

“I invite Canadians to join me in celebrating all that we have achieved together in 2024 and in looking toward a better and fairer future in the new year.”