What Prime Minister Trudeau Told Colbert on ‘The Late Show’

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, flanked by entourage and security, waves as he arrives at the CBS studios for the filming of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," in New York, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. Trudeau was interviewed by Colbert, and the episode aired later that night. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told host Stephen Colbert on a Sept. 23 appearance on “The Late Show” that many Canadians are blaming their economic issues on him for “understandable reasons.”

The prime minister was a guest on Colbert’s show while in New York for the United Nations General Assembly and the Summit of the Future.

“I’ve been here, and I’ve been steering us through all these things, and people are sometimes looking at change,” he said in reference to an upcoming Sept. 25 confidence vote in the House of Commons.

“But the reality is, I deeply believe in continuing to fight climate change and continuing to invest in people, continuing to be there to support people, and I’m going to keep fighting.”

Trudeau said while Canada’s macro-economic outlook is “slightly more positive” than the U.S., many Canadians are still struggling to buy groceries and afford rent.

“So there’s a lot of frustration, and that’s one of the reasons why, even though our economy is by macro-metrics doing very well, we’re saying, ‘OK, even if it’s doing well macro, let’s invest more in people,’” he told Colbert.

Trudeau highlighted several of his government’s priorities such as $10-a-day childcare, dental care, and pharmacare to make diabetes medication and prescription contraceptives free. “These are the kinds of things that we’re investing in so people can actually get relief and have more money to pay for groceries,” he said.

The prime minister’s comments come as the Conservatives plan to table a non-confidence motion on Sept. 24 in an attempt to trigger an election. The Bloc Quebecois and NDP have already said they will not support the motion, making it unlikely to pass.

Colbert also asked Trudeau about “the far right and flirtations with fascism” and referenced Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who he said has been referred to as “Canada’s Donald Trump.”

Trudeau responded that Canada is “not some magical place of unicorns and rainbows all the time” and said Canada has “more than its fair share” of problems. He said the Liberal government is focused on bringing “people together around thoughtful ideas,” citing fighting climate change with a price on pollution and expanding resources for low-income Canadians.

The Liberals have attempted to associate Poilievre with the Republican Party and “MAGA” movement in the U.S., recently accusing Poilievre of being “weird,” echoing a strategy used by the Democrats in the United States and associating Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump and his team with extremism.

Poilievre has previously pushed back against accusations that he is trying to “court the far right,” telling a reporter in August 2023 that the accusation was “based on a false premise” and that his party is focused on making life more affordable for Canadians.

In a Sept. 24 statement making reference to Trudeau’s appearance on show, the Conservatives raised concern about Trudeau’s response to a question from Colbert about increased tariffs imposed by the United States on Canadian softwood lumber and the issue of fishing rights, saying they were “small issues.”

“Softwood lumber is not a ’small issue' for the tens of thousands of Canadians who now face unemployment because the Liberal Government failed to negotiate a deal on softwood lumber,” the statement said.

“Similarly, fishing is not a ’minor issue' for the 70,000 Canadians who depend on the fishing industry for their livelihood,” it added.