Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Canada's liberal PM takes aim at conservatives 10 days before ballot
ADVERTISEMENT

Ottawa, Sept 10 (AFP) Sep 10, 2021
Canada's Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, facing a possible election defeat and a barrage of criticism over climate and foreign policies, tried to paint his Conservative rival as unready to lead on a debate stage Thursday.

The nationally televised primetime debate was Trudeau's last opportunity to face-off in person against the Tories' rookie captain Erin O'Toole in a bid to sway voters.

Canadians go to the polls on September 20.

Several issues -- climate, global warming, Afghanistan, Covid-19 vaccines and indigenous reconciliation -- triggered brief clashes between the main candidates.

Tensions have risen in recent days as O'Toole took a slight lead in public opinion polls.

An agitated Trudeau -- the more seasoned campaigner who loves a dog fight -- at times spoke over O'Toole and three other party leaders on the stage, before the moderator cut him off.

He accused O'Toole of hiding an agenda to loosen gun controls, and highlighted splinters in the Conservative party's approach to global warming.

The prime minister also challenged O'Toole's rejection of mandatory Covid jabs.

"The problem with Mr O'Toole and his principles is he says all the right-sounding things and he's working on reassuring everyone that he's right there as a strong leader, but he can't convince his candidates to get vaccinated," said Trudeau.

O'Toole, who has led the Conservatives for one year, shot back at the criticism of his leadership: "I am driving the bus to make sure we get this country back on track."

On climate, Trudeau came under fire for failing to put a dent in Canada's greenhouse gas emission levels over the six years that his Liberals have been in office.

Acknowledging that Conservatives needed to win back public trust, O'Toole said: "We haven't met the expectations of Canadians on climate change."

Turning to foreign policy, he criticized Trudeau for calling an election on the day Kabul fell to the Taliban, and an unsettled row with China.

The plight of two Canadians, former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, was raised.

Kovrig and Spavor have been detained by China since December 2018 following Ottawa's arrest on a US warrant of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou.

"You let the Michaels down," O'Toole said, addressing Trudeau.

He also said veterans had called for a plan to evacuate Afghan interpreters and others who worked with the Canadian military months before Kabul fell.

"When Afghanistan was falling there were 1,200 Canadians and hundreds more translators and others waiting for help from Canada," O'Toole said.

"Mr Trudeau should not have called this election, you should have gotten the job done in Afghanistan," he said.

amc/dva/ssy

THE MICHAELS COMPANIES


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Final Voyage Delayed: ULA Postpones Last Delta IV Heavy Launch with Classified NRO Payload
Japan Moon probe survives second lunar night
Europe space telescope's sight restored after de-icing procedure

24/7 Energy News Coverage
Revolutionizing Particle Physics: AI's Role in Deciphering Complex Particle Paths
UC San Diego Scientists Unveil Plant-Based Polymers that Biodegrade Microplastics in Months
Cambridge working to unlock new solar energy pathways

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
AI generates high-quality images 30 times faster in a single step
Aerospacelab and Xona Unite to Transform Satellite Navigation
GITAI's robotic system triumphs in ISS demo

24/7 News Coverage
'Just staggering': UN says households waste 1 bn meals a day
Neolithic Mariners: Unveiling the Mediterranean's Oldest Boats
Greece to buy seven Canadian water bombers for wildfires


All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.