In House - Deficit talk and first ministers meeting
Next week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will meet with the provincial and territorial Premiers in Vancouver for an highly-anticipated meeting on climate change.
In House panellists Susan Delacourt, a senior political writer for the Toronto Star and iPolitics, and Joël-Denis Bellavance is the parliamentary bureau chief for La Presse, look at the first real test of Justin Trudeau's vision of federalism.
Chris Hall: Give me a sense Joël-Denis, what else is at stake besides coming up with some agreement around how to proceed with climate change ?
Joël-Denis Bellavance: Well, I think for the first time the world will be watching in Vancouver. The world will be watching why, because Mr. Trudeau made a solemn promise at the Paris Conference to come up with a plan to fight climate change. Mr. Trudeau cannot afford, in my sense, to come out of that meeting without a deal with the provinces.
CH: Really ?
JDB: Oh yes, because in my sense France will be looking at that meeting, the United Nations will be looking at that meeting for progress, but if Mr. Trudeau comes out empty handed I think he will be…
Susan Delacourt: I'm not expecting a deal at that meeting.
CH: Yeah, I'm not either.
Susan Delacourt: I think we'll hear a lot of nice words. This is a real big highwire act that he's got going on with the provinces right now. Unlike his father who wanted to go at it alone on things, Justin Trudeau has invested a lot of his success in other people and whether other people agree with him. I think all he's going to come out with next week is some nice words: "we're on our way there", "we're all going to be sunny and happy about this". It is a little bit like the constitutional days where where you define success by whether you have another meeting.
JDB: My sense is that the world was told in Paris that Canada would come up with a credible plan 90 days after that meeting. And I think France for one country is looking at that meeting as being a key date in the fight against climate change. France will be sending delegates there to watch what's happening.
SD: And he is going to Washington the next week too, but I still think - we've been hearing people playing down the expectations for this, so I'll do my part in that as well.
CH: I'm willing to come back on with you guys and say, if the words carbon price, a national carbon price, I will say "you were right JD" because I'm pretty sure it's not going to be there.