Trudeau, Poilievre battle it out in Quebec

SHAWINIGAN, Que. -

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre were both in the Mauricie region on Wednesday vying for the attention of Quebecers.

While in Shawinigan, Que., Trudeau sharply criticized the Conservative leader, who was scheduled to speak to the media in the afternoon in Trois-Rivières, saying sarcastically that he was pleased to see that "finally, Mr. Poilievre is starting to pay a little attention to Quebec" and that he will "maybe start to listen to the priorities of Quebecers."

According to Trudeau, who was visiting a company that manufactures charging stations for electric vehicles, Poilievre will have to learn that "for Quebecers, the economy and the environment are not in contrast; they must go together."

He also said he hopes his Conservative counterpart's visit will give him "a better understanding [of the importance] of having a plan to fight climate change."

Trudeau's visit to the Mauricie region is part of a larger tour to promote his government's energy transition efforts, while Poilievre's visit is more about trying to boost his anemic popularity rating in the province.

Poilievre responded less than two hours later at a press conference in Trois-Rivières.

He initially dismissed the idea that he was just starting to take an interest in Quebec.

"First of all, I've been here four times in a year ... That's a lot more than him. He has a private plane, it's very easy for him to go anywhere, anytime. I come by highway," he said.

The Conservative leader then attacked Trudeau's record: "Secondly, what has he done for the economy and the environment? On the economy, we have the highest inflation rate in 40 years. He doubled the national debt."

On the environment, he criticized the prime minister for "missing all his targets in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. Yes, he talked a lot about these issues. Big talker, small doer. He never delivers the goods," Poilievre said.

The Conservative leader also plans to meet with Quebec Premier François Legault, but did not specify when. He took the opportunity to salute Legault's desire to build new dams to produce "green energy."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 18, 2023