Trudeau says he thinks about how angry messages affect his family

Trudeau Reflects on Impact of Politics on Family and Future Plans for Liberals

In a recent podcast appearance, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shared his thoughts on the angry messages he receives from some Canadians and the potential effects of his political career on his children.

Trudeau was featured in an episode of Inside the Village, released on Friday. In addition to discussing his family, he addressed the future of his embattled Liberal Party and the recently announced reductions in immigration targets.

Here are three key takeaways from the interview:

Trudeau’s Job and Family Dynamics
When asked if he talks to his children about the hostility directed toward him, including flags emblazoned with "F--- Trudeau," the prime minister acknowledged that while many people may overlook these flags, he does not. "That's my daughter's last name on that flag," he remarked to hosts Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith. "That's the last name that my two sons will carry throughout their lives."

He also emphasized that while there are "a few people who are very angry out there," they do not represent everyone. "Most Canadians are decent and thoughtful and just trying to make their way through this country the best way we can."

During a tense caucus meeting on Wednesday, where about 20 Liberal MPs urged him to step down before the next election, Trudeau also referred to his role and its impact on his children. According to sources who spoke to CBC News, he became emotional discussing how his children have to witness "F--- Trudeau" signs in public.

Trudeau expressed his intention to "engage and try to understand" those Canadians who are upset with him, although he noted, "there are people that can't be reached right now." He cited his half-brother, Kyle Kemper, who criticized his lockdown policies and vaccine mandates but has also acknowledged that some of the backlash against Trudeau is unwarranted. "I love him, still do, always will," Trudeau said. "But, you know, I can't have real conversations with him based on facts and reality. And that's a real proportion of our communities, of our families, of our country that has gone that way."

Despite the hostility, Trudeau is reassured by the "vast majority" of people who "don't necessarily want that kind of thinking to determine what the future of the country is going to look like."

Next Steps for the Liberal Party
When discussing the Wednesday caucus meeting and the dissenting MPs calling for his resignation, Trudeau stated that he is "determined to lead this party into the next election," but he acknowledged the need for change. "My perspective is yes, we need to make significant changes in how we engage with Canadians over the coming months. But that is part and parcel of what an election campaign is," he explained.

Current polling data from CBC's tracker shows the Conservatives leading the Liberals by 19 points, which would result in a substantial majority government if an election were held today. In response to the ongoing slump in the polls, Trudeau reminded his colleagues that they had previously signed on to run for a distant third-place party in the House of Commons in 2015. "Through the entire first half of the 2015 election, we were way behind in the polls," he recalled. "So Canadians tend to make up their minds later."

He acknowledged that there is a "huge level of frustration" directed at him but cautioned against jumping to conclusions about the election's outcome. Although he has publicly stated his intention to remain as leader, some MPs have given him a Monday deadline to determine his future. The ramifications of that deadline remain unclear, with New Brunswick MP Wayne Long, a member of the dissenting group, stating that it will be "up to each individual MP."

Revisions to Immigration Targets
On Thursday, the federal government announced cuts to the projected number of new permanent residents, reducing the target from 485,000 this year to 395,000 in 2025, with further reductions to 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 in 2027.

Trudeau mentioned in the interview that the pandemic disrupted Canada's immigration flow, and once conditions normalized, there remained a "massive labour shortage" that required attention. "We brought in a lot of temporary foreign workers," he said. "What that ended up doing was it grew our economy to the max."

However, he noted that the rapid growth of the population outpaced the community's capacity to support it. Immigration Minister Marc Miller stated that the new levels plan would stabilize population growth and alleviate pressure on the housing market. "People know immigration is good for growth," Trudeau remarked. "But right now we need to make sure we're getting things under control again."

Trudeau also acknowledged that while it wasn't wrong to bring in temporary foreign workers post-pandemic, "we weren't quite as quick as we could have been to turn off the taps." The new immigration levels plan is projected to result in a 0.2 percent population decline over the next two years and is expected to "reduce the housing supply gap by approximately 670,000 units" in the coming years.