Prime Minister Trudeau's podcast appearance talks about the next question at the ballot box

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OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau knows Canadians aren't listening.

He knows his defenses against Tory attacks on his signature climate policies are not working, at least not yet.

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But he plans to keep trying. And while he does that, his office is trying something new to get the Liberal government's message across.

Trudeau has recently appeared on four podcasts as he travels around the country discussing the Liberal Party's latest budget. The Liberal Party, which has kept Prime Minister Trudeau in power since 2015, is pitching the budget as a plan to bring more economic equity to society for people under 40. Look at Conservative leader Pierre Poièvre.

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Interviews range in content and length from 30 minutes to nearly an hour, and podcast audiences vary widely.

For one thing, Vox's “Today, Explained” is broadcast on U.S. public radio stations.

The other is YXE Underground, which focuses on the stories of Saskatoon's unsung community leaders.

When Prime Minister Trudeau's team first contacted him, the show's host thought it was a scam and deleted the email.

Prime Minister Trudeau is trying to reignite support among Millennial and Gen Z Canadians, and he's been open about more than policy and his own political agenda.

As the clock ticks down to the next federal election, Canadian media tuned in to a series of interviews to get a sense of Prime Minister Trudeau's thinking.

Prime Minister Trudeau's commitment to combating climate change through consumer carbon pricing is a major theme.

Mr. Poilievre and the majority of prime ministers blasted Mr. Trudeau, leading to a long-planned levy increase on April 1, which would increase the price of gas by about 3 cents per liter. They argued that the Liberal Party was making the cost of living significantly worse.

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“If gas prices go up 20 cents, people will say, 'Oh, it's a carbon tax,'” Trudeau told Big Story.

“And we actually increased the carbon rebate at the same time,” he said.

“The background is that people are frustrated and are looking for things to irritate them about, which is a very easy target.”

Anti-carbon pricing messages may dominate this day, but Trudeau believes that will change around election time.

“We're a long way from an election at this point. It's easy for people to get frustrated about a lot of things. My choice as a leader is, 'Okay, do I follow this even if I think it's wrong? Please,'' Prime Minister Trudeau said.

“I think people are wrong to worry about this. I understand why they would be.”

Meanwhile, he has frequently attacked Poilievre, who has promised to use “technology, not taxes” to fight climate change, for lacking an actual plan.

And he continues to talk about how Canadians will eventually get their money back through rebates, and how those with the lowest incomes will benefit the most, but need to “be patient” until the message gets through. admitted that there is.

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The Prime Minister said: “No one has actually heard of it yet.”

“But I'm going to keep saying it and keep showing it, so by the time a year and a half goes by and people make their choices, we'll have a lot more information about what the alternatives are. ”

If they just wanted to do something popular, they would choose a different path, Trudeau said.

But it comes at a price.

If that happens, the time he spent away from his children and the sacrifices his family made as a politician “will be worthless,” he said, his voice shaking with emotion.

Opinion polls over the past year have shown the Liberals consistently trailing Poièvre's Conservatives by a wide margin. Recent surveys conducted after the release of the federal budget show no signs of improvement.

In an interview with Vox, Trudeau characterized the challenges ahead in the context of a broader fight against the rise of populist and authoritarian leaders.

“Democracy is definitely under threat,” he said.

He was at pains to characterize the issue as a ballot box question expected to be asked the next time Canadians head to the polls, no later than October 2025.

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“Over the next year and a half, Canadians will have to make a choice about what kind of country we are,” Trudeau said.

“Are we a country that believes in evidence and science? We believe that governments have a role to play in looking out for each other, ensuring people are protected, and that the world operates responsibly.” Is it a country?”

Or so Trudeau continued. “Are you going to go down a path of increasing anger, division and fear, leaving the government out of the way and letting people fend for themselves?”

As I said before, he said he's ready for that fight.

But he told Freakonomics Radio that when the time comes to lay down his weapons, he plans to return to his roots.

“I'll still be a teacher,” he said. “I would consider teaching again in some capacity.”

Prime Minister Trudeau also mentioned this in a French-language interview last month, saying he thought about resigning every day. One comment was translated into English: “What I do is a crazy job.”

He told the podcast host that his role was better translated as “a job for crazy people” in French.

Regarding his personal life, Prime Minister Trudeau said he is a Catholic and that his faith is part of who he is, “even though I am not as good at passing it on to my children as a good Catholic should be.” I might not have done it.”

And the prime minister, who has legalized cannabis, said he had tried it before, but said: “It wasn't my thing.”

He's more of a “beer and bourbon guy” and “still doesn't drink too much.”

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