Trudeau meets Thunberg in Montreal as climate marches dominate federal campaign

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OTTAWA — Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said Friday he agrees with Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg that he needs to do more to fight climate change.

And he also said his party — and not the Conservative party — is best suited to do that. Trudeau met Thunberg at a Montreal hotel in advance of the cross-country marches that are expected to dominate the federal election campaign today.

Trudeau also said he will release a fully costed platform that includes assessments of Liberal promises by the parliamentary budget officer before the first televised leaders’ debate on Wednesday.

Trudeau and Green Leader Elizabeth May are joining what is expected to be the largest of dozens of marches taking place across Canada. Most of the federal party leaders are joining marchers, who are demanding cuts to greenhouse-gas emissions.

One exception is Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, who’s spending the day in the suburbs of Vancouver for an announcement and campaign stops with candidates in Maple Ridge and Richmond, but not marching anywhere. Scheer has said other Conservatives will be joining marchers.

Asked about the Montreal meeting with Trudeau afterward, Thunberg said she tries not to “focus so much on individuals,” but she added:

“He’s, of course, obviously not doing enough … this is such a huge problem, this is a system that is wrong. So my message to all the politicians is the same: to just listen to the science and act on the science.”

Trudeau told reporters that he agreed with her, and praised her for inspiring young people.

“I agree with her entirely. We need to do more,” said Trudeau.

“And that’s why the ambitious plans we’ve laid out all week that have been criticized by some as too ambitious, are not too ambitious — are necessary.”

The meeting with the 16-year-old came with great political risk for Trudeau. Thunberg, who has galvanized the world’s young people to demand action on climate change, has demonstrated confidence in speaking truth to power with her defiant condemnation of world leaders at the United Nations this past week for their inaction on fighting climate change.

Trudeau has aligned himself with her on the campaign trail, praising the activism of young people and positioning the environment as a key issue. He has made a series of announcements this week aimed at reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, protecting oceans and habitat and encouraging conservation while simultaneously branding Scheer as a climate-change laggard.

“Andrew Scheer is choosing to hide today instead of participating in climate marches,” Trudeau said Friday.

But Trudeau has also faced much criticism over the Liberal government’s $4.5-billion purchase of the Trans Mountain oil-pipeline project, which critics see as a direct contradiction of the Liberal claim that the party represents Canada’s best choice for environmental policy.

Trudeau defended the pipeline purchase, saying any eventual profits from it will be invested in the fight against climate change.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Trudeau can’t be trusted on climate promises after his pipeline purchase.

“It’s obviously Greta’s choice who she wants to meet with, but it’s really clear that Mr. Trudeau promised really clearly in 2015 that he would not build the Trans Mountain, that he would oppose it,” Singh said in Ladysmith, on Vancouver Island during an announcement on coastal protection.

“That is something that should give everyone pause.”

Friday is Singh’s fourth straight day campaigning in British Columbia. He was to join climate protesters later in Victoria.

People’s Party Leader Maxime Bernier is campaigning at home in Quebec’s Beauce region, where he’s striving to keep his seat after breaking away from the Conservatives last year.