Trudeau, ministers call out ‘cowardly bullying’ of Chrystia Freeland

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the state of civil discourse in Canada will depend on the tone set by its politicians.

The comments come after a recent verbal assault on Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland renewed concerns about the safety of parliamentarians in public.

Trudeau is calling on all politicians to unequivocally condemn that kind of “cowardly bullying.”

“We are not going to be become that toxic, polarized country that some think we should become,” Trudeau said. “We need to keep listening to each other, we need to keep standing up for each other but we need to be respectful of our political opponents.”

Following her swearing-in as the minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for southern Ontario, Filomena Tassi says there’s a role for all Canadians to play in preventing the harassment of politicians.

“We will not have people stepping up to enter political life to serve as journalists because they’re afraid for themselves and maybe even graver they’re concerned for the safety of their family and that’s the situation it’s a sad reality,” said Tassi.

Newly sworn-in Procurement Minister Helena Jaczek says the harassment of politicians is not Canadian behaviour.

Jaczek says we might be seeing more of this type of aggressive intimidation because of what we’ve been through over the last couple of years with COVID-19.

“Not just from the health impact obviously of those who have succumbed or suffered from the illness but also in terms of our inability to interact with each other, normally, socially and so on. But, you know, when you’re confronted with a bully, what do you do? You stand up.”

Freeland speaking in Calgary says she’s content to let the RCMP handle the investigation.

“I think that it’s really important to have confidence in the RCMP, in police authority and in the criminal justice system. I always follow their advice and I’m grateful for their hard work,” said Freeland.

Related links:

• RCMP investigating harassment of Chrystia Freeland in Alberta

• Chrystia Freeland and the tip of a hate-filled iceberg

• Trudeau calls for leaders to take united stance after Freeland confronted in Alberta

An interaction caught on video and shared widely online last week showed a man insulting and berating Chrystia Freeland at city hall in Grande Prairie, Alta.

“What the (expletive) are you doing in Alberta” the man shouts while Freeland, who was born in Peace River, Alta., can be seen waiting for an elevator.

She then gets into the elevator, and the shouting continue.

“Get the (expletive) out of this province,” the bearded man wearing a white sleeveless shirt and ball cap says.

He twice calls her a traitor while standing in front of the elevator doors.

Canada’s deputy PM issued a statement following the incident, saying what happened in Grande Prairie was “wrong.” She posted the statement alongside a photo of her and her family in Alberta.

“Nobody, anywhere, should have to put up with threats and intimidation,” she wrote.

“But the Alberta I know is filled with kind and welcoming people, and I’m grateful for the warm welcome I’ve received from so many people in Edmonton, Grande Prairie and Peace River over the past few days. One unpleasant incident yesterday doesn’t change that.”

With files from Kelsey Patterson

Related video