Trudeau and cabinet to talk affordability, inflation in Vancouver meetings

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet are hunkering down in Vancouver to discuss strategy and priorities ahead of the fall sitting of parliament.

Wednesday is the first full day of meetings, in a three-day cabinet retreat that began late Tuesday.

Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc says they have a clear focus for discussions.

“Those are issues around economic questions, affordability, inflation, and what we can do to better serve Canadians in every part of the country,” said LeBlanc.

The Conservatives have been blaming inflation on the Liberals, claiming they’ve done nothing to ease the burden on Canadians.

Tourism Minister Randy Boissonnault pushed back, saying they’ve taken steps to make life more affordable.

“Since Budget 22, $8.9 billion in our affordability plan,” said Boissonnault. “We’re talking about a 10 per cent increase in OAS (Old Age Security), we’re talking about a $500 credit for people struggling with housing. We’re also talking about indexation of all of our benefits.”

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Voting to choose the new federal Conservative leader closed yesterday, with the announcement expected Saturday.

LeBlanc says the Liberal Party is not currently focused or “concerned” with who will be chosen as the next Conservative leader.

Frontrunner Pierre Poilievre has blamed the Trudeau government for rising fuel and grocery bills.

Nelson Wiseman, a University of Toronto political science professor, says regardless of who takes over, this has been a divisive race and unity will be a big job for the new leader.

He doesn’t expect the party will split as some are fearing, but he notes whoever wins will take over a CPC that’s tied or ahead of the Trudeau Liberals.

“We have a party that doesn’t even officially have a leader and it’s very competitive,” explained Wiseman.

With files from The Canadian Press