Prime Minister Trudeau Speaks pt. 1

Tonight, on CBC, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau opened his office to 10 regular Canadians and entertained their questions about whatever they had on their minds. The ten had no particular political affiliation and were selected by the CBC.

The questions, like the people and where they resided, were diverse and varied. Of course most of their concerns had to do with money (either relating to rising costs of living, cost of education, jobs or retirement etc.). But there were also questions about indigenous issues, Canada's stance on terrorism (both here and abroad) and sovereignty in the north.

As the CBC News panelists said after the show, this was a risky endeavour to undertake. As the Prime Minister you're putting yourself out there with no guarantee of showing well. I believe he did as good a job as any under the circumstances.

Some people were looking for answers to specific problems (like the oil-patch worker from Alberta or manufacturing plant worker from London, Ontario). Trudeau, of course, couldn't give them reassurances on their individual issues. He could only state his government's policies concerning those in similar circumstances. I believe his answers left those two dissatisfied.

I'm not sure what people expect from government (this or any other). They're not there to solve all your problems. People have to take personal responsibility as well. If you can't find a job in your specific sector because of global forces beyond anyone's control then you may have to reassess your employment strategies. If you expect the government to throw good money after bad to resurrect a dead or dying sector then you're beyond foolish.

Of course other people had good questions and Trudeau did his best to answer them. Others seemed to badger him if they didn't get the answer they wanted. Look, you asked a question and he answered. Repeatedly stating you don't agree with him won't make him change his response.

The majority of questions came down to what people could get from the government (which all comes down to a question of money). This concerned funding for daycare, elderly home care, education, jobs etc.

I'm not sure if people watch the news, but the economy is tanking (both ours and many others around the world). There isn't an endless fountain of money flowing from a magic well somewhere. You have to be realistic. The government will do the best it can for the greatest number of people with what it has. That might not be what you want to hear, but that's real life.