Trudeau tells Stephen Colbert it’s ‘tough times’ in Canada

Justin Trudeau's interview on the “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” began with the expected jokes about bacon and how Canadians apologize frequently. But when the host asked him about an expected confidence vote in Parliament this week, the prime minister acknowledged that these are “really tough times” in the country.

“People are suffering. They are struggling to pay for their groceries, pay their rent, put gas in their cars,” Trudeau said Monday during a CBS broadcast in New York, where he is meeting with world leaders attending the United Nations General Assembly.

Trudeau acknowledged there is frustration, saying the housing crisis is “a little more acute” in Canada than in the U.S. And while he said Canada's economy is working better than its southern neighbor's on a “macroeconomic” level, people aren't feeling it when they're in line at the checkout.

Nevertheless, it is important to invest in people by promoting child care, dental care and $10-a-day drug coverage, so that diabetes medications and prescription contraceptives become free.

Trudeau will return to Ottawa on Wednesday in time to vote on a prospective motion of no confidence in his minority government that the Conservatives have threatened to file.

“People sometimes hope for change, but the reality is that I firmly believe that we have to continue to fight climate change, continue to invest in people and continue to be there for them. And I will continue to fight,” he told Colbert.

At one point, Colbert said tendencies toward fascism and xenophobia were on the rise around the world, and he said that even in Canada, Trudeau's opponent was being called “Canada's Trump.” He wondered why such ideologies resonate in “a country as polite as Canada.”

Trudeau was undeterred by Trump's remark, but responded that Canada is not perfect. He said the fight for universal health coverage has taken decades and that things like global leadership on climate change are also worth fighting for.

“There is a heated debate going on right now about whether dental care really exists. We have provided it to 700,000 people across the country, and my opponent is blaming us and saying, oh, dental care doesn't even exist yet,” he said.

Conservative health critic Stephen Ellis said in a statement earlier this month that the government botched the dental program. He said the vast majority of Canadians do not qualify and those who do may still have to pay the costs out of pocket.

Colbert also asked Trudeau about contentious issues between Canada and the United States, such as tariffs on softwood lumber, which the U.S. Commerce Department nearly doubled in August. Trudeau responded that Americans were paying too much for lumber because of the tariffs.

“We come across the border to get cheaper drugs. Are you happy with that?” asked Colbert.

“We're happy to try to help you, but it would really be easier if you had universal health insurance,” Trudeau replied to loud applause from the audience.