As Liberal party caucus members meet this week in Nanaimo, a number of national priorities are expected to be discussed.
Steven Guilbeault, minister of environment and climate change, said the first thing to discuss will be what the government can do to help Canadians who are struggling with affordability issues.
"Housing continues to be a very big priority for us, while maintaining some of our other priorities such as the fight against climate change and making sure we implement our plan to adapt to a changing climate," Guilbeault said. "We've seen here in British Columbia, again this summer, [it's] very important for forest fires and flooding, we've seen what happened in Jasper."
The environment minister drew attention to his hometown of Montreal, which experienced record-breaking rainfall last month.
"We need to work to better prepare our infrastructures, our health system and Canadians, by in large, to face the impacts of climate change," he said.
The opposition party remained critical. Andrew Scheer, Conservative party house leader, at a news conference at Nanaimo’s Pioneer Plaza on Monday, Sept. 9, said this year’s Liberal caucus retreat will be exactly like any other.
“They’re not actually going to come up with any solutions to solve the problems facing Canadians,” he said. “All they will do is double down on the same failed policies that have caused so much hardship.”
Nanaimo-Ladysmith MP Lisa Marie Barron of the NDP stated in a press release that the prime minister, in Nanaimo, will have to face the people whom he's disappointed.
“Justin Trudeau and the Liberals have made a big point about their visit to Nanaimo being a ‘fresh start,’ but they’ve had nine years of fresh starts," Barron said. "People in Nanaimo, and frankly across the country, aren’t buying it.”
As for the reason Nanaimo was chosen to host the caucus, Guilbeault said it was part of an effort to bring the party's presence to different parts of the country.
"I think it's a beautiful part of the country obviously, a part of the country I've had the pleasure of coming quite a few times and as much as we can, we try to go around the country when we have these meetings, whether it's the east coast, the west coast or central Canada. I think it makes total sense to be here in beautiful British Columbia."
-with files from Greg Sakaki/News Bulletin
