Amid cries of elitism and conflict of interest, Trudeau hits the road in Ontario
BELLEVILLE, Ont. — Justin Trudeau got back to doing what he does best Thursday, polishing his people skills during a campaign-style road show aimed at countering Conservative and NDP efforts to portray the prime minister as a silver-spoon elitist.
First in the civil servant-heavy university town of Kingston, Ont., and later down the highway in blue-collar Belleville, Trudeau looked at ease in shirtsleeves as he fielded an endless array of questions — some tough and pointed, others less so — during town hall meetings with locals.
At a news conference, Trudeau confirmed he and his family availed themselves of the Aga Khan’s private helicopter during a vacation on a private Bahamian island belonging to the famous — and fabulously rich — spiritual leader and philanthropist.
But the glamorous holiday that has critics crying conflict of interest seemed far from the minds of the town hall attendees and their myriad priorities, including public service payroll problems, electoral reform, military veterans and pharmacare.