By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

Prime Minister Trudeau to host cabinet meeting in Nanaimo

Aug 14, 2018 | 10:09 AM

NANAIMO — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his newly expanded cabinet will be in Nanaimo for a three-day retreat.

The Prime Minister’s Office announced the gathering from Aug. 21-23 will include discussions regarding international trade, eliminating trade barriers between provinces and territories, and security issues with Canada’s borders.

The retreat will be the first meeting of the new cabinet before Parliament resumes in September, the PMO said. Last month, Trudeau added five fresh faces and rearranged the portfolios of six other ministers in a substantial, pre-election shuffle.

“Nanaimo is a gateway to Canada’s markets and a tourist destination known around the world. It is a perfect setting to discuss how we can promote Canadian exports, expand tourism, and diversify our trading partnerships, to continue making life better for people from Nanaimo to Corner Brook,” Trudeau said in the statement.

The location of the meetings was not disclosed.

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The harbour city gathering will likely attract a large number of people protesting the Trudeau government’s policies.

Trudeau’s decision to support and then ultimately buy Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline expansion has been a contentious issue across Canada, particularly on the South Coast.

NanaimoNewsNOW has been informed a rally and march is scheduled during the retreat to highlight the Phoenix Payroll debacle, which has led to paycheque and pension irregularities for tens-of-thousands of Canadians, including hundreds on the mid-island.

Trudeau attended a town hall meeting at Nanaimo’s Vancouver Island University campus in February which drew spirited protests and loud hecklers, as well as many supporters.

Trudeau made several recent B.C. stops earlier this month, including a brief vacation in Tofino and appearances in Duncan and Penticton.

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