Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is known to oblige when asked to pose for a quick selfie with any of his adoring fans, but he got blindsided recently by a few Dalhousie students who decided to take full advantage of having the PM in close proximity.
On Monday Trudeau made a quick pitstop at Java Blend Coffee Roasters in Halifax where a number of patrons asked him for a picture, including Alex Ayton and Kathleen Olds, both 19. As the three smiled for the camera, Olds suddenly asked, “Are you planning on implementing UNDRIP?” referring to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), a 2007 decree that describes the rights that constitute the minimum standards for the “survival, dignity, and well-being of the indigenous peoples of the world.” Trudeau and his government have flip-flopped on the issue since he took office, at first offering their “unqualified support” before Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould dropped the bombshell that it is “unworkable” under the current law.
In response to Olds’ question, Trudeau replied, “Absolutely, yes. For sure,” despite looking like he wanted to get out of there at all costs. “Does that mean requiring consent for natural resource projects?” Ayton then pressed, before the PM responded with the following: “Absolutely. We need to engage with a broad range of voices and as we’ve seen, the indigenous communities have positions on both sides of just about every different project,” Trudeau replied.
Ayton told The Huffington Post that the reason they bombarded him with the question is that they wanted to take the opportunity to call him out on “one of the promises that he has broken.” They also admitted to using the selfie “as bait....and it worked!” Ayton also added that she was disappointed with his response, as it was “an opportunity for him to be candid with Canadians, and he chose to panic and use a scripted response.”
Olds and Ayton are both members of Divest Dal, a student environmental group that has been vocal in their criticism of Trudeau when it comes to environmental and indigenous issues. They’ve also campaigned to have Dalhousie University withdraw investments in fossil fuel companies. Even though they didn’t get the answer they wanted, the students said they were still glad they were able to focus some attention on an important issue, and show that there are much more important things in life than a selfie.
