Trudeau says Poilievre just 'ranting' after Tory leader accuses PM of being 'hateful racist'

Justin Trudeau has accused Pierre Poilievre of “ranting” after the leader of the opposition said the prime minister had been a “hateful racist” in his younger days.

Asked about the Conservative leader’s comments, Trudeau said Poilievre lacked seriousness and was only interested in “hurling insults.”

“He has no plan on housing, he has no plan on childcare, he has no plan on fighting climate change and creating good jobs for the future,” the prime minister said in Edmonton on Wednesday.

“What does he have a plan for? He has a plan for stoking division, creating fear, throwing out personal insults – that’s not leadership. Canadians deserve a government that’s focused every day on building a better future for them.”

He added that Poilievre “can throw whatever insults he likes,” accusing the Ottawa-area MP of being “busy ranting” while the Liberals look for solutions to the country’s problems.

Earlier on Wednesday, Poilievre attacked the prime minister when asked about the Liberals’ Online Harms Bill, which is set to target “hate speech” online.

Poilieve asked, “What does Justin Trudeau mean when he says the words ‘hate speech?’ before answering: “He means speech he hates.”

The Tory leader added: “I point out the irony that someone who spent the first half of his adult life as a practising racist, who dressed up in hideous racist costumes so many times he says he can’t remember them all, should then be the arbiter on what constitutes hate.

“What he should actually do is look into his own heart and ask himself why he was such a hateful racist despite his enormous personal privileges [...] what he should do is actually explain where that ugliness came from and maybe in that way, rather than through coercion, he could help us all in the fight against real hate.”

Trudeau apologized in September 2019 after photographs and footage were published showing him dressed up in costume and face paint.

He was accused of wearing “blackface” and “brownface,” prompting him to deem his actions “dumb” and “racist.”