Trudeau hits ground running with a calendar crammed with high-profile meetings - Action News
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Politics

Trudeau hits ground running with a calendar crammed with high-profile meetings

Little over a week after being sworn in, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has set out an ambitious agenda over the next couple of months, including a busy three-week itinerary in November that includes a flurry of high-profile meetings and conferences both at home and abroad.

PM attending G20 and APEC summits, climate conference and meetings with Queen, premiers

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has set out an ambitious agenda over the next couple of months, including a busy three-week itinerary this November that includes a flurry of high-profile meetings and conferences both at home and abroad. (Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press)

Little over a week after being sworn in, Prime Minister JustinTrudeauhas set out anambitious political agenda over the next couple months, including a busy three-week itinerary this month that includes a flurryofhigh-profile meetings and conferencesboth domestic and abroad.

Nov.15-16:Trudeausets offFriday for his first international trip as prime minister to the G20 summit inAntalya, Turkey, accompanied by a team that includesFinance Minister BillMorneau. It will beTrudeau'sfirst opportunity as prime minister to mix with world leaders all under the watchful eye of themediaand political punditry.

So far,Trudeauhas set up bilateral discussions with Turkish PresidentRecepTayyipErdogan andthe heads of state ofChina. Mexico and Italy. There are expected to be others.

Nov. 18-19:Trudeaufliesto thePhilippinesfor the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meetingwhere he is tomeet with business leaders from the region and hold bilateral talks with Philippines PresidentBenignoAquinoIII and leaders from otherAPECcountriesto discuss issuesaffecting Canadaand the Asia-Pacific region.

On the second day,Trudeauwill hold a bilateral discussion with U.S. PresidentBarackObama, theirfirst meeting with since Trudeau becameprime minister and Obamarejected the Keystone XL pipeline.

The two have had at least two conversations, one shortly afterTrudeauwas elected and one last week, whenObamainformed him of his Keystone decision. Trudeauhas informedObamathat Canada will be pulling out of the U.S.-led aerial bombing campaign against ISIS in Syria and Iraq but he has saidthat withdrawalisstill days or weeks away.

Nov. 23:Trudeauwill then head back to Ottawawhere he will meet with provincial and territorial premiers to "discuss the kind of strong and cohesive[environmental]message we will be delivering as Canadians" before attending the United Nations climate change summit in Paris later in themonth.Trudeauhas invited all the provincial and territorial leaders to join him at the conference.

Nov. 25:Trudeauwill leave the country again, off to meet Queen Elizabeth in London at Buckingham Palace. His visit comes on the heels of a controversy among somemonarchists in Canada, upset overtheremoval the Queen's portrait from the Global Affairs Canada building in Ottawa; whichwasreplacedwith paintingsby Quebec artist AlfredPellan. Ina statement this week,Trudeaustressed that"Her Majesty will remain an integral part of ourcountry's progress and future."

Nov. 27-29:Trudeauattends theCommonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malta.

Nov. 30-Dec. 1:Accompanied by the premiers,Trudeauwill attendCOP 21,the UN-sponsored international climate summit in Paris. The conferencehas been convenedto set new global greenhouse gasemission targets forafter 2020 to prevent a two-degree Celsiusrise in global temperatures.

But December, as well, will prove to be a busy month for the prime minister. On Dec. 3, the House of Commonsreconvenes andmembers will,among other duties, choose a new speaker. The next day, the Governor General will deliver the speech from the throne, laying out the government's priorities.

An economic statement from the finance ministerwill likely follow. And Trudeau also wants topush through his tax relief measures for middle income Canadians before the end of the year.Meanwhile, CBC News has learned thatTrudeauwill meet with leaders from fivenational aboriginal organizations, sometimebefore the end of the year, all while working on his pledge to bring in 25,000 Syrian refugees.

With files from The Canadian Press