A Canadian political leader did something odd, and oddly welcome, when his appearance was interrupted by protesters demanding action on the Energy East pipeline.
He invited them onstage to say their piece, then called for a round of applause for their statement.
Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, who heads the smaller of two Opposition parties in Canada’s House of Commons, was hosting a Q&A for the release of his new memoir when the two protesters raised a sign against the mammoth pipeline, which would carry 1.1 million of barrels of diluted bitumen per day between Alberta and New Brunswick. Trudeau’s reaction: “Take a minute to explain to people your position, and then we’ll get back to this.”
One of the protesters took the stage to explain that “Canada will fail every climate target if it goes through,” adding that “as a young person, I want you, Mr. Trudeau, to call for a full climate review of Energy East.”
Trudeau, one of two Opposition leaders vying to unseat Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2015, has said the pipeline won’t be built unless key environmental concerns are addressed. He has also criticized Harper for not advocating strongly enough for the Keystone XL pipeline.
