Justin Trudeau on Stephen Colbert: It’s a ‘tough time’ for Canadians

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants Americans to know Canada has more to offer than just “maple syrup and mountains.”

During a Monday night appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the Canadian political leader got laughs from the audience as he tried to set Canada apart from the U.S. and boast about what makes the northern nation successful on the world stage.

There were also several more sombre moments from Trudeau’s appearance, with the prime minister noting it’s a “tough time” for many Canadians. Part of the night’s conversation focused on far-right nationalism and growing political division among people in both Canada and the U.S.

Colbert said Trudeau’s main political opponent, Conservative Party of Canada Leader Pierre Poilievre, has been called “the Trump of Canada.”

In response, Trudeau said Canada is not exempt from extremist rhetoric or xenophobia. He did not cite any specific examples.

“We’re not some magical place of unicorns and rainbows all the time,” he said. “The things that we’ve managed to do, we’ve had to work really, really hard at.”

Trudeau mentioned universal health care, ongoing efforts against climate change and dental care for low-income Canadians as policies that “we have to fight for” continually.

“There’s a big argument right now about whether dental care even exists,” Trudeau said. “We’ve delivered it to 700,000 people across the country and my opponent is gaslighting us and saying, ‘Dental care doesn’t even exist yet.'”

Earlier this month, Conservative MP Stephen Ellis said the government has failed in the delivery of subsidized dental care and claimed most Canadians don’t qualify for coverage or must still pay out of pocket for services.

The Canada Dental Care Plan is accepting applications