Canadians rejected Trump-style politics in the last campaign, but the economic “anxiety” that helped elect the new president also exists in Canada and, if ignored, people will “lash out,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warns.

In a meeting with the Toronto Star editorial board, Trudeau cautioned that the rising tide of populism with Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S., the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom and nationalist movements in Western Europe are not necessarily a foreign phenomenon.

“Canadians faced an election a year ago that was filled with very similar rhetoric as we’re hearing around the world right now, whether it was the barbaric cultural practices line that the Conservatives seem intent on re-engaging with in terms of their own leadership — at least some of them,” said Trudeau in reference to Conservative leadership hopeful Kellie Leitch.

“We as a country chose a different option than some of the other countries seem poised (to) or have chosen.”

Trudeau said his 2015 campaign against Stephen Harper’s Conservatives “reflected better the angst and frustration that so many Canadians were feeling and, quite frankly, people in the middle class around the world are feeling.”

“We didn’t do it to the same degree of anger — we tried to channel it into hope instead — but the recognition of the same issue was there,” he said, emphasizing that Trump resonated with American voters who feel left behind by globalization and rapid technological change.

But the prime minister made clear he’s heard the message and seen the examples where voter discontent has fuelled political upheaval in other jurisdictions.

“We have to understand that a lot of the frustration and anxiety comes from worry and anxiety linked to economic opportunity,” Trudeau said.

“People are feeling that they’re not well-suited for the pace of change that the planet is going through, that our Western economies are going through.

“And unless we make significant changes around who gets the benefit of economic growth — unless we’re much better about including everyone in the success of our country — then people will start to lash out,” he said.

Trudeau won a majority mandate in the October 2015 election with the promise to improve economic fortunes of the middle class. Since taking power, his government has cut income taxes and bolstered child-care benefits to tackle the disparity some voters feel.

“Obviously I think that our prescription for how to deal with it is slightly more anchored in a chance for success than the Republican vision, but that might just be partisan limitations that I have rather than a cool analysis.”

On issues such as trade, immigration, refugees and immigration, Trudeau’s government is at polar opposites to the views Trump expressed during the campaign. But it’s on the economic front where the prime minister sees common ground with the celebrity billionaire businessman-turned-politician, a shared recognition that many citizens in each country are worried about their futures.

“We don’t seem to have exactly the same basket of policy solutions on that but I know that in what we got elected on to do, there’s a connection,” Trudeau said.

“I’m always going to look for ways to align our interests where we agree and work constructively on areas where we disagree.”

In a wide-ranging discussion with Star editors and reporters, Trudeau also touched on:

Pipelines. The Liberal government this week gave the green light to two pipelines, including the Trans Mountain project to deliver Alberta oil to a terminal in Burnaby, B.C. Opposition is running high in B.C. but Trudeau cautioned against a suggestion that a “majority” of B.C. residents opposed the project. “You don’t have unanimous perspective on either side.” He defended his government’s review of the project, saying it was “augmented” with additional consultation, especially with indigenous peoples and more scientific review. He said concerns around the project centre on climate, a spill and impact on marine life. “Those are concerns that we need to and we are significantly addressing . . . how we are going to allay people, that’s going to be an ongoing process.”

Political fundraising. The prime minister and several of his cabinet ministers have taken flack for their attendance at party fundraisers. Trudeau defended his party’s fundraising practices but didn’t completely rule out following Ontario’s lead in banning politicians and candidates from attending fundraisers. “We’ve seen the challenges of the American system, where money plays a huge role. I’m always happy to take questions and challenges, can you do better?” Trudeau said. But he said politicians need to mindful of the “unintended consequences” to fundraising changes. “What we don’t want is to further drive fundraising underground, or less visible.”

Re-establishing diplomatic ties with Iran. In September, Montreal professor Homa Hoodfar was released from Tehran’s Evin prison and allowed to return to Canada, a move that Trudeau praised as a “positive experience.”

“We’re continuing to engage . . . but we’re being very cautious and responsible about it,” he said.

“I’m under no illusion about some the challenges that Iran is facing internally and poses on the regional and indeed global stage,” the prime minister said. “But as I’ve said many times, I think it’s important to talk to people you disagree with.”

Having to rely on intermediaries in diplomatic chats, such as Italy and Oman in the case of Hoodfar’s release, was “perhaps less effective than if we had had representation directly,” Trudeau said.

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The previous Conservative government closed Canada’s embassy in Tehran and expelled Iranian diplomats from Ottawa in 2012. Asked whether the Liberal government was looking to reverse that decision, Trudeau sounded a cautious note.

“It’s something we are working towards but not something that we’re going to make an imminent announcement on,” he said.

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Highlights from Prime Minister visit to Toronto Star

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