Justin Trudeau continued his cross-Canada town hall tour in Winnipeg on Wednesday and was again forced to ask an audience member to show respect.
One man was asking a question about Russian interference in elections around the world – including the United States – when he was interrupted by another person in attendance.
“Bulls–t,” the man yelled. He then went on to verbally attack the prime minister, calling him a “liar.”
When Trudeau asked the man to show respect, he responded with: “I don’t respect liars.”
Trudeau then man-talked the man into sitting down before answering the audience member’s question.
WATCH: Highlights from Justin Trudeau’s town hall in Winnipeg
“So obviously there has been an increase in cyberattacks, behaviour by Russia specifically, in trying to influence the outcome of elections around the world,” the prime minister began. “I have put our democratic institutions minister on looking into ways we can strengthen the Elections Canada Act to protect us.”
Trudeau then went on to discuss the effects of fake news being shared on social media.
He said the protection was “not just from foreign interference but from the effect of fake news and how we are now sharing things on social media that spread like wildfire that don’t necessarily have any grounding in truth but do influence our perspective.”
In the U.S., multiple government organizations are investigating if Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election. President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed there was “no collusion” with Russia during the election year. Many of Trump’s supporters repeat his claim that there was no Russian interference in the election.
In Canada, a Senate committee has called on the government to toughen up election laws for any upcoming elections — because they have not changed in 17 years.
Things like the internet have not been included in rules for election advertising.
*With files from Kevin Nielsen
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