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Justin Trudeau to confront Doug Ford on cuts to francophone services

Click to play video: 'Doug Ford calls on Trudeau to roll back small business tax reforms, abandon carbon tax'
Doug Ford calls on Trudeau to roll back small business tax reforms, abandon carbon tax
At a media availability on Tuesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to roll back its small business tax reforms and abandon the planned federal carbon tax – Nov 20, 2018

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered a message to Ontario’s French-speaking minority today in light of budget cuts in the province that affect them: the federal government has your back.

Trudeau says standing up for francophone communities is an important federal responsibility, one that he intends to uphold.

The prime minister’s comments were his first public reaction to the Doug Ford government’s recent budget cuts since returning from summits in Asia.

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Ford’s conservatives last week announced cuts affecting Ontario’s 600,000 francophones, including the cancellation of plans for a francophone university and eliminating the office of the province’s French language services commissioner.

WATCH: Premier Doug Ford wants Ontario to be focus of federal fall economic statement. Travis Dhanraj reports.

Click to play video: 'Premier Doug Ford wants Ontario to be focus of federal fall economic statement'
Premier Doug Ford wants Ontario to be focus of federal fall economic statement
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Quebec’s political class and media pundits have seized on the cuts as evidence of a lack of commitment to French outside Quebec.

On his way into a cabinet meeting in Ottawa this morning, Trudeau said he realizes the importance of French language services for minorities and is planning to speak with Premier Ford about the cuts.

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