Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s political rival shocked Parliament on Wednesday when he referenced an unconfirmed, scandalous rumor about Trudeau’s high school-teaching career.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre referenced an unconfirmed rumor that Trudeau was fired from his teaching position for an inappropriate relationship with a student.
Poilievre had a heated back-and-forth with Trudeau during a question period in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
WOW. You won’t believe how Pierre Poilievre responded regarding Trudeau’s stint as a high school teacher. 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/utzfXOfVJP
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) May 31, 2023
“Here’s the problem with the leader of the opposition,” Trudeau said. “He is in love with the sound of his own voice and his own attacks, but he doesn’t actually check the facts.”
Poilievre responded, “So the high school drama teacher over here accuses others of liking the sounds of their own voice, this from a guy who if he were made of chocolate, he would eat himself.”
“Yes, Mr. Speaker, I was a high school teacher before getting into politics, and I’m having a little trouble remembering what exactly the job that the leader of the opposition had before getting into politics,” Trudeau replied.
“Yes, and he left right in the middle of the semester, and I’m having trouble remembering why,” Poilievre said.
The rumor goes that Trudeau was fired by West Point Grey Academy in Vancouver after he had a sexual relationship with a student, who allegedly signed a non-disclosure agreement.
The unverified allegations were spread by gossip websites and have floated around social media for years.
Poilievre was elected leader of Canada’s Conservative Party on September 10 in a landslide 68-16% vote over his more moderate opponent.
He is a career politician of nearly two decades and has been a member of Parliament since age 25.
Since taking office, the firebrand populist has been a thorn in Trudeau’s side, aggressively taking aim at the prime minister’s progressive agenda. His scorched-earth style has been compared to the American right wing and former President Donald Trump.
Last year, Poilievre voiced support for the anti-vaccine mandate trucker convoy that blocked the U.S.-Canada border, even walking with an army veteran who marched to Canada’s capital in protest of the mandates.
Meanwhile, Trudeau is touting his progressive agenda, which includes an aggressive climate change plan that would slash oil and gas emissions to 31% lower than 2005 levels by 2030. He has also prioritized progressive items like government support for Canada’s indigenous population.
Trudeau’s job approval rating currently sits at 40%, slightly lower than President Biden’s 40.9% as of Friday.
Trudeau has weathered his share of controversies over the years.
Back in 2019, Trudeau apologized after photos of him in blackface emerged showing Trudeau, who was 29 at the time, wearing a turban and dark makeup to an “Arabian Nights” gala at West Point Grey Academy, the same school the scandal rumors involve.
“It was a dumb thing to do. I’m disappointed in myself. I’m pissed off at myself,” Trudeau said at the time.
He apologized again when another photo from the same event emerged the day before his reelection.
A video also surfaced showing the prime minister in blackface on a separate occasion sometime during the 1990s.