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CBC NEWS INVITES CANADIANS TO GO FACE TO FACE WITH THE PRIME MINISTER

On Sunday, Jan. 31, a CBC News special broadcast Face to Face with the Prime Minister will reveal the personal, one-on-one meetings of 10 Canadians with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The interviews will air as part of a one-hour, uninterrupted town hall with the Prime Minister, hosted by Peter Mansbridge.

The end of January marks 100 days from election night, when Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party seized a majority government through a message of change, openness and “sunny days.” But since that historic night, Canada has faced some grim challenges, and there are significant questions for Trudeau.

In this unprecedented broadcast event, CBC News will seek answers to many of those questions. And the prime minister will face Canadians in a way we’ve never seen before.

“As Canada’s public broadcaster, one of our goals at CBC News is to connect Canadians with each other and with those in power,” said Jennifer McGuire, GM and editor-in-chief, CBC News, English Services. “With this broadcast special we are hoping to do that in a fresh and innovative way.”

The CBC will bring 10 Canadians from across the country to Ottawa, to sit down with Justin Trudeau one-on-one, alone in his office, behind closed doors. Only CBC cameras will be in the room—no officials, no advisors and no reporters.

These Canadians are not politicians or special-interest advocates and have never met the prime minister before; they are simply 10 citizens with frank questions about policies that affect their everyday lives.

In this live-to-tape town hall, Peter Mansbridge will follow up with Prime Minister Trudeau and the people who met with him about what happened behind closed doors. Were these citizens satisfied? What was left unsaid? What promises will they hold him to?

No prime minister has ever given Canadians this level of direct access. In fact, no world leader has ever opened their office to scrutiny like this, until now.

Canadians can watch Face to Face with the Prime Minister at 8 p.m. ET on CBC News Network, stream the broadcast on cbcnews.ca at 8 p.m. ET or watch it on CBC-TV at 9 p.m. local time.


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About CBC News
For more than 75 years, CBC has been the source Canadians turn to, to keep them informed about their communities, their country and their world. Through regional and national programming on multiple platforms, including CBC Television, CBC News Network, CBCRadio, CBCNews.ca, mobile and on-demand, CBC News and its internationally recognized team of award-winning journalists deliver the breaking stories, the issues, the analyses and the personalities that matter to Canadians.

About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight aboriginal languages.

For more information, please contact:
Nicola Makoway
CBC News & Current Affairs
nicola.makoway@cbc.ca (416) 205-7673

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