Trudeau questioned on pipelines, carbon tax, Indigenous rights in Regina town hall

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fielded questions on everything from pipelines to Indigenous rights to his favourite childhood toy Thursday evening before a lively Regina crowd.

There was no clear issue that dominatedthe event. He took about 20 questions and was asked about everything from a controversialarms deal with Saudi Arabia, immigration, deficits,support for mental health, as well assteel tariffs and the carbon tax.

Courtland Klein, 38, who works at the Evraz steel fabrication plant in Regina,asked Trudeau why his government inked a new trade deal with the United States with steel and aluminum tariffs in place.

In response, Trudeau said in every conversation he has with U.S President Donald Trump he raises the issue that "these punitive American tariffs" are hurting both Canadian and American workers.

"Yes, I would have liked to have been able to convince the president to pull back the steel and aluminum tariffs before signing," Trudeau told the crowd.

"That was not going to be possible. That was very clear from the U.S. administration," he said, adding that the choice came down to whether or not to secure the trade deal, which he said is worth $2 billion a day to the Canadian economy.

The town hall took place a day after a similar, but more raucous meeting Trudeau held in Kamloops, B.C., where he faced questions about pipelines and reconciliation with Indigenous people.

In a repeat from the previous evening's event, the question of pipelines was front and centre.

"You've got yourself in a hell of a predicament. You pissed off the Greens, you pissed off your base, you pissed off us that don't like you and the pipeline still isn't in the ground," the same questioner said during the town hall, which had more than 1,000 attendees," said Klein.

"You can legalize marijuana, but we can't twin a pipeline, an existing pipeline to the coast."

Yellow Vest protesters outside event

Before the town hallbegan, roughly a dozen protesters gathered outside the venuethe University of Regina's kinesiologybuilding.The groupincluded a pro-oil and gas protester and an Indigenous rights protester.

"I'm not pleased with what's going on," said protester Gloria Armstrong.

"He'sgiving away money to so many other people the $10.5 millionthat was given to the so-called criminal [Omar Khadr] and veterans are not getting money."

As the event got underway, a convoy of trucks gathered outside.

Thursday's event was not without its interruptions, however, including when Trudeau answered questions about pipelines.

At one point a woman stood in an aisle and held a sign expressingsolitary with the members of theWet'suwet'enNation, who earlier this weekset up checkpoints on a service road in B.C. in protest of a proposed natural gas pipeline.

She asked about the actions of the government and the RCMP, which arrested 14 people.

One person in the crowd shouted, "Is that reconciliation?"

Later in the evening, Trudeau receivedpraise from elder Noel Starblanket, seated at the front of the crowd, who said Trudeau has done more for Indigenous peoples than any other prime minister in Canada.

Trudeau defends immigration system

Thursday's crowd grew particularly animated when Trudeaufielded a question from a man who wanted to know what the prime minister is doing about border control.

At first. some audience memberscheered at the question, but boos followed when during an exchange withTrudeau, theman said that Islam and Christianity don't mix and "they" want to kill "us."

Trudeau said there is no open borderand defended Canada's immigration system as effective at both allowing people into the country and integrating them into society, singling out Syrian refugees.

On Friday, Trudeau is expected to make several stops around the city in the company ofRalph Goodale, the Liberals' lone MP in Saskatchewan.

• On mobile?Stephanie Taylor is tweeting live from the town hall

-with files from The Canadian Press