Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed that Canada's desire to launch investment projects in critical minerals, such as lithium for example, does not conflict with environmental respect.

His remarks came in the province of Quebec, which he visited on Monday, where he stopped in the cities of Val-d'Or and La Corne to promote the measures announced in his Liberal government's budget presented to the House of Commons last Tuesday.

The Liberal Prime Minister believes that the environmental laws in force in Canada give the country a competitive advantage in developing the battery industry for electric vehicles.

"People around the world are looking for reliable sources of natural resources they need to make this transition to a cleaner future," Trudeau said, adding: "And being a country that respects workers, where we pay them properly, and where we protect the quality of life in our local communities, and where we protect the environment at the same time, increasingly, that is important."

As in the reactions to Trudeau's remarks regarding investment in critical minerals, the "Citizens' Committee to Protect Glacial Landforms" described his visit to the "North American Lithium Complex" belonging to the mining company "Sayona" in La Corne as a greenwashing operation.

The aforementioned committee previously campaigned for the "Authier" lithium-bearing ore extraction project to be the subject of public environmental hearings.

The committee also considers that "Sayona," owner of "Authier," is far from embodying the environmental values praised by the Canadian Prime Minister during his visit to Val-d'Or and La Corne yesterday.

Before going to meet the workers of "Sayona" at the "Lithium Complex," Trudeau stopped at a grocery store in Val-d'Or to talk about the tax credit aimed at supporting low-income families facing rising food prices, which was included in his government's recent budget.