Why Trudeau flew to the other side of the world to spend less than 48 hours in Southeast Asia [Video]

Amid the threat of an early federal election, the prime minister left Ottawa on Tuesday during a chaotic parliamentary sitting week to travel 27 hours to the other side of the world. 

Once he landed, Justin Trudeau spent a little less than 48 hours on the ground in the capital of Laos, meeting with world leaders and announcing a $128-million package to a bloc of 10 Southeast Asian countries.

It wasn’t the biggest prime ministerial announcement, but the dollar figure wasn’t the driving force behind the journey. 

Despite everything unfolding on Parliament Hill — including MPs mounting a new effort to oust Trudeau (a story that broke during the prime minister’s return flight to Ottawa) — senior government officials believed missing out on the ASEAN summit wasn’t an option.

Canada had its status with the Association of Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN) elevated last year for the first time since becoming a dialogue partner …