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Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Being a Trudeau not enough
(DALE CUMMINGS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)
JUSTIN Trudeau was in Winnipeg on the weekend for a Liberal party political gathering where he was forced to do what he’s being doing a lot lately — fending off suggestions he run for the party leadership.
Mr. Trudeau has been mentioned as a possible leader for at least a decade and long before he was elected to office in 2008, but it was never taken too seriously — by him or the pundits.
His only qualification, according to the prevailing wisdom, is that he is the son of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau. The drawback, the cynics said, was that he was no Pierre Trudeau.
In the last year, however, opinions have started to evolve. The young Mr. Trudeau — he’s just 41 — is now described as engaging, thoughtful, committed, outspoken and even charismatic. He draws a crowd, and people like him.
It’s not Trudeaumania, but it’s enough to give some hope to a party polls show is seen — even by one in five Liberal supporters — as a party of the past.
The party’s best hope today appears to be interim Leader Bob Rae, who would seem to have all the right parts to lead the Liberals forward. In politics, however, qualifications don’t mean much if they can’t be translated into popular appeal and votes. And right now, Mr. Rae is not creating a winning impression, at least according to the polls.
Mr. Trudeau says he’s not interested in the leader’s job, but he hasn’t ruled it out in the future. If he does decide to seek his father’s old job, it just might be the kind of spark the party needs to get Canadians listening to Liberals again.
It’s unlikely, however, that history would repeat itself in perfect parallels. Like his father, Mr. Trudeau is a passionate social crusader and fierce opponent of narrow nationalism, particularly the kind that appeals to Quebec separatists.
His father was also a big tax-and-spend Liberal, a tactic that is less appealing to voters today.
Canadians may dislike the style and mannerism of the Harper government, as well as some of its policies, but there’s no evidence they want a return to an era of wasteful spending.
If Mr. Trudeau decides to seek the Liberal crown, he will have to show he is much more than just his father’s son.
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