Justin Trudeau?

[TOareaFan]

The old Libs are part of the problem...
I can see Charest having a much wider appeal to the less partisan (and the last election, showed that they were far less partisan)... Charest could at the least, be the the Liberal Quebect Lieutenant.

So, now, we have him changing parties to one that made a career fighting.....to not be the leader.....to be an MP and Quebec Lieutenant....assuming the party was able to revive itself from its deepest depths and regain power.....all the while turning away from the party he formerly led, which still has roots/votes/support/seats in Quebec and that would, likely, offer him the same position?

You may be right, that might be an appealing proposition/offer to Charest....but I always viewed him as a fairly bright guy and astute politico!

[k10ery]

Oh how wrong is that quote!

How is that so different from the current leaders:

Former Reformist heading our country
Former Provincial Liberal, Environment Mininster in fact, heading the NDP (is this an sign?)
And Provincial NDP Premier heading the Federal Liberals

It was a joke.

[Admiral Beez]

The consensus here seems to be that JT is an empty shirt riding on his father's name. It's true that were he Justin Tremblay he'd not have any attention, however in politics the sideshow and theatre is often more important than substance. Would Mike Layton have won a city seat if he wasn't Jack's son? Would Paul Martin have won a MP's seat had he not been Paul Martin Sr's son? Don't you think FDR benefited in elections from his cousin Teddy's fame? For newcomers, politics is all about name recognition, at least at the start, and having a famous name gives you a boost. I think we'd all take that if we could.

I believe there is a large group of Canadians that are growing tired of the meme that the country is in economic crisis, that government is too big, that public deficits are too big, that entitlement-hungry public sector workers are wrecking the federal, provincial and municipal economies, that we must drop taxes and cut environmental red tape, etc, etc. There is a ring of truth to all those issues, however Canada is much more than this, and I believe there is a growing population is that is growing tired of the official theme of pessimism and sacrifice for national good, and of a PM that is perpetually angry and combative.

The question about JT is does he have the ability to bring a new positive POV that Canadians can connect with, and bring a new sense of pan-national optimism to the people. If he cannot, then the consensus here will be correct and JT will flame out faster than Dion, and the Liberal party will go the way of their UK namesake.

[Tuscani01]

The consensus here seems to be that JT is an empty shirt riding on his father's name. It's true that were he Justin Tremblay he'd not have any attention, however in politics the sideshow and theatre is often more important than substance. Would Mike Layton have won a city seat if he wasn't Jack's son? Would Paul Martin have won a MP's seat had he not been Paul Martin Sr's son? Don't you think FDR benefited in elections from his cousin Teddy's fame? For newcomers, politics is all about name recognition, at least at the start, and having a famous name gives you a boost. I think we'd all take that if we could.

I believe there is a large group of Canadians that are growing tired of the meme that the country is in economic crisis, that government is too big, that public deficits are too big, that entitlement-hungry public sector workers are wrecking the federal, provincial and municipal economies, that we must drop taxes and cut environmental red tape, etc, etc. There is a ring of truth to all those issues, however Canada is much more than this, and I believe there is a growing population is that is growing tired of the official theme of pessimism and sacrifice for national good, and of a PM that is perpetually angry and combative.

The question about JT is does he have the ability to bring a new positive POV that Canadians can connect with, and bring a new sense of pan-national optimism to the people. If he cannot, then the consensus here will be correct and JT will flame out faster than Dion, and the Liberal party will go the way of their UK namesake.

One interesting point I saw in the Sun (of all places) was that JT is attracting a lot of the youth vote, an audience which has absolutely no connection to his father. His popularity has a bit to do with his name, but his connection to the younger generations is much stronger than that of the generation that grew up with his father.

[doady]

The consensus here seems to be that JT is an empty shirt riding on his father's name.

Brian Mulroney disagrees:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle4586308/

[Admiral Beez]

Brian Mulroney disagrees:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle4586308/

G'ah, can't the Globe find anyone who was/is relevant from this Century? What's next, should the media print what former premier Bill Davis thinks?

[adma]

And keep in mind re Mulroney

[Brandon716]

So...does anyone take this guy seriously?



http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/...-chris-selley/

Considering how terribly bad Ford was as a candidate and is as a mayor, I think his speech was spot-on.

Trudeau has all the right ingredients to bring new people back into the federal Liberal fold. He's as popular as a Liberal can be in Quebec, which is amazing in and of itself, he can pull together the Liberal bases of the Maritimes and urban Ontario. I feel he'd do just as well as any other Liberal out west, grabbing a few urban ridings here and there, primarily in Vancouver.

Trudeau is of the same age that Harper was when he started taking over the ranks in Conservative/Reform circles, so the "experience" argument really doesn't fly. Trudeau is also true red Liberal blood, people don't have to observe him as some opportunist as Iggy was perceived as.

I know plenty Liberals who simply wouldn't show up to vote for Iggy, and many fence sitters that went NDP or Conservative because he was seen as too much of an outsider. Trudeau? He's the polar opposite of Iggy: very much Canadian with a name to back him up, very much someone who can rouse a crowd (he's already filling out rooms right across the nation, even in Alberta of all places, and he's not even leader of the party).

Elections are about winning, and if Trudeau can bring new people into the Liberal family and can get supporters back to the polls, he's the right guy for the job. His policies are pretty progressive, but with a moderated Liberal tilt. Its a winning combination.

[BurlOak]

In case we need more examples of Mr. Trudeau's abilities, here is another example.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/a...2010-interview

Who would have guessed that the critic for the Ministry of Sport from the 3rd party would have troubles on the national stage.

[King of Kensington]

And now Trudeau claims Mulroney was one of the "best" Prime Ministers? The same guy who tried to ban abortion in 1989? Canada's most hated PM?

[Blovertis]

And now Trudeau claims Mulroney was one of the "best" Prime Ministers? The same guy who tried to ban abortion in 1989? Canada's most hated PM?

Mulroney was hated but he hardly tried to "ban" abortion. His bill (never passed) would have made abortion a criminal offence, except where the pregnant woman desired to have one for reasons of physical, mental, or psychological heath. Pro-lifers hated the bill because they rightly saw these giant loopholes as basically sanctioning abortion in demand.

As for young Trudeau, it's becoming clear that he's too prone to shooting his mouth off to become an effective opposition leader.

[King of Kensington]

It passed in the House of Commons and was blocked by the Liberal-majority Senate.

I bring it up because there's this cottage industry that tells us that the PC's under Mulroney were more tolerant, reasonable and "socially liberal" than the Harper crowd, even though Harper has stood up to the so-cons more than Mulroney ever did. Justin is obviously trying to tap into support by perpetuating this myth.

Agree with the 2nd paragraph 100%.

[King of Kensington]

Justin is such a bad actor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp_O3liJpu8

[BurlOak]

I am surprised that the MP speaking fees did not lead to any discussions here. http://www.torontosun.com/2013/02/15...eakers-circuit

If Ford misses an meeting to donate his time to coach football, it is a serious violation, but if Trudeau misses House of Commons votes to earn extra money, then it is perfectly acceptable.

[CDL.TO]

If Ford misses an meeting to donate his time to coach football, it is a serious violation, but if Trudeau misses House of Commons votes to earn extra money, then it is perfectly acceptable.

Interesting view you have. Personally, I think that Trudeau should have been in the house for the votes and I question his commitment to his job as a Member of Parliament.