I first met Justin Trudeau somewhere between 2004 and 2005. It was on radio station CKAC. I shared a daily political analysis panel with my colleagues Yves Boisvert and Michel Vastel.
One good morning, while waiting for the elevator, I see Justin Trudeau come out like a gust of wind, his generous curly hair leading the way. He was in his mid-thirties but looked even younger.
I learn that he will be on the air for a weekly column. Oh good ? I will sometimes meet him later. He is friendly, polite and smiling.
If someone had told me that the same young man would one day be Prime Minister of Canada, I honestly wouldn’t have believed them. However, 2015 turned out. Especially against all odds.
Early in the campaign, the very cerebral Thomas Mulcair, then leader of the NDP, was indeed a winner over the formidable Stephen Harper. But as the English say, the rest is history…
For example, it’s best not to underestimate Justin Trudeau. At the beginning of 2023, at the age of 51, he even wants to try his luck in the next election. This time for a possible fourth term…
The staunch liberal in him is tempted to confront Pierre Poilievre, his new ultra-conservative adversary. Since the fight is very ideological, it promises to be intriguing.
make a name
Justin Trudeau’s true strength is that over time he’s managed to make a name for himself in the eyes of even his worst critics. As the son of the late Pierre Elliott Trudeau, former Prime Minister of Canada, it was not an easy task.
His father was known for his strong intellect, strategic tenacity, and sometimes overtly dismissive tone. Justin Trudeau lives in the Antipodes.
Aside from his strong defense of Canada’s Charter of Rights (which was adopted by his father without the approval of the National Assembly), the Justin “brand” stands out on several fronts.
First to the sound. Even in his strained relations with certain provincial counterparts, the Canadian prime minister avoids contempt.
His balance of power, political and economic, may be vastly superior to that of other prime ministers, including Quebec’s, but he prefers cordial exchanges.
comeback at the end of the year
Even Prime Minister François Legault expressed his satisfaction with his recent meeting with Mr Trudeau, despite his stated intention to increase the federal government’s influence over how the provinces manage the health system.
Justin Trudeau was also notable for the way he invoked the Emergency Act to end the illegal occupation of Ottawa by the so-called Freedom Convoy, without violence or abusive arrests.
It is true that this new version finally respects fundamental rights, unlike the old War Measures Act his father invoked during the October 1970 Crisis.
Nevertheless, Justin Trudeau justified himself extensively and calmly before the Rouleau Commission with astonishing transparency. Which in part fuels his rise in the Canadian electorate.
According to a poll by Angus Reid, 44% of respondents say they have a positive opinion of the Prime Minister, while 54% have a negative opinion of Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.
Which, it should be remembered, is not only known for its political pit bull tone, but also for its support of the Freedom Convoy…
