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  • Sun Jul 17 2011 15:46:00
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Trudeau — again?

Viewpoint: Fredericton Gleaner (excerpt)

Admirers of the late Pierre Trudeau can be excused if they are more than a little excited these days.

Recent polls suggest both Liberal party members and people who voted Liberal in the last federal election would be happy to see Justin Trudeau eventually lead the Liberal Party of Canada. He is the oldest son of the late and former prime minister Pierre Trudeau ... In fact, many are likely sitting back and saying to themselves, “What if?”

That big what if is connected to the possibility of having another member of the famous Trudeau family sitting in the prime minister’s chair at some point over the next 10 years.

According to an Angus Reid public opinion poll, Justin Trudeau, the MP for the Quebec riding of Papineau, and son of the late former prime minister, is regarded as a good choice to lead the Liberals by almost half of Canadians and a majority of Grit voters.

The poll, taken shortly after the May 2 federal election, suggests Trudeau is clearly well positioned to launch a leadership bid, if and when the guidelines are set.

The possibility of having another Trudeau at the helm of what is still considered by many as Canada’s natural governing party can be viewed as both a dream come true and a nightmare.

When it came to Pierre Trudeau, you either loved the man or hated him.

The younger Trudeau, however, has yet to fully command either of those emotions, although he seems to be well liked by his constituents. He wrestled the riding away from the Bloc Québécois in 2008, and survived both the NDP surge and the Conservative majority to win it again this year.

Many Canadians see Trudeau as a marked improvement over Michael Ignatieff, the former Liberal leader people loved to hate.

The Angus Reid poll found that across the country, almost half of the respondents (48 per cent) believe Trudeau would be a good choice to lead the Grits. Three in five Canadians who voted for the Liberals in the May federal election (63 per cent) regard Trudeau as a good choice.

According to Trudeau’s website, he launched his political career to fight for Canadian values, to bring forth a new perspective on the interactions between government and citizens, and to help Canada be a model for the world.

Sounds like someone who may be interested in the chair currently occupied by Stephen Harper.

But, as things stand right now, Trudeau, one of only 34 re-elected Liberal MPs, is undecided whether he’s interested in replacing Ignatieff. He is critic for Youth, Post-Secondary Education and Amateur Sport under interim Liberal leader Bob Rae.

Regardless of what happens over the next few years, the pressure on Trudeau to step forward and lead will continue to build. If he is anything like his father, the temptation to do so will be too much to resist.

What if?

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