Canadians want Trudeau as next Liberal leader

He is tall, dark-haired and handsome. He won a seat in the House of Commons on his first try. He's got a famous name. He has a picture-perfect young family. On top of all that, Justin Trudeau is the top pick among Canadians of all political stripes and most age groups as the next leader of the federal Liberal party, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll.

Trouble is, the 36-year-old first-born son of the late Pierre Trudeau says he's not interested in the party's top job this early in his nascent political career.

Pollster John Wright says he suspects most Canadians know Trudeau "can't be taken seriously as a serious candidate" to replace outgoing leader Stephane Dion, given his lack of political and life experience in the face of such economically challenging times.

Instead, Wright says he interprets Canadians' choice of Trudeau as meaning either the party is bereft of recognizable leaders, or it has a genuinely clean slate heading into the leadership contest. Wright comes down on the side of the latter.

"There's no heir apparent. There's no air of excitement. There's no air of appointment," said Wright, the senior vice-president of Ipsos Reid.

The online survey, released Tuesday and conducted exclusively for Canwest News Service and Global National, explored Canadians' support for nine potential Liberal leadership candidates. Trudeau finished first, with 16 per cent of the vote. He also scored the most support among those aged 18 to 55 and was the hands-down favourite among women voters.

Michael Ignatieff, the party's current deputy leader, and Frank McKenna, the former New Brunswick premier who announced he would not be a candidate, were tied for second with 12 per cent of the vote. The two men were also the most popular choice among Canadians 55 and older, each garnering 16 per cent of the vote. Toronto MP Bob Rae, a former NDP premier of Ontario, finished in third spot at nine per cent.