‘Trudeaumania’ heir could become Canada’s next PM
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Version 0 of 1. TORONTO — The son of a man who brought glamour and excitement to Canadian politics in the late 1960s is favored to become Canada’s next prime minister. Justin Trudeau, the son of the late prime minister Pierre Trudeau, is leading in the polls ahead of Monday’s election, which could mean the end of a decade of Conservative Party rule under Stephen Harper. Trudeau, tall and trim at 43, channels the star power — if not quite the political heft — of his father, who swept to power in 1968 on a wave of support dubbed “Trudeaumania.” Pierre Trudeau, who was prime minister until 1984 except for a short interruption, remains one of the few Canadian politicians known by name in the United States, and his charisma often drew comparisons to John F. Kennedy. At age 51 while in office, he married 22-year-old Margaret Sinclair. They had three sons, including Justin, the eldest. The couple divorced when Justin was 6. The boys were raised by their father, who died in 2000. If he wins, Justin Trudeau, who has three young children with former model and television host Sophie Grégoire, would become the second-youngest prime minister in Canada’s history despite a thin résumé. He has been an opposition member of Parliament since 2008. The Conservatives have blitzed the country with TV ads targeting Trudeau, saying, “He’s just not ready.” But Trudeau is tapping into an appetite for change among many Canadians, promising to cut taxes for the middle class and to increase them for the wealthy. He plans to spend billions on infrastructure, running deficits for three years to do so. And he has pledged that Canada would take in 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of the year if he becomes prime minister. “He brought the Liberals back from the dead,” said Robert Bothwell, a professor of Canadian history at the University of Toronto. “The Liberal Party was on the verge of extinction, and if they hadn’t pulled themselves together this election, they would have ended up like the British Liberals.” Four years ago, Canada’s Liberals, beset by years of infighting and ineffective leaders, suffered their worst electoral defeat, coming in third behind the traditionally weaker left-of-center New Democratic Party. But Trudeau increased his share of the vote in his Montreal district. In 2013, he became the sixth Liberal leader in seven years and has worked to rid the party of its sense of entitlement. Analysts say that what Trudeau may lack in his father’s intellectual depth, he makes up for in approachability. “There’s a puppylike quality to him, and that’s not Pierre,” Bothwell said. “His father was just not at ease with dealing with crowds or pressing the flesh, but looking at Justin, it comes really natural to him, and that’s a big difference. Pierre had magnetism and was fascinating and beautiful to watch, but he didn’t want them to get close.” Even if the Liberals win the most seats, however, they are unlikely to secure a majority. They would probably rely on support from the New Democratic Party in exchange for policy concessions. — Associated Press |