Watching Prime Minister Trudeau being interviewed on Global Television on Christmas was like adding spoonfuls of sugar to an already serious sugar high. It brought back to us the years when the Liberal Party’s brain trust among the advertising and public relations people in Toronto were in despair at trying to build a warmer, more personable image for Justin’s father. The austere father was overly protective of his family while his syrupy son has no compunction in bringing his kids on camera.
This reverie of a Trudeau-past was rudely interrupted by the wife—who adores Justin—with the comment: “This is really boring.” And that was it for the background of a rainy Vancouver, potted poinsettia plants and the bland comments of news anchor Dawna Friesen. There was a turkey with fixings to address and devour.
But the question was left unasked about the sunny ways of the offspring. Babel-on-the-Bay hardly picked the Trudeau Liberals to win the October election early in the game because of Liberal leanings. Justin’s beautiful family was certainly a plus but it took a time of intense voter frustration to turn the tables in 2015.
In another interview over Christmas, Justin said that he was originally thinking of running for political office when he was much older—when those who knew his father had gone to what ever reward there was left for them. He rushed things and some of us who knew his father are still hanging around. He does his best to ignore us. He did not even send the wife his Christmas card this year. And he promised her.
Maybe she should not have told him that she has the complete collection of Trudeau Christmas cards from his father’s era at Sussex Drive. They ran from Justin’s first year until Pierre took his walk in the snow and moved with his boys to Montreal.
But what all Canadians know is that while Justin Trudeau might be a brand new broom in parliament, he lacks the intellect of his famous father. He is going to make mistakes. He is going to have to apologize occasionally. He is going to need that sunny disposition and more to even survive two terms in the Prime Minister’s Office.
It is certainly something his predecessor never had. Harper was a hardened, self-centred pill. He cared for nobody. He was vain and opinionated.
Frankly Justin Trudeau is going to be a lot more fun.
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Copyright 2015 © Peter Lowry
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