Trudeau Says He Will Seek Leadership of Canada’s Liberals

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Bloomberg News

Trudeau Says He Will Seek Leadership of Canada’s Liberals
By Theophilos Argitis - Oct 2, 2012 11:01 PM CT

Canadian Liberal lawmaker Justin Trudeau, the eldest son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, will run for the leadership of the party his father led for more than 16 years.

Trudeau announced his candidacy at an event in the Montreal electoral district he currently represents. The Liberals, once dubbed Canada’s natural governing party because it won 21 of 31 elections between 1896 and 2004, had its worst-ever showings in the last two elections.

“The time has come to write a new chapter in the history of the Liberal Party,” Trudeau told supporters at an event held at a Montreal high school to announce his candidacy. “ I want to lead a movement of Canadians that seeks to build, not rebuild. To create, not recreate.” His father had two stints as prime minister: between 1968 and 1979, and from 1980 to 1984.

Trudeau enters the race, which will end at a party convention in April, with significant public support. A Sept. 26 telephone poll of 1,707 Canadians by Forum Research found a Liberal Party led by Trudeau would have the support of 39 percent of voters, compared with 32 percent for the ruling Conservatives and 20 percent for the New Democratic Party.


Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-03/trudeau-says-he-will-seek-leadership-of-canada-s-liberals.html

[Ken Burch]

1. It won't help the "Liberals" much

Justin Trudeau is considered an intellectual lightweight by many Canadians. He has none of the passion and brilliance his father brought to the job.

Plus, there's far fewer reasons for any progressive voters(the sort Justin, in theory, would appeal to)now that the New Democratic Party is the official opposition, with almost three times as many seats as the Liberal Party, and with a program that actually IS significantly different than the Conservatives, unlike the Liberals, who spent most of the 1990's and early 2000's, their last spell in power, governing as a center-right austerity party(which means they'd do so again if they were returned to power).

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Hey, he's got the marquee name

Let's hope he surprises on the upside

[Ken Burch]

3. When his "marquee name" dad left office, the Liberals were 20 points down in the polls

And went on to lose 100 seats at the general election held immediately after that.

[LiberalLovinLug]

4. We are so screwed now in Canada

He is not a strong enough or proven enough candidate to win, but his name power will be enough to garner enough votes to ensure the neo-Cons and Harper will easily slide into power once more because of the vote-splitting between the Liberals and the NDP. We have almost a decade of radical right destruction of our country to look forward to.

I was hoping he would wait and say he needs more parliamentary experience, which he does. Then the NDP would have a real chance of forming at least a minority government.

For our American friends that don't know; we have three main parties. One is ultra conservative, in power right now with 39% of the vote last time. Of the two others one is like the corporate most friendly side of the Democratic Party - the Liberal party. And the other is like the most progressive side of the Democratic Party - the New Democratic Party or NDP. Can you imagine the Democrats EVER getting into power in the USA if they were split into two parties like that? That is what we have to contend with here. And if you add the Green party its a three way split.

But Trudeau's rock star media adoration will undoubtedly lift him and all Liberal candidates votes.

The only thing I can hope for is for a better concerted effort organizing strategic voting. ie.. whichever of the Liberal or NDP candidate has the best chance in each riding, is voted for. I would love for the NDP to get a chance for governorship, but I am willing to sacrifice that just to rid ourselves of Harper and his crew.

[Ken Burch]

5. The last election proved that strategic voting doesn't work

There's no ridings anywhere in Canada where it will be better for progressives to vote Liberal than NDP. The Liberal Party had it's chance and needs to die. It never stood for anything and it can't ever be MADE into a progressive party.

Even if Justin does become PM somehow, he'll inevitably do his own equivalent of imposing the War Measures Act at some point-a step that forever turned his dad in to a right-wing prime minister.