I once shook hands with Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada. Not Justin Trudeau, who is the present prime minister, but his father Pierre, who was also Canadian PM decades back. I was teaching in a school in Winnipeg, and as part of his campaign for election, Pierre Trudeau visited that school. I could see where he was talking at the front of the school, and I figured he’d almost certainly leave through the back of the school. So I nipped round and sure enough, there he was, on his way to his chauffeur-driven limo. This was in the Canadian era known, believe it or not, as ‘Trudeaumania’.The PM was seen as a very cool guy, even though he was in his late forties, maybe older, and going bald; but this was balanced by his recently-married and much younger wife, who assured one interviewer that her husband had ‘the body of an eighteen-year-old’. Trudeau was leader of the Liberal party at the time, and the truth is, I wasn’t at all a fan of him or his party. But I stuck out my hand and shook the hand of this smallish, smiling, middle-aged man.What did I say? I fear I said something like the late John Peel ( the English DJ),when he found himself confronted with Richard Nixon. “Good luck, sir” was all he could think of saying. I said the same, without including the ‘sir’.
All of which is a very roundabout way of getting to Justin Trudeau, current Canadian PM. Ten years ago he was a glamorous figure as prime minister, in fact much better-lookiing than his da. The years, though, have taken the gloss off his political profile, even though he has maintained his youthful looks. In fact, Canadian voters have turned their back on him,which is a pity,as he today said what needed to be said to Donald Trump. Admittedly he said he was agreeing with the Wall Street Journal, which said that Trump’s tariffs on Canada and Mexico were ‘a very dumb thing to do.’
Somebody had to say it, and well-done-you to Justin Trudeau for coming out and saying it. The Canadian PM also noted that the Trump idea was to destroy the Canadian economy, and make it easier to absorb that country as the 51st US state – “which is never going to happen” Trudeau added, which didn’t need to be said but was also worth saying.
Useless but interesting fact: Pierre Trudeau had three sons. Two of them were born on Christmas Day – different Christmas Days. Justin was one of the Christmas Two.
I wish my fellow Americans would speak up as Prime Minister Trudeau has done.
Good for him!
I’ve met Justin Trudeau a handful of times.
The morning after his first government election, his bus arrived at the Westin hotel in Ottaea where I was having a coffee, at a conference next door. he walked past me and I had a chance to shake hands and congratulate him.
Then a few more times. At a lunch in Montreal with Taoiseach Enda Kenny and again in Ittawa at a Parliamentary Reception for Irish community.
He’s got charisma, intelligence, and leadership ability. He has made a few mistakes but haven’t we all. on the whole he’s been good for Canada and Canadians. I detest the attack dog that leads the opposition, Pierre Polievre.
They were both on live TV today responding to Trump’s Chaos.
We’ll miss him when he leaves.
He’s a woke disaster Gabriel. Canadians will remember him for freezing the bank accounts of people protesting his COVID restrictions.
I can remember his father (and his mother!) from my teenage years. I feel old. Still it was refreshing to see him put Vlad’s puppet back in his box. Canadians take no crap from anybody, least of all a felon like Trump.