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Don Boudria cheers on Justin Trudeau’s leadership challenge
After the death of Trudeau the father, there were some who urged son, Justin, to take the initiative and run for leadership of the party. He opted, though, to continue pursuing his career in education and did not enter politics until later when he won the Québec riding of Papineau for the federal Liberals in 2008, defeating the incumbent separatist MP, and became the Liberal critic for youth, post-secondary education, and amateur sports issues. During his time in Parliament there were other attempts to get
“It’s not magic,” Boudria said. “The father was a good prime minister, not because of ‘magic’, but because he was a good man.” Boudria noted that the senior Trudeau was a strong political leader whose policies and actions were always of interest to voters of all classes, regardless whether they supported him or not. Other politicians, he observed, might be good managers but what they say or do may not always be part of the “Tim Horton table talk” the morning after they make an announcement. “People have a craving for strong leadership,” Boudria said. “We don’t have that now.” He also dismisses the claims of some pundits that Trudeau’s name will prove a political handicap. “How could it?” he said, laughing. “He’s a brilliant young man.” Continuing on about the strength of the Trudeau name, Boudria recalled an interviewhehadwithaQuébecois journalist soon after Trudeau’s leadership bid announcement. The reporter questioned
whether or not being Pierre Trudeau’s son might not hurt both the Liberal party’s and Justin Trudeau’s chances of voter support in Québec. Boudria cited the last federal election campaign results for PrimeMinister Trudeau. “In Québec his (Justin’s) father took 74 of 75 seats,” Boudria said, adding this was during a time when the separatist movement was still strong in the province’s political scene. “Others tried to demonize him in that last election but it didn’t work.” In the current leadership campaign Trudeau faces competition from at least half a dozen other challengers, including Dr. Marc Garneau, Canada’s most famous astronaut. Boudria noted that Trudeau’s concerns in the campaign and for the country center around creating unity and also the need to inspire young people to be more active in building their country. “Right now 70 per cent of young Canadians don’t even vote,” Boudria said. “He wants to ensure that everyone everywhere is represented.”
GREGGCHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
Sarsfield | Don Boudria is not just happy that Justin Trudeau wants to follow in his famous father’s footsteps. He is ecstatic. The son of Pierre Eliot Trudeau announced at the end of September his intention to run for leadership of the federal Liberal party. That announcement was rock music to Boudria’s ears. “I am very, very
him involved in leadership campaigns but he declined until this year. “I wasn’t the first but I was one of the early people urging him on,” Boudria said, regarding his own involvement Trudeau’s
pleased,” he said during a phone interview over the Thanksgiving long weekend. The former Liberal MP for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell is one of the surviving senior Liberal veterans from the Trudeau Era of Canadian politics when Pierre Trudeau led the party and the country through
decision to enter the current leadership race. “My fear was that he would decide not to run. He took the entire summer to decide whether he would or not. It’s great news for the party and good news for the country.” Boudria was with Trudeau in Montréal during the Oct. 2 rally when he announced his intention to seek the party leadership post. The veteran ex-MP is now part of the Trudeau campaign advisory group. He dismissed suggestions that some of the party faithful hope the “magic” of the Trudeau name can prove as successful for the son as it did for the father.
Don Boudria
various crises like the FLQ kidnappings, the limited introduction of wage-and-price controls to combat inflations, creation of a National Energy Policy which resulted in the development of PetroCanada and spurred new development in the Alberta oil patch, the creation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the re-patriation of the BNA Act and the Constitution, and the first referendum battles with Québec separatism.
G97981*
Tel.: (613) 488-3570 Luc Gareau
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