Justin Trudeau
Globe and Mail Update
October 15, 2008 at 1:22 AM EDT
MONTREAL — Justin Trudeau, heir to one of the most famous names in Canadian politics, will succeed his father to Ottawa after securing a victory in the Montreal riding of Papineau last night.
Mr. Trudeau’s campaign headquarters erupted in chants of “Jus-tin, Jus-tin, Jus-tin” as his victory was announced.
Greeted by cheers from his supporters, Mr. Trudeau promised to fight for social justice and against Tory policies, especially on the environment.
“Canada once again chose to tell Stephen Harper, ‘We just don’t trust you with a majority’,” Mr. Trudeau, flanked by his wife, Sophie Grégoire, said in the theatrical voice that Canadians came to know when he delivered the eulogy at his father’s
He acknowledged that carrying the Trudeau name wasn’t always easy during the campaign. Speaking to reporters, he said he weathered the personal attacks against him by recognizing he was being targeted “because of my name, not because of me.”
He said that while his father’s presence was always with him, he is now is the father of an 11-month-old himself.
“I’m a father now, not a son,” he said.
Margaret Trudeau, his mother, said she hoped politics would be kind to her son, “but I have no illusions.”
“I’m very proud of Justin. This is what Justin wanted and as a mother I wanted him to fulfill his dreams,” she said in an interview.
Mr. Trudeau, burdened by an image as a lightweight, campaigned hard after a tough nomination battle in the Montreal riding of Papineau. Now the 36-year-old political neophyte will head to Parliament, 43 years after his father, Pierre Trudeau, was first elected as an MP. Read More
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