Just been watching a video of Kevin O'Leary (I know, I know) slamming Trudeau for all kinds of mistakes and poor judgement. He seems particularly critical of Christine Freelander and the approach to China (on lack of trade, on the Huawei extradition etc). Any opinions in this ?

Keep in mind the source. Kevin O'Leary. A man who I'm sure needs wider than normal door frames in his house to allow his ego to go from one room to another. Keep in mind this is the guy who was born in Montreal, wanted to run for the leadership of the PC party and then suddenly came to the realization that his lack of knowledge of basic french wasn't going to help him and he abandoned his leadership race.

I'm not a fan of Trudeau at all...all style and no substance to me. I won't be voting for him although I feel it will be a minority win for the Liberals.

Trudeau has a nice car, he got that from his Dad. He has a nice job, he got that from his Dad too. He seems like the sort of person one would edge away from in the pub.

Still, the alternative is horrible. One has to hope the Canadians re-elect Trudeau.

You're showing an awful lot of local cradle knowledge of Canajun politics. Are you sure you're feeling OK

If Trudeau showed up in my pub, I would edge away and he would probably only stay as long as some trendy fizzy pop lager devoid of taste, flavour or interest was available.

Our alternatives aren't great. I think a lot of people in Canada are quite jaded about politics and politicians. I know I am. I have to deal with them daily at the local level in my job and that is enough for me.

Yikes, I thought you were going to say he has a nice wife, he got her from his Dad.

What about Freelander/China has Trudeau made mistakes there (as KOL suggests)?

In a few years you might be saying something similar about the next POTUS

I'm not convinced they were ever that interested to be honest. It's quite difficult to see how it could ever have been that interesting.

The sign of a stable country, boring politics.

Not a good Prime Minister.

The Foreign Minister you are referring to is Chrystia Freeland, not Christine Freelander. Neophyte who was a newspaper journalist up to just a few years before becoming Foreign Minister. Completely in over her head.

Trudeau is book-smart but has lived a very sheltered life and is not up to the complexities of leading a nation full of people who didn't grow up the same way he did. As such he can be divisive even when he is not intending to be, and he sticks his foot in his mouth often. Not his instinct to really think about how his actions will be seen beyond his peer and social group.

Dad was a good Prime Minister, but that's a long time ago now.

Gracias.

I very much doubt that the Trumps have a single interesting vehicle between them. I imagine that, in private life, they drive something befitting a Maharaja's hunting expedition but on lowered suspension so as to be better suited to shooting the babies.

If you are looking for a contrast, and a leader who really had his finger on the pulse of the nation, read up on Jean Chretien. So uncharismatic that it made him charismatic, and scandals just rolled off his back and didn't touch his popularity. The Conservatives got really nasty early in his leadership and tried to attack his disability. Anyways, Chretien was a good Prime Minister.

Perhaps Trudeau's (Justin) cognate is not his father, but Paul Martin. A Prime Minister adored and respected by the media but who never fully connected with the population, and the media didn't really pick up on that until Martin suddenly found himself in Minority Government and serious political trouble just a year into his leadership. He only lasted a few years.

<agrees with carcajou>

<shakes head in shock>

Chretien was invited to involve Canada in a war. He declined. Chretien was on a walkabout with his wife when someone insulted her. He went into the crowd, swinging. Not your average Prime Minister.

And a beer was made to commerate it.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/13605/63087/

Totally agree. He has a history of gaffes in terms of smart alek comments that show a general indifference to others. His over reliance on social media and photo ops and selfies rub me the wrong way.

For this coming election where is the Natural Law party or similar for some light hearted levity.?