Trudeau faces three big challenges
OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau, the expected victor when the federal Liberals announce the result of their leadership contest Sunday, faces three big challenges.
Challenge One — Measuring up in Parliament:
Largely absent from the House of Commons during the leadership race, Trudeau is expected to make his first appearance in the Commons as Liberal leader on Monday. If Prime Minister Stephen Harper shows up for question period, all eyes will be on the two men.
In fact, Trudeau’s most noteworthy moment in the House of Commons came back in December 2011, when he angrily called Environment Minister Peter Kent a “piece of s—.”
“One of challenges for him will be to perform in the House of Commons,” said Akaash Maharaj, former national policy chair for the federal Liberals.
“That sense of lightning in a bottle, celebrity, excitement, all of that that’s around Trudeau, you’re not going to maintain it in the House of Commons,” said Scott Reid, a longtime aide to former prime minister Paul Martin.
Challenge Two — Keeping his Mojo:
How does Trudeau sustain or build on his momentum for the next two years?
“He’s got something going,” said Reid. “And I think if you’re the Trudeau camp, the No. 1 goal you are obligated to confront is: ‘How do I keep this thing going? How do I keep that balloon from being grounded?’ ”
Over-exposure is a very real threat, as is raising expectations too high before the next election campaign to prevent disappointment should Trudeau make a misstep. Said one insider: “He’s got to lower the temperature a little bit.”
Challenge Three — Defining Clear Policies:
Sometime prior to the 2015 election, Trudeau must define what he and the Liberal Party actually stand for.
His leadership campaign was about attracting new supporters, raising money and otherwise building the foundation of a strong national party.
On policy he has spoken only in broad strokes: about standing up for middle-class Canadians, balancing the environment with energy development, and Quebec’s place in the federation.
“People are clearly excited about (Trudeau),” said Maharaj. “But that excitement cannot simply feed on itself. He has to give it more and he has to take the next step, which is to say explicitly why people should be excited about more than just him. Why they should be excited about the Liberal Party.”