Justin Trudeau Focus of Liberal Leadership Race

With Liberal interim leader Bob Rae officially out of the running, Papineau MP Justin Trudeau has become a focal point for speculation around the 2013 Liberal leadership race.
Justin Trudeau Focus of Liberal Leadership Race
Liberal MP Justin Trudeau is seen as a strong contender for the Liberal leadership but has previously said he would not run. Heavy pressure has recently forced him to rethink the decision, he said. (Matthew Little/The Epoch Times)
6/20/2012
Updated:
10/1/2015
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With Liberal interim leader Bob Rae officially out of the running, Papineau, Que., MP Justin Trudeau has become a focal point for speculation around the 2013 Liberal leadership race. A Harris-Decima poll conducted for The Canadian Press and released Wednesday indicates a third of those who responded would vote Liberal if Trudeau was at the helm.

These results put him far ahead of other Liberal leadership contenders, despite the mixed reviews Trudeau has received from Canada’s varied punditry. Harris-Decima’s senior vice-president Doug Anderson told the Globe and Mail the results are “undoubtedly soft” and could change significantly in an actual contest.

Meanwhile, former leader Michael Ignatieff, who led the party to disastrous returns in the 2011 election, penned an editorial that falls short of endorsing a candidate, but declares in its title, “The Liberal Party belongs to the young.”

“The old guard will have to hand over the keys to the next generation. Throughout my political career, I was inspired by young Canadians, by their vision of a green, prosperous and just country.” Ignatieff writes.

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