An Open Letter to Justin Trudeau

Monsieur Trudeau,

I’m excited. For the first time in a long time, I’m excited about Canadian politics.

Word is that tomorrow you will be announcing your intention to run for the leadership of the Federal Liberal Party. My first reaction when I read the news last week was, FINALLY. My excitement has not been tempered in the days since.

The first time I thought of you as a potential politician was October 3, 2000. The day that you eulogized your father. With your words and emotion and eloquence you showed the world that you had the ability to keep an audience captive. To reach them. I know that on that day you probably weren’t thinking about your future in politics, or education or anything at all. But I was. Tuesday will be 1 day short of 12 years since that day. You are now 40 years old and have been a teacher, an advocate, a student, a father and yes, a politician.

I am excited to have you run for the leadership of your party because of these things. Because of the sense of youth that you present. Because of the passion that you share. Because of the commitment that you are now offering. I hope and I have hope, that you will bring a new sense of engagement among Canadians both young and old. But especially young. For too long it has seemed that anyone under 30 has been left behind in the political rhetoric. In the last election the NDP showed that paying attention to the things that young people care about can provide great results. I believe that you can lead the Liberal party to do the same.

There will no doubt be comparisons to your father and his career as a politician and Prime Minister. There will be people who don’t like you and your politics for no reason other than the fact that they didn’t like Pierre Trudeau’s politics. There will be people who try to knock you down, claiming that you are only in this position because of his legacy. I would ask you to remember this: Haters Gonna Hate.

What I pray that you keep in mind is that there are many people, Canadians, who want to see you succeed. Who believe that your experience as the son of a Prime Minister, a student, an educator and an MP do qualify you for this position. We want to see what you bring to the table. The ideas that you have. The ideals that you bring. How you stand up to the adversity that will come from all angles, personal and political.

April 14, 2013 will be a big day in Ottawa. And I hope that it ends with the members of the Liberal Party of Canada electing you as their new leader.

After that we look forward to is October 19, 2015 when the next Federal election is tentatively scheduled.

Am I getting way ahead of myself, yes. Is any of this possible, you bet it is.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow, and the days that follow it.

Bonne chance Justin.

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Joshua Murray

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