In the wake of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation, a Trent University history professor is looking at his legacy and how it stacks up with previous leaders.
Dr. Michael Eamon is a historian and a principal of Catharine Parr Traill College. He says when assessing the appetite for change amongst Canadians, Trudeau’s length of time in office has really stayed true to recent trends.
At just over 9 years, Trudeau is the seventh longest serving Prime Minister in Canadian history. At just 53, is his life in politics completely over or could there be a second act? Eamon says while nobody knows that except Trudeau himself, there have been wild comebacks in the past.
As we prepare for an upcoming election, whenever it might be, Eamon says this resignation comes at a time when Canadians are more polarized than ever over the issues facing the country – something that’s fueled by social media.
In terms of family comparison, Trudeau’s father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau served a total of 15 years, 164 days in non-consecutive terms.
Written by: P. Rellinger with files from J. Mercier