Fits the bill

And the winner for least shocking news story of the year is . . . Justin Trudeau capturing the Liberal leadership.
The federal Liberal party was adamant its search for a new leader would not be a coronation, but that is precisely what it was. And in fact, despite all the protestations to the contrary, it always was the moment Mr. Trudeau threw his hat in the ring.
Truth is, one would not have arm-twisted the eldest son of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau into running for the job had there been any chance that he would not win.
Some 30 years ago, John Turner was perceived by many as the Liberals’ knight in shining armour to take over the reins from Mr. Trudeau’s father. As we all know, that didn’t pan out. The party now seems to have bestowed that same stature on Justin—with history to judge whether the gamble to put its future squarely on the shoulders of the relatively young and inexperienced 41-year-old Montreal MP paid off.
Then again, given the crop of leadership candidates, the list of Liberal “knights” was extremely short, indeed. As well, having been reduced to third-party status, and teetering on the brink of oblivion as early as the 2015 election, the party clearly did not have the luxury of time to groom the heir apparent.
Whether Mr. Trudeau is able to resuscitate the Liberal party remains to be seen. In the meantime, though, what one can hope for is that his ascent to the leadership sparks a renewed interest in politics, especially among younger voters.
That isn’t to say we need or want another “Trudeaumania” to sweep the country. But what we do need is leaders—regardless of their political stripe—to engage citizens and get them to care again about Canada’s future. To stymie the current malaise of voter apathy gripping our nation.
It’s a lot to ask and expect of Mr. Trudeau, but he seems to fit the bill. And in the end, that may prove to be his true legacy.