OTTAWA/TORONTO - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may be renowned internationally for his youthful persona and social media savvy, but even before the embarrassment of his recent blackface makeup scandal there were concerns about the support he needs from younger voters to win re-election.
Young Canadians wanting change after nearly 10 years of Conservative government played a critical role in electing Trudeau and his center-left Liberals in 2015, when he promised to tackle climate change, legalize marijuana and reform the electoral system - issues that resonated with younger voters.
The trouble for the 47-year-old Trudeau, pollsters say, is that these same voters are now frustrated after a series of Liberal scandals as well as the government’s decision to buy an oil pipeline in an attempt to shore up Canada’s key fossil fuels industry. The party is in a statistical tie with the opposition Conservatives in polls ahead of the Oct. 21 vote.
Trudeau - who spent Friday marching alongside thousands of young Canadians at a climate strike. (Reuters)