PM must go beyond bromides

There were no school girls giggling or TV crews fawning over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau during the 100 hours they spent in Japan last week, as there had been during the Canadian leader’s journeys to Manila, Turkey, London, Malta, Paris, Washington and New York.

This was inevitable, of course. Trudeau is now a more known entity and should not be nearly the object of international curiosity he was a few months ago. The only time anyone gushed about Trudeau or Gregoire Trudeau was when a few gobsmacked Canadians crossed their path at the end of their stop at a blissfully tranquil Shinto shrine in the heart of Tokyo.

Stephen Harper awkwardly kept to himself at gatherings like the G7, such was his dread of the backslapping and forced bonhomie that usually reigns. Unlike his predecessor, Trudeau revels in small talk. Even Germany’s formidable chancellor, Angela Merkel, seemed to enjoy his breezy banter.

Seeing Justin Trudeau for the first time after having travelled with his father, Pierre, the contrasts are remarkable. From his first days as prime minister, the older Trudeau, like Harper, had a broad and deep understanding of many issues, and a keen appreciation of his own intellect.

It is hardly an original thought, but Trudeau the Younger does not have and may never have the same command of the subject matter as his father had. While a lot friendlier than Pierre, Justin’s inability, or unwillingness, to veer even slightly off script to demonstrate that he understands the context surrounding what he is talking about can become exasperating.

What the prime minister mostly offered were highminded bromides. There was little thoughtful information about crucial issues such as China’s audacious islandbuilding territorial grab. Canada, as a trading nation with growing interests in Asia, should be alarmed at what Beijing is up to. All Trudeau said was that Ottawa is in favour of the rule of law, which is obvious. And that his government hoped everything could be resolved peacefully, which is even more obvious — and far from certain.

Still, Trudeau won a victory in getting the other leaders to take a stronger stance against paying for hostages kidnapped by terrorist groups. Canada also got credit for topping up the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

The prime minister’s staff claimed Trudeau had made progress in convincing the G7 of the need for fiscal stimulus to help invigorate the wobbly global economy. Alas, except for Japan, which badly wants a version of this, it was hard to see where Canada made any headway.

Italy and France would open their purses if they could, but they’re broke. The United Kingdom and especially Germany are as strongly opposed to such public spending as Harper was. And there is little likelihood of Washington signing on to this Trudeau project any time soon.

The G7 works best as a forum where leaders get to know each other socially, so that when they need to call in an urgent favour they can put a face to the voice at the other end of the phone. In that sense, Trudeau appeared to fare well at his first such conclave.

The platitudes work fine for now, though before too long his peers will expect the prime minister to flesh out his ideas and tackle some of the most tricky economic and security issues, too.

‘TRUDEAU THE YOUNGER MAY NEVER HAVE THE COMMAND OF THE SUBJECT MATTER AS HIS FATHER HAD.’ — FISHER