Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be observing his 50th birthday on Christmas Day and it is normal courtesy to extend good wishes and reflect on the past on such a noteworthy anniversary. While he is unlikely to be as important a figure in Canada’s history as his father was, he achieved the country’s highest office at age 43, five years younger than his father was when he first came to power in 1968. Pierre Trudeau automatically became prime minister on winning the federal Liberal leadership, while Justin is the only prime minister in Canadian history to lead his party from the third party in Parliament to government in one election; and he managed to form what is only the second majority government Canada has had in the seven elections since the Progressive Conservatives and Reform parties were reunited in 2004.
