Justin will be an asset to Canadian Politics!

"My father's name obviously comes into it on the positive and the negative," said Trudeau.

"Expectations for me will be so amazingly high by some people and so incredibly low by others that I'm sure to disappoint everyone equally."

Justin Trudeau to run in Papineau for Liberals
Feb. 22 2007 CTV.ca News

Justin Trudeau has confirmed to CTV News that he will take on the Bloc Québécois in the next federal election when he runs for the Liberals in the Montreal-area riding of Papineau.

Trudeau was originally expected to run in the Montreal-area Outremont riding, recently vacated by Jean Lapierre, a former Liberal cabinet minister.

Instead, he will seek nomination in the tougher Papineau seat, currently held by Bloc MP Vivian Barbot.

"I don't want to be handed anything, I don't need to be handed anything, I'm more than capable of bringing the fight and it will be a chance for me to demonstrate my own political abilities," said Trudeau.

"It's an absolute bonus that I'll be able to take back this riding for the Liberals."

The riding has large Haitian, Greek and Italian communities, said CTV's Rosemary Thompson, who broke the news earlier in the day.

"It is a riding that has historically tended to be Liberal and he thinks that he can regain it for his father's party," said Thompson, referring to former prime minister Pierre Trudeau.

Trudeau said that being attached to the legacy of his father works both ways.

"My father's name obviously comes into it on the positive and the negative," said Trudeau.

"Expectations for me will be so amazingly high by some people and so incredibly low by others that I'm sure to disappoint everyone equally."

He said if he makes it to Ottawa he'll promote government responsibility, youth involvement and the environment.

Earlier this month, Trudeau confirmed that he had been talking "on and off" with Liberal Leader Stephane Dion since the leadership convention in December.

He was a vocal supporter of Gerard Kennedy during the leadership race but threw his support behind Dion after Kennedy bowed out.

Trudeau, a former high-school teacher, said that throughout his life, his father's advice has always stuck with him.

"His advice to me was always 'Make sure you're doing everything you can to make the world a better place' and today I start a new chapter."

Dion said Thursday in Montreal that he's impressed by Trudeau's courage to fight for the nomination.

But Dion says he won't get involved in the process, and added that Trudeau is showing that he's not taking the easy way to get into politics.