In his most recent video where he thanks donors for their money, the Liberal leader Justin Trudeau looks like a college sophomore playing hacky sack in the quad. What Trudeau says in the video is of little import -- as so often with the aspiring prime minister -- but it's how he presents everything that makes this ad -- initially (and easily) thought to be a joke -- so downright clever.

OTTAWA - What a difference a few weeks, and a charismatic new leader, have made to the financial fortunes of the federal Liberal Party.After years of ...

Political attack ads are designed to make you think. Their aim is to get you to look at a person or an issue in a different light, one different from what the media or the party's political spin machine wants you to look at. Simply put, they work. While it seems everyone complains about them, they still watch them.

Despite being the first-born of a famous and charismatic prime minister, Justin Trudeau, for most of his 20s, seemed a highly unlikely candidate to fo...

There's always been a back-and-forth in Canadian politics. Every few terms, the public would tire of either the Conservative or Liberal party and vote...

OTTAWA - The latest fundraising numbers for federal Liberal leadership contenders suggest Joyce Murray has emerged as the primary challenger to front-...

Justin Trudeau is about to head into the national Liberal leadership vote heavily ahead of the competition, with little changing since he first announced his running back in the fall. Below are several of the most often used reasons, and perhaps some perspective on addressing those reasons and hopefully alleviating some of the hesitation in supporting another Trudeau to right the ship and lead the new Liberals in the 2015 election.

Today we learn that Justin Trudeau has once again copied his father. He used his father's infamous words from the 1970 FLQ crisis "Just Watch Me." It's no surprise that he thinks that he can beat Stephen Harper, but he chose the wrongs words to say so. His campaign team must be shaking their heads.

My congratulations to Justin Trudeau. My condolences to the Liberal Party of Canada. With Marc Garneau's recent withdrawal from the race for the party leadership, the "battle" is all but won. Marc Garneau offered a glimmer of hope for the optimists amongst us who wished to see a Liberal who might give the Conservatives a run for their money in 2015.

Martha Hall Findlay believes that lessons from an ‘80s Liberal icon may help the once-mighty party win big again. And no, she isn’t talking about ...

OTTAWA - Martin Cauchon officially became the ninth — and last — candidate in the Liberal leadership race Tuesday, touting his credentials as the ...

Justin Trudeau is a leadership hopeful who can't figure out what he wants to stand for. Gun registry? Yes and No. Support Quebec separatists? Yes and No. Albertans good people? Yes and No. Doesn't the Liberal Party deserve better? Shouldn't the race be more than baton-twirling and swimsuit competitions?

If voters sit down and scrutinize the political and economic policy proposals put forth by each party in 2012, it becomes apparent that it is nearly impossible to tell where one party stops and another begins. So unless you sit slightly to the right -- in which case every party embodies your politics -- the next time a canvasser, pollster, government official, or public figure asks, "which political party do you support?" consider responding "none of them." Can you really be considered apathetic?

How can we create a workplace environment that encourages public servants to do the best job possible, while celebrating the very finest among them? Make government jobs opwn to everyone -- not just those already on the public sector payroll. And put an end to compulsory union membership and mandatory dues.

OTTAWA - There's no reason assault rifles like the one used to slaughter 20 young schoolchildren in Connecticut should be available in Canada, says Li...

OTTAWA - The Liberals want the country's top civil servant to investigate the Conservative government's use of media monitoring during the 2011 electi...

OTTAWA - Three federal byelections Monday night failed to alter the party standings in the House of Commons — returning two Conservatives and a New ...

With the by-elections over, everyone will be reading the tea leaves to see what it means for the next federal election. At this point probably not all that much as we don't know who will be leading the Liberals in 2015 or for that matter if Harper will even be around to lead the Conservatives. Just the same, the parties should see some red flags from yesterday's results. For the two main parties, i.e. the Liberals and the Conservatives, it does offer a glimpse into some potential shifts down the road depending on who wins the Liberal leadership race. The good news for the Liberals is that even in Tory Alberta they can be a contender; their brand is still pretty resilient.

The next federal election is years away, but new polling numbers from Nanos Research suggest national voting intentions are still in a three-way race....

Largely since the Liberal Party's electoral defeat last year, the Grits have taken up the mantra of being the party of "evidence-based policy." Even if this narrative is true, Liberals need to remove it from their refrain. Three particular reasons come to mind as to why they should do so, including one quality that already led to the party's demise -- arrogance.

Two aspirations for Ontario -- to be the engine of Canadian jobs again and to have world-leading public services -- are interdependent, not separate, goals. We can't have one without the other. And Ontarians deserve both. Instead of grants and handouts to the politically connected, I believe tax cuts create jobs. Tax relief creates jobs, grows the economy, and stimulates new business investments.

What Justin Trudeau brings to politics is a charismatic, genuine, energetic and trustworthy face. He can work a crowd like no other MP. Since announcing his candidacy, he has had no problems drawing full crowds at appearances ranging from rallies to talks on the role of social media in politics. Don't underestimate these traits. What the Liberal party of Canada needs is a young energetic leader who can reclaim the centre and encourage people who don't usually vote to do so.

One can certainly understand why Trudeau and his supporters might prefer a coronation to a true leadership contest. Leadership races can be brutal and very costly in time, effort and money. With a coronation Trudeau will have the added bonus of not having to present a lot of policy options Everyone likes to win, but Trudeau should welcome a tough leadership race and that is what his talk points should be saying. Should he win such a political challenge, then he will have put to rest the whispers that he is a policy light weight, or just a pretty face or just living on his father's name.

There is the possibility that Justin Trudeau will galvanize young voters, but I have my doubts, and it has nothing to do with his political acumen or even his ability to one day to be prime minister. It has to do with the very young people he is aiming to woo. They will destroy Trudeau and there likely isn't a thing he can do about it. Today's youth are not programmed to believe in politicians, much less honour them -- political movements, yes, but not the men and women who sit in government, who travel across the land shaking hands and kissing babies. To say politicians don't resonate with young people is an epic understatement; the practice of being a politician seems completely nuts to them. It makes no sense at all.