Right Man, Wrong Hand

"He loves the debate. I mean, he really loves the debate. He loves to engage in it for the sake of it, let alone for something that actually matters. He likes competition."
"I would venture they both had a sort of deep feeling or instinct or drive to make an impact, to have a significant impact on the world. I think they recognized that in each other, and they respected that in each other."
Pablo Navarro, fellow McGill debating team executive

"Whether it was on tuition fees of whether there were things happening in Quebec politics or more nationally, I remember him always being engaged and always in conversation about the key issues of the day."
Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal nominee, Toronto riding of Davenport

"As much as he developed a great reputation from [working with McGuinty], and could certainly use that as a stepping stone, he absolutely did whatever Dalton needed in order to get where he was going."
"It wasn't just all about Gerald's career. It was very much about serving in that role."
Phil Dewan, Dalton McGuinty's onetime chief of staff

The Canadian Press/Chris Young -- Gerald Butts, left, Justin Trudeau right, February 2013

Who knew that the aspirant to the Canadian government throne had a Doppelganger? No, not to replace the state head of government ensconced in Britain, but representative of a dynasty that the aspirant believes is his genetically-divined destiny. And no, not a doppelganger in the conventional sense, but one who sees his own destiny as representing a brace with an old friend. The trouble is, one of them alone won't make the grade.

The one who owns the storied name and heritage, whose glamorous looks, personality and familial reverberation in people's minds is fairly devoid of the intelligence and political mastery that it would take to attain that office. While the one who plays the supporting role in their well-honed little conspiracy has the speaking confidence, flair, intelligence and political experience that, without the charisma of the original would never see him elected.

Put them together, the casual confidence, attractive looks, public celebrity of the bright light whose interior shines but dimly, with the lesser light whose cerebral functioning complements his friend's lack, and there's the fully-formed candidate; the background persona manipulating the agenda and steering the puppet toward success. Together they represent a formidable force capable of persuading an electorate.

 Photograph of Gerald Butts and Justin Trudeau on the steps of the Arts Building at McGill. Photo courtesy Gerald Butts.

 

Same age, same ambition, fully involved friendship and a defined pledge of enablement. Where one was born with the proverbial silver spoon, the other was born with brains and an inbred incentive to succeed. A star on the McGill University Debating Union, winner of the national debating championship, Gerald Butts worked his brains, while Justin Trudeau worked the memory of his father lingering in the minds of admirers of his legacy, and won plaudits and hefty speaking fees.

Gerald Butts cut his political teeth in the political arena, not on the silver spoon that Justin Trudeau was born with. He joined Ontario Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty's executive office as director of policy, bringing with him what he had learned working with the venerable Liberal senator Allan MacEachen on Parliament Hill and Ontario Liberal MPP George Smitherman at Queen's Park.

In Dalton McGuinty, Gerald Butts recognized another legacy project with a political family heritage. He wrote Dalton McGuinty's election strategy platform during the 2003 Ontario campaign. He wrote of pledges to cancel opposition proposed tax cuts and an increase in social spending, promises for environmental protection with incentives for renewable energy, and the phasing out of coal-fired power plants. He also assured the electorate that there were no tax increases to jump out at them post-election.

"Under a McGuinty Liberal government, Ontarians will pay the same amount of taxes as they do today. Your taxes are not going up and they're not going down", he said with complete confidence. Count on it. And then came the health tax on Ontarians long accustomed to the assured freedom from that financial burden. Any issue Ontarians have with lack of transparency and accountability from Dalton McGuinty must find its way back home to his senior adviser.

Now, the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada who aspires to become Prime Minister of Canada, has a well seasoned adviser who brings to the vital job of advising his best friend strategies on how best to succeed to that office. Among which advice is the vetting of Liberal candidates for office, the dismissing of senators from the Liberal caucus, the pledge to legalize/liberalize marijuana, the refusal to permit anyone not entirely convinced that no constraints must be placed on abortion availability into the Liberal party, to this bright light.

Elect Justin Trudeau and Canada gets an amazing two-for-one deal. Who knew?