sons

I'm too much a republican (small R, in no way affiliated with anything related to what happens south of the border) to be a fan of political crowns being passed from fathers to sons. I like to think Canadians, unlike Americans, have little time for such royal family treatment. But there are exceptions. For example, the very successful Manning family in Alberta, and the less successful Martin family on the national stage.

(Sidenote: there are no direct blood ties between the country's second prime minister, Alexander Mackenzie, and its strongest-longest, William Lyon Mackenzie King. Rather, the prime minister who gave us much of Gatineau Park and who talked to his mom lots after she died was the grandson of William Lyon Mackenzie, who led the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion.)

In general, we like our political sons to become much-admired foreign diplomats or extremely irritating talk show/Canadian Idol hosts.

But now, there is Justin.

Will he be content to back-bench? Is he too young? Does he have original ideas?

I guess we'll just watch.