What was Trudeaumania?

Trudeaumania was the wave of popular enthusiasm for Pierre Elliott Trudeau in 1968 that propelled him from rookie federal Justice Minister to Liberal Party leader (April 6, 1968) and to a strong majority government in the June 25, 1968 federal election. Trudeaumania is the most striking case of celebrity politics in Canadian political history. The phenomenon launched Trudeau's 15-year tenure as Prime Minister and shaped Canadian political culture for a generation.

Trudeau (October 18, 1919 to September 28, 2000) had been a Quebec public intellectual, civil-rights activist, and law professor before entering federal politics in 1965 with Jean Marchand and Gérard Pelletier (the 'Three Wise Men' from Quebec). Lester Pearson made Trudeau his Parliamentary Secretary in early 1966 and Justice Minister in April 1967. As Justice Minister, Trudeau introduced the Omnibus Bill C-150 (the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1968) that decriminalised homosexuality between consenting adults, liberalised divorce and abortion law, and made other reforms. Trudeau famously stated that 'the state has no business in the bedrooms of the nation' (December 21, 1967).

The 1968 Liberal leadership convention was called after Pearson's December 14, 1967 retirement announcement. The convention was held at the Ottawa Civic Centre on April 4 to 6, 1968. Trudeau won on the fourth ballot (1,203 to 954 over Robert Winters), partly on the strength of his constitutional positions (rejecting Quebec separatism, advocating a Charter of Rights). Trudeau's win surprised many observers; he had only been a federal MP for two and a half years. Trudeau's personality, intellect, and unconventional style (he wore sandals to work, drove a Mercedes 280SL convertible, dated public figures) sparked unusual public attention.

Trudeau called a federal election immediately after taking office on April 20, 1968. The campaign produced unprecedented scenes of Trudeau swarmed by young supporters, particularly young women, throughout the country. Media coverage emphasised Trudeau's youthful image (he was 48), bachelor status, and intellectual style. The June 24, 1968 Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day Riot in Montreal saw Trudeau famously refuse to leave the reviewing stand when pelted with bottles and stones, demonstrating his characteristic fortitude. The June 25, 1968 federal election produced a Liberal majority of 155 of 264 seats (45.5 per cent of the vote), the Liberal Party's strongest result since 1953. Trudeau served as Prime Minister from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979 and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984. Trudeaumania is considered the founding moment of his political career and a defining episode of 1960s Canadian celebrity politics.