What do you think?
Rate this book
Promise and Peril: Justin Trudeau in Power
An inside, in-depth look at the leadership of Justin Trudeau, by a veteran political journalist A must-read for all Canadians before the next federal election Justin Trudeau came to power on the promise of “hope and hard work” and a pledge to seek a common good for all Canadians. From the outset, his critics called him naive, inexperienced and a danger to the economy. His proponents have touted his intentions for the middle class, the environment and refugees, which they argue have moved forward real change despite challenges and criticism. Veteran political journalist Aaron Wherry has extensively interviewed decision-makers, influencers and political insiders, from the prime minister’s closest advisors to cabinet ministers to the prime minister himself, to provide the most in-depth, inside examination—beyond the headlines and the tweets—of how Justin Trudeau has performed on his promises for Canada. Promise and Justin Trudeau in Power explores how the Trudeau government has succeeded or failed in its biggest commitments—resource development, immigration, climate change, trade, reconciliation—against a backdrop of economic uncertainty, global political tumult and the roar of populist revolt. It reveals what was happening behind the scenes during the government’s most crucial and public moments,
· the NAFTA negotiations
· the infamous Trump tweets at the G7 summit
· that island vacation
· the SNC-Lavalin affair Promise and Peril is a must-read for all voters before the next election. It examines whether a politician who came to office with immense potential has measured up to expectations—and what is at stake for Canada’s future at home and abroad.
· the NAFTA negotiations
· the infamous Trump tweets at the G7 summit
· that island vacation
· the SNC-Lavalin affair Promise and Peril is a must-read for all voters before the next election. It examines whether a politician who came to office with immense potential has measured up to expectations—and what is at stake for Canada’s future at home and abroad.
368 pages, Hardcover
Published August 20, 2019
17 people are currently reading
133 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 18, 2022
Biased garbage, and that’s just the first chapter. Nothing but whining about Trump and his tweets and how the mere existence of Trump is a dire threat to muh democracy. Accepts the Russian collusion hoax as fact. Trashed Trump for praising Kim Jong Un while conveniently ignoring the fact that Trudeau praised Fidel Castro numerous times.
Trudeau is quite possibly the dumbest man to have ever held public office and this author is barely critical of him, offering that his comedic timing sucks. If only that were Trudeau’s only flaw.
Trudeau is quite possibly the dumbest man to have ever held public office and this author is barely critical of him, offering that his comedic timing sucks. If only that were Trudeau’s only flaw.
October 10, 2023
this book covers trudeau's first term as PM. it was released right before the 2019 election, so i'm guessing it was the hope of aaron wherry to provide some behind the scenes information of how trudeau's administration functioned, to offer more insight for people who were considering to re-elect trudeau. i say this because wherry paints a pretty favourable picture of trudeau, even getting exclusive interviews with him for this book, which i doubt would have happened if he wasn't going to frame trudeau as a good leader overall. i obviously had some issues with this, because i think wherry could have gone deeper into the nuances and mistakes from trudeau's first four years in office.
regardless, the book does a pretty fair job at detailing key moments during his first four years and breaking down the processes behind major decisions from the keystone pipeline to medically assisted dying. the content in itself is accessible for any canadian and written with each chapter narrowly focusing on an issue, like the assembly of trudeau's administration to his privilege.
would recommend if you're looking for a behind the curtain-esque examination of trudeau's policies.
regardless, the book does a pretty fair job at detailing key moments during his first four years and breaking down the processes behind major decisions from the keystone pipeline to medically assisted dying. the content in itself is accessible for any canadian and written with each chapter narrowly focusing on an issue, like the assembly of trudeau's administration to his privilege.
would recommend if you're looking for a behind the curtain-esque examination of trudeau's policies.
September 5, 2019
With a federal election only 46 days away, it is time to do some homework before casting our votes. Aaron Wherry, a CBC researcher in Ottawa, has written a balanced account of Justin Trudeau’s time in office. He gives a detailed account of the challenge of managing relations with Donald Trump, and the success (in his eyes) of Foreign Minister Christian Freeland in renegotiating the NAFTA agreement in difficult circumstances. Wherry tries to explain the uneasy relationship between the environmental activism of the Trudeau government ( carbon tax, Paris Accord targets) with the purchase of the TransMountain pipeline. He also relates the perils of being in office, including the ill-advised trip to India, and his handling of the SNC-Lavalin affair and his troubled relations with former Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould. Wherry’s book is a comprehensive look at the Trudeau government’s record, and is a reminder that governing is never easy. One question that voters must consider is what alternatives were available to the government. Are we serious about environmental protection? Is pricing carbon the way to go? How does our government manage relations with superpowers such as China and the United States? Wherry’s book provides food for thought.
September 18, 2019
Read/re-read book, after originally planning to return it after reading a few chapters. Reopened book a few days later to another point & decided to try again, given that we are in the beginning of the writ period of a federal election when we must choose among parties & leaders. This is one of two recent books taking a look at Justin Trudeau's first term as Canada's prime minister.
This book includes discussion of how he worked toward a political career after an earlier one as a teacher, and as first son, born during power, of a former Prime Minister. After a couple of terms as a Quebec MP, and engineered within the Liberal party, he became party leader following their loss in a majority Conservative Party win. As such, he helped the party to come from 3rd place in the polls during the federal leadership race, to win his first term as Liberal Party leader and Prime Minister, 2015—2019.
I found the book disappointing in that it's mostly written in passive voice, where things "happened", which can make it more difficult to follow the narrative & stay engaged. Sometimes it felt like wading through the prose. The author had considerable access to Trudeau with many interviews, in the process of preparing book. Although he often appears to strive for objectivity & balance, there are times when it can seem tenuous. The historical information is interesting, although much of it is well known by anyone already following the political scene.
Still, a useful source to consider during an important & short election campaign.
This book includes discussion of how he worked toward a political career after an earlier one as a teacher, and as first son, born during power, of a former Prime Minister. After a couple of terms as a Quebec MP, and engineered within the Liberal party, he became party leader following their loss in a majority Conservative Party win. As such, he helped the party to come from 3rd place in the polls during the federal leadership race, to win his first term as Liberal Party leader and Prime Minister, 2015—2019.
I found the book disappointing in that it's mostly written in passive voice, where things "happened", which can make it more difficult to follow the narrative & stay engaged. Sometimes it felt like wading through the prose. The author had considerable access to Trudeau with many interviews, in the process of preparing book. Although he often appears to strive for objectivity & balance, there are times when it can seem tenuous. The historical information is interesting, although much of it is well known by anyone already following the political scene.
Still, a useful source to consider during an important & short election campaign.
September 26, 2019
Fascinating coverage of Trudeau’s first term as Prime Minister. The analysis helped me understand the challenges of many of the promises made in 2015, and the success and/or failure of each. Would highly recommend this, particularly given the current election. One take-away is the number of promises made that were more than the previous two governments - and the number of balls that needed to stay in the air, while trying to resolve things. The renegotiation of NAFTA stands out as a particular challenge, given the President's stance and behaviour.
June 26, 2020
For the first couple of chapters, I found the book felt irrelevant in this COVID-19 world. Who cares these days about the Jody Wilson-Raybould crisis? But as I got into the book, I realized history existed before COVID-19 and Justin Trudeau is in charge of our current Canadian situation. I want to know who he is.
Overall, I found the book presents Trudeau as a positive figure. This might annoy readers who dislike him, or reassure them we're in good hands. Trudeau comes across particularly well in his dealings with Donald Trump and the renegotiated NAFTA. Few would argue that Canada's relationship with the US is vitally important and that Trump isn't the easiest person to deal with. Trudeau seems to have particular traits well-suited to this challenge.
A surprising takeaway for me. The author notes the common view is that politicians rarely keep their promises. He says, according to statistical studies, they keep them more often than not, and the Trudeau government did better than most in this respect during their first term.
The book was published before Trudeau's second election as party leader, which adds interest for readers who now know what happened.
Overall, I found the book presents Trudeau as a positive figure. This might annoy readers who dislike him, or reassure them we're in good hands. Trudeau comes across particularly well in his dealings with Donald Trump and the renegotiated NAFTA. Few would argue that Canada's relationship with the US is vitally important and that Trump isn't the easiest person to deal with. Trudeau seems to have particular traits well-suited to this challenge.
A surprising takeaway for me. The author notes the common view is that politicians rarely keep their promises. He says, according to statistical studies, they keep them more often than not, and the Trudeau government did better than most in this respect during their first term.
The book was published before Trudeau's second election as party leader, which adds interest for readers who now know what happened.
August 4, 2020
Less a book about Trudeau and more a book about things that happened to people around Trudeau. And a lot of it seemed to be a recap of what we saw in the news with little extra bits thrown in here and there. Each chapter seems to be attached to a particular promise or champaign or action that 'defines' his presidency. One chapter is all about the new NAFTA or USMCA or CAMUS or whatever you want to call it, and surprise, Freeland and Trump don't like each other.
While much of the book is devoted to reactions to the farce taking place to the south of us, very little is discussed about Trudeaus reaction, other than the soundbites already all over the internet. I wanted more Trudeau in this book, why he is himself, what does he actually think about certain things. For me Ivison's book "Trudeau", gave me a better look at the man who is currently running Canada.
While much of the book is devoted to reactions to the farce taking place to the south of us, very little is discussed about Trudeaus reaction, other than the soundbites already all over the internet. I wanted more Trudeau in this book, why he is himself, what does he actually think about certain things. For me Ivison's book "Trudeau", gave me a better look at the man who is currently running Canada.
January 29, 2020
If you don't usually follow politics closely, this book provides a lot of insights into how decisions were made and behind the scenes discussions. As a Power and Politics fan, where Aaron Wherry is a regular contributor, I didn't find any surprises. I like Trudeau. I don't think we would ever be pals, but I trust him as a leader and this book reinforced my positive view of him.
June 13, 2020
Aaron Wherry’s PROMISE AND PERIL: JUSTIN TRUDEAU IN POWER is a sweeping — and highly informative — overview of the 23rd Canadian Prime Minister’s first term in office.
It is rather quite difficult to find reporting that paints an accurate picture of Justin Trudeau. Many conservatives incorrectly characterize him as a socialist (often doing so in a puerile manner). To progressives, he’s the equivalent of a squishy centrist. The real answer almost certainly lies somewhere in between these two projections, as the Trudeau government has embarked upon understated strides to the left on some issues while maintaining the status quo on other fronts.
To my mind, then, Wherry’s examination — featuring a plethora of behind-the-scenes interviews from notable figures both inside and outside of the federal government, including several with the Prime Minister himself — is the most measured take yet on the Trudeau government.
Credit is given where credit is due, as the reader is inclined to award the Prime Minister high marks with respect to an array of issues. These include Trudeau’s handling of Canada’s trying relationship with the United States under Donald Trump, his government’s implementation of the child benefit and enhancement of the Canada Pension Plan, his introduction of a national price on carbon emissions, his restoration of independence to the senate, and his diversification of various governing bodies, among others. There is also little room for doubt when it comes to some of the government’s more proactive data points: “the lowest unemployment rate in forty years, 900,000 new jobs created and nearly 300,000 kids lifted out of poverty.”
By extension, the author unpacks questionable elements of the Trudeau brand, as well as the messiness that has at times underlined his approach to governing. Wherry’s deep dive on the SNC-Lavalin affair is especially fascinating in this regard, and his review of the fallout from the infamous India trip and the Trudeau family vacation to the Aga Khan’s island highlights some of the baggage that the “sunny ways” Prime Minister frequently struggles to shake off. Wherry also shows that the government’s decision to purchase a pipeline has been met with mixed reactions (though changing over time) across the country, and its decision to abandon promises of electoral reform remains a recurring element of disappointment within certain facets of the population.
Ultimately, one of the keys to developing a fairly nuanced take on the Trudeau government lies in the midst of one of Wherry’s more indirect arguments. The book ushers forth a vision of Trudeau that skeptics — both conservative and left-leaning, respectively — would be wise to appreciate, as his government has proven to be quite the consequential force to reckon with while in office. Evidence of this can be found by sleuthing through external data on the government’s commitments. Despite making approximately 353 promises to voters by 2015 — that is, more assurances than the governments of Jean Chretien (1993) and Stephen Harper (2006) put together — the Trudeau Liberals kept 50.4% of its pledges, while also completing an additional 39.7% “in part or in the works.” Numbers don’t lie — a government that delivers, in varying forms, on approximately 90.1% of its promises is indeed effective. Canadians who support Trudeau ought to then turn to substantive points of analysis of this nature… and those who oppose his government should concede to this truth if they are serious about strategizing in the future.
If you are interested in the intricacies that underline Canadian policy on both foreign and domestic fronts — especially between 2015 and 2019 — then this is the book for you. The author’s assumption of neutrality lends credibility to his in-depth study, as Wherry allows objective reporting to guide his exploration of “how the Trudeau government has succeeded or failed in its biggest commitments”.
It is rather quite difficult to find reporting that paints an accurate picture of Justin Trudeau. Many conservatives incorrectly characterize him as a socialist (often doing so in a puerile manner). To progressives, he’s the equivalent of a squishy centrist. The real answer almost certainly lies somewhere in between these two projections, as the Trudeau government has embarked upon understated strides to the left on some issues while maintaining the status quo on other fronts.
To my mind, then, Wherry’s examination — featuring a plethora of behind-the-scenes interviews from notable figures both inside and outside of the federal government, including several with the Prime Minister himself — is the most measured take yet on the Trudeau government.
Credit is given where credit is due, as the reader is inclined to award the Prime Minister high marks with respect to an array of issues. These include Trudeau’s handling of Canada’s trying relationship with the United States under Donald Trump, his government’s implementation of the child benefit and enhancement of the Canada Pension Plan, his introduction of a national price on carbon emissions, his restoration of independence to the senate, and his diversification of various governing bodies, among others. There is also little room for doubt when it comes to some of the government’s more proactive data points: “the lowest unemployment rate in forty years, 900,000 new jobs created and nearly 300,000 kids lifted out of poverty.”
By extension, the author unpacks questionable elements of the Trudeau brand, as well as the messiness that has at times underlined his approach to governing. Wherry’s deep dive on the SNC-Lavalin affair is especially fascinating in this regard, and his review of the fallout from the infamous India trip and the Trudeau family vacation to the Aga Khan’s island highlights some of the baggage that the “sunny ways” Prime Minister frequently struggles to shake off. Wherry also shows that the government’s decision to purchase a pipeline has been met with mixed reactions (though changing over time) across the country, and its decision to abandon promises of electoral reform remains a recurring element of disappointment within certain facets of the population.
Ultimately, one of the keys to developing a fairly nuanced take on the Trudeau government lies in the midst of one of Wherry’s more indirect arguments. The book ushers forth a vision of Trudeau that skeptics — both conservative and left-leaning, respectively — would be wise to appreciate, as his government has proven to be quite the consequential force to reckon with while in office. Evidence of this can be found by sleuthing through external data on the government’s commitments. Despite making approximately 353 promises to voters by 2015 — that is, more assurances than the governments of Jean Chretien (1993) and Stephen Harper (2006) put together — the Trudeau Liberals kept 50.4% of its pledges, while also completing an additional 39.7% “in part or in the works.” Numbers don’t lie — a government that delivers, in varying forms, on approximately 90.1% of its promises is indeed effective. Canadians who support Trudeau ought to then turn to substantive points of analysis of this nature… and those who oppose his government should concede to this truth if they are serious about strategizing in the future.
If you are interested in the intricacies that underline Canadian policy on both foreign and domestic fronts — especially between 2015 and 2019 — then this is the book for you. The author’s assumption of neutrality lends credibility to his in-depth study, as Wherry allows objective reporting to guide his exploration of “how the Trudeau government has succeeded or failed in its biggest commitments”.
September 18, 2019
Reading this book after the Iverson book was fascinating, if I had to recommend one of the two, I’d recommend this one every time.
Wherry presents a broad overview of Justin Trudeau’s time I’m office from a neutral and objective point of view. He gains access to a much wider cast of characters than Iverson (including Trudeau himself) and presents a more complete image of the past four years.
While there is less on Trudeau’s rise to Prime Minister, the book makes up for that with its extensive record on Trudeau’s time in office.
Wherry does a great job putting Trudeau into the global context and writes in a fluid and clear manner (each chapter deals with a specific promise and peril Trudeau has).
10/10 would recommend.
Wherry presents a broad overview of Justin Trudeau’s time I’m office from a neutral and objective point of view. He gains access to a much wider cast of characters than Iverson (including Trudeau himself) and presents a more complete image of the past four years.
While there is less on Trudeau’s rise to Prime Minister, the book makes up for that with its extensive record on Trudeau’s time in office.
Wherry does a great job putting Trudeau into the global context and writes in a fluid and clear manner (each chapter deals with a specific promise and peril Trudeau has).
10/10 would recommend.
January 21, 2025
A great piece of in-depth first-hand access to Justin Trudeau from his leadership campaign to 2019, a different time when things looked easy(ier). Whether you love him or hate him most of the decisions and his subsequent explanations found in this book show that he was in fact in it for the right reasons. His popularity grew in times of crisis and some of the alliances he built abroad but especially within his own party would prove to be his shortcoming. Time has undoubtebly given a mixed verdict : his tenure as Prime Minister was indeed better than most expected and yet worse than everyone else hoped for. Sad case of over-promising and under-delivering? Lets just wait and see who comes next before rendering a clear judgment.
March 30, 2024
This is another piece of bias garbage for hardcore Liberals who want to disregard facts and twist stories to suit their narrative.
No wonder CBC has lost its prestige and respect by hiring authors like Aaron Wherry to work for the news organization. What a shame!
It’s sad that we have journalists like this working for CBC.
No wonder CBC has lost its prestige and respect by hiring authors like Aaron Wherry to work for the news organization. What a shame!
It’s sad that we have journalists like this working for CBC.
December 10, 2019
Definitely a comprehensive account, and well-written. But I think the way the story is laid out does Wherry a disservice. Instead of a straight-forward or chronological timeline, each chapter jumps around from topic to topic and it feels disjointed and a little confusing at times.
October 20, 2019
Aaron Sherry's writing reminds me a bit of Bob Woodward's books. Very detailed and neutral, some might find it daunting but personally I like getting all the details to make my own opinion.
December 15, 2019
Kinda dry. Didn't tell me much I didn't already know
April 16, 2020
Pretty Partyxanax.
October 11, 2021
Good book that tries, I think successfully, to paint the picture of Trudeau's government up to the spring of 2019.
The book goes through this government's accomplishments, failures, scandals and plans for the future. It also does a good job at bringing an inside look at the work it takes to deliver all of these things.
The book goes through this government's accomplishments, failures, scandals and plans for the future. It also does a good job at bringing an inside look at the work it takes to deliver all of these things.
October 2, 2019
Light Catch Up
If you need a brief reminder of the accomplishments of the current government look no further. A light and quick read.
If you need a brief reminder of the accomplishments of the current government look no further. A light and quick read.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews