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“It is time the members opposite learned that they were elected by Canadians to represent their views here in Ottawa, not the prime minister’s views in their communities,” Trudeau intoned amid heckling from the Conservative benches.

Despite his uninspired, stilted delivery, Trudeau won a standing ovation from Liberal MPs, most of whom are backing his leadership bid.

Possibly, Trudeau made himself too easy a target, and in Harper’s haste to tear down to his future opponent, he tripped up over his own comeback line:

“I welcome the minister, uh, the member from Papineau,” Harper said to cheers of a Conservative bench that was clearly happy to see Trudeau making a rare appearance in the House during his Liberal leadership campaign.

Harper then called Trudeau the “minister” from Papineau a second time to cheers (one wonders how closely the backbench listens).

Smiling at himself, Harper finally got it together on a third try.

“I welcome the member from Papineau for showing up and making the views of his constituents known for a change in the House of Commons,” Harper said, with catcalls coming from the opposition side.





The prime minister eventually answered Trudeau’s question in standard question period form.

“It is important that everyone at all levels of government and the business community works to find solutions to this particular problem,” he said.

Rather than pounce on the gaffe, Trudeau returned to his notes and asked another long-winded question about skills training.

A spokeswoman for Rae said Trudeau and the other two sitting MPs who are running for the Liberal leadership, Garneau and Murray, have also been offered opportunities to lead off question period when Rae is out of the House.

Garneau is to reprise that role on March 21; there was no word on when Murray may do so again. Nor was there any word on how the prime minister will choose to address them.

Trudeau left after asking his questions. Guess it’s not too soon to bring back “Just Visiting.”