Justin Trudeau declares he can beat Stephen Harper in a federal election: ‘Just watch me,’ he writes in note on airplane

By: Star Staff

Liberal leadership candidate and MP Justin Trudeau wrote a note on March 19, 2013, declaring he can beat Stephen Harper in an election: "Just watch me." The phrase was famously used by his father, former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

On a late night Porter Airlines flight from Halifax, after another long day on the campaign trail, someone slipped federal Liberal leadership candidate Justin Trudeau a note.

“Justin, Can you really beat Harper?” a supporter named Mike asked Trudeau. “Wishing you all the best!”

Trudeau quickly wrote back.

“Mike, just watch me,” he wrote above his signature.

The phrase “just watch me” is one famously used by his father, former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

The elder Trudeau made the declaration back in 1970 during the FLQ crisis in response to kidnappings in Quebec.

Kydd posted a photograph of the note on Twitter. “Cool response!” he wrote.

The Liberal candidate confirmed the note’s authenticity in a tweet to the Toronto Star’s Susan Delacourt on Wednesday.