Justin Trudeau 'a good candidate': Chrtien

Former prime minister Jean Chrtien helped bolster the Liberalleadership campaign of Justin Trudeauon Friday,telling reportersthe young Montreal MP would be"a good candidate."

The former Liberal prime minister also proactively shored upwhat could be seen as aweakness in Trudeau'scampaign:the sense that it's too soon for theyoung father to reach for the top job.

"He's been elected twice so far," Chrtien pointed out."It's one more time than his father [Pierre Trudeau] when he became the [Liberal]leader."

"[Stephen] Harper had been elected once only when he became theleader. He had no experience. He was younger than Trudeau," Chrtien added."Joe Clark the same thing.[David] Cameron in England, the same thing."

"Only me had a lot ofexperience to become prime minister," he said, laughing."[Pierre] Trudeau was elected once and he became Prime Minister.I had to wait30 yearsof hard work to get the job."

Chrtien served as a cabinet minister under former prime minister Pierre Trudeau.

It's not the first time the veteran politician has spoken favourably about the younger Trudeau, telling host Evan Solomon on CBC Radio's The House in June that the two Trudeaus are "definitely different," but that Justin Trudeau "has proven himself in some way."

"You know, rather than run in a safe seat, he had to run in a difficult seat," Chrtien said in June of Justin Trudeau's Papineau riding in Montreal. "He won and defeated the Bloc, and he's the only one who increased his majority."

Chrtien is not expected to endorse any particular leadership candidate outright, as is the tradition for former leaders of the party.

France Chrtien Desmarais,Chrtien's daughter, became amember of the Order of Canadaat a ceremony in Ottawa on Friday. The citation lauded her community involvement and philanthropy.