Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who never skips a chance to reach out to voters, marked 100 days in office on Friday by fielding Twitter questions on topics from Star Wars to economics to what he had for lunch.
Critics were already complaining that Trudeau is more style than substance, but he shows no sign of ditching an intensely personal style of governing, which often involves stopping for selfies with well-wishers.
Trudeau, 44, led his Liberals to a surprise election win last October on the back of a promise to change politics. He named a cabinet with an equal number of men and women and dominates the media in a way few of his predecessors did. His tastes sometimes run to the informal. On Friday he took questions on Twitter for 45 minutes, including one about whether a hot dog was a sandwich.
"Yes. That way, when asked what you had for lunch, you can say 'a sandwich'. Sounds waaaay healthier," he replied. Other subjects included Arctic security, gay rights, taxes, national security and youth unemployment. He also found time to comment on a toy moose that someone had covered in newspaper pictures of the prime minister.
Trudeau will face a tougher challenge next month when his government releases a budget designed to boost a slack economy. He conceded this week he would run a larger deficit than initially promised.
Perhaps mindful of criticism that he talks a lot without achieving much, Trudeau released a list of what he said his government had done since taking office in November.
The list included pushing through a tax cut for the middle class, launching an operation to accept 25,000 Syrian refugees and creating thousands of summer jobs for students. The opposition New Democrats were less impressed.
"100 days into a Liberal government and people are still working harder than ever, but can't get ahead," the party said in a statement. And what does Trudeau think of The Force Awakens, the latest Star Wars movie? "Loved it. Glad there was no Jar-Jar, literally and metaphorically," he replied on Twitter.
