Margaret Trudeau on Justin, Pierre - and that hair

Margaret Trudeau hasn't lost her touch for making headlines.

Last weekTrudeaumother of Justin, ex-wifeof Pierre surprisedeveryone by announcingthat her son,the prime minister-designate, would not be moving into the official residence with his family.

Her remarks sparked a national discussion over the miserable state of24 Sussex Drive, which needs an estimated $10 million in structural repairs. In the meantime,MaureenMcTeer, the wife ofanother former prime minister, Joe Clark, hasweighed in, saying the buildingshould be torn down all together.

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In an interview with The National's Wendy Mesley, Trudeau speaks out about about a wide variety of topics, from worrying about her son's new job ("He's my boy and he's taking on the biggest, biggest job") to the negative ads that permeated the campaign ("Slick, cheesy politics") to her own difficulties living at 24 Sussex as the wife of a prime minister back in 1971 ("For me, it became something to escape").

For her daughter-in-law SophieGregoire, Trudeausays it will be important to stay active and involved.

"Don't bea little Downton Abbey lady caught in the drawing room," Trudeausaid."Be part of your life. Every day."

Trudeau saidit "obviously" hurt to read critiques of her son during the campaign, in which journalists said he was more of his mother's son than his father's, a dig that suggested Justin Trudeau was all Margaret's flashwithout Pierre'sintellect.

Margaret Trudeau disagrees with that assessment. "Justin is a mixture of us both," she said. "I think he's a very complete person all on his own."

But the irrepressible Margaret Trudeaucan't resist adding one more thought a bit of credence, perhaps, to those theories about her son.

"He may have my hair," she laughs, giving her mane a pat."He certainly doesn't have his dad's."

You can watch Margaret Trudeautalk about her son's personality (and hair) in the video player above. The full interview can be seen on Friday night's The National.