History of Trudeaus on hostage negotiation

This morning, the Globe and Mail editorialists, the Toronto Star editorialists, and all the opinion writers at the National Post take the same editorial position: they stand with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau against the 19 politicians, jurists, ambassadors, and journalists who urge surrendering to China on the "two Michaels" issue.

Some years ago, journalist and historian Andrew Cohen noted Pierre Trudeau's position on dealing with hostage takers: 

In Beyond Reason, her memoir, Margaret Trudeau recalls a harrowing conversation with her new husband in March 1971. If she or a baby of theirs were kidnapped, he warned, there would be no deal.
Pierre: “Do you understand that?”
Margaret: “No, I don’t. I can’t. You mean you would let them kill me, rather than agree to terms?”
Pierre: “Yes. Yes. I would.”
He explained that as prime minister, he had to put the country first. He could not give in to fanatics: “Once you do that, you’re lost.”

Justin Trudeau was not yet born, but on this he seems to have imbibed his father's principles early. 

Sympathy to Michael Spavor, Michael Kovrig, and their families, but the Trudeaus are right on this one.