Liberal MP Justin Trudeau will reportedly enter the race for the federal Liberal leadership.

According to reports by La Presse newspaper, the CBC and CTV, he is expected to make the announcement on Tuesday.

Trudeau, 40, the son of former Canadian prime minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, has been an MP for the riding of Papineau, Que., since 2008.

Justin Trudeau has been under intense pressure to run since interim Leader Bob Rae announced he would not be seeking the permanent job.

Patrick Gossage, the former press secretary to Pierre Trudeau, told political affairs specialist John Stall that the junior Trudeau has got the qualities to be a good leader.

“I know he’s a lot more serious, more smarter person and more experienced a person than people give him credit for. He’s won in the tough working-class neighbourhoods in Montreal, twice. He’s been a good parliamentarian; he’s a terrific speaker,” Gossage said.

“He’s going to do really weird things occasionally, and that was one of the things that attracted us to Trudeau — he was kind of outrageous from time to time — and I think Justin will do that. He’ll bring back some excitement to this placid, dull politics that we’ve all become endeared to,” he said.

The next Liberal leader will be chosen on April 14, 2013, in Ottawa.