Prime Ministers | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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  • Macleans

    How the control freak lost control

    As a five-alarm gong show threatens to swallow Stephen Harper’s Conservatives whole, party faithful wonder if he’ll ever regain his gripThis article was originally published in Maclean's Magazine on July 8, 2013

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    https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/images/tce_placeholder.jpg?v=e9dca980c9bdb3aa11e832e7ea94f5d9 How the control freak lost control
  • Article

    Joe Clark

    Charles Joseph “Joe” Clark, PC, CC, journalist, author, 16th prime minister of Canada 1979-80, (born 5 June, 1939 at High River, AB). Clark was Canada's youngest prime minister when he took office one day before his 40th birthday. His brief term put a temporary end to 16 years of Liberal rule. He later gained respect as a senior minister in the Progressive Conservative government of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, especially on the international stage.

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    https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/e0efd891-6436-4b44-a1b5-9324ba4c8138.jpg Joe Clark
  • Article

    John Diefenbaker

    John George “Dief the Chief” Diefenbaker, PC, CH, KC, FRSC, prime minister 1957–63, politician, lawyer (born 18 September 1895 in Neustadt, ON; died 16 August 1979 in Ottawa, ON). John Diefenbaker was Canada’s 13th prime minister. He was well known as a defence lawyer before his election to Parliament, and was an eloquent spokesman for “non-establishment” Canada. A supporter of civil rights for all, Diefenbaker championed the Canadian Bill of Rights and the extension of the right to vote to First Nations peoples. He also played an important role in the anti-apartheid statement that led to South Africa’s departure from the Commonwealth in 1961. He was a charismatic and popular speaker; but he was also a divisive force within the Progressive Conservative Party. He was criticized for his indecision concerning nuclear missiles on Canadian soil; for his strained relations with US President John F. Kennedy; and for his cancellation of the Avro Arrow project.

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    https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/43c5f766-3240-4962-878e-f9973d4e3052.jpg John Diefenbaker
  • Article

    John Turner

    John Napier Turner, PC, CC; politician, lawyer, prime minister, athlete (born in Richmond, England, 7 June 1929; died 19 September 2020 in Toronto, ON). John Turner is best known for his early political service as federal justice minister (1968–72) and finance minister (1972–75) in the cabinet of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, and for the 1988 election battle with Brian Mulroney over free trade. Turner's 11-week term as prime minister in 1984 is the second shortest in Canadian history, after Sir Charles Tupper (10 weeks).

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    https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/f830ecd1-1454-4917-aa16-099b9a42d0f3.jpg John Turner
  • Article

    Jean Chrétien

    Joseph-Jacques Jean Chrétien, CC, PC, OM, QC, prime minister of Canada 1993–2003, lawyer, author, politician (born 11 January 1934 in Shawinigan, QC). Lawyer and longtime parliamentarian Jean Chrétien was Canada’s 20th prime minister. Early in his political career, Chrétien helped negotiate the patriation of the Canadian constitution as well as the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. As Prime Minister, he led the federal government to its first surplus in nearly 30 years. However, his administration also presided over a costly sponsorship program in Quebec that sparked one of the worst political scandals of modern times. His government committed Canadian forces to the Kosovo conflict (1999) and to the war in Afghanistan (beginning in 2002). Chrétien publicly refused to provide direct support for the subsequent American war in Iraq. The recipient of numerous honours and awards, he is involved in several international organizations dedicated to peace, democracy and other global concerns.

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    https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/b3532769-6fc5-4950-bcff-36d917baf2bc.jpg Jean Chrétien
  • Article

    Justin Trudeau

    Justin Pierre James Trudeau, PC, 23rd prime minister of Canada 2015–present, teacher, public issues advocate (born 25 December 1971 in Ottawa, ON). The son of Pierre Trudeau, the former prime minister, Justin has repeatedly defied expectations. In 2007, he won the Liberal nomination in the Montréal riding of Papineau, beating the establishment’s candidate. A year later, he was elected to the House of Commons, confounding pundits who insisted the Trudeau name was political poison among francophone voters. After winning the Liberal Party leadership in 2013, Trudeau propelled the party from third place to first in the House, becoming prime minister at the head of a majority government in 2015. Although Trudeau’s Liberals lost support in the 2019 election, they won enough seats to form a minority government.

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    https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/cd710867-7139-438f-abc8-b6bf934a7de1.jpg Justin Trudeau
  • Article

    King-Byng Affair (Plain-Language Summary)

    The King-Byng Affair was a constitutional crisis that happened in 1926. It pitted the powers of a prime minister against the powers of a governor general. It began when Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King asked Governor General Lord Julian Byng to dissolve Parliament and call a new election. Byng refused. It ended with King winning another election. Since then, no governor general has publicly refused the advice of a prime minister. This article is a plain-language summary of the King-Byng Affair. If you are interested in reading about this topic in more depth, please see our full-length entry: King-Byng Affair.

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    https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/bc101b95-90c9-4f86-b242-e84ad88599bf.jpg King-Byng Affair (Plain-Language Summary)
  • Article

    Lester B. Pearson

    Lester Bowles (“Mike”) Pearson, PC, OM, CC, OBE, prime minister 1963–68, statesman, politician, public servant, professor (born 23 April 1897 in Newtonbrook, ON; died 27 December 1972 in Ottawa, ON). Lester Pearson was Canada’s foremost diplomat of the 1950s and 1960s. He formulated the basics of the country’s postwar foreign policy; particularly its involvement in NATO and the United Nations, where he served as president of the General Assembly. In 1957, he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his diplomatic efforts in facilitating Britain and France’s departure from Egypt during the Suez Crisis. A skilled politician, he rebuilt the Liberal Party and as prime minister strove to maintain Canada’s national unity. Under his leadership, the government implemented a Canada Pension Plan; a universal medicare system; a unified Armed Forces; and a new national flag.

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    https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/a136153.jpg Lester B. Pearson
  • Article

    Native People's Caravan

    The Native People’s Caravan was a cross-country mobile protest that took place in 1974. Its main purpose was to raise awareness about the poor living conditions and discrimination experienced by Indigenous peoples in Canada. It travelled from Vancouver to Ottawa, where the subsequent occupation of a vacant warehouse on Victoria Island, near Parliament Hill, extended into 1975. The caravan brought various Indigenous groups together in protest of broken treaties, as well as a lack of government-supported education, housing and health care. As a result, meetings between Cabinet ministers and Indigenous leaders became more frequent. The protest is remembered as an important turning point in Indigenous activism in Canada.

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    https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/e9e4a925-a033-404d-9819-a3bb46fe9c8e.jpg Native People's Caravan
  • Article

    Prime Minister of Canada

    The prime minister (PM) is the head of the federal government. It is the most powerful position in Canadian politics. Prime ministers are not specifically elected to the position; instead, the PM is typically the leader of the party that has the most seats in the House of Commons. The prime minister controls the governing party and speaks for it; names senators and senior judges for appointment; and appoints and dismisses all members of Cabinet. As chair of Cabinet, the PM controls its agenda and greatly influences the activities and priorities of Parliament. In recent years, a debate has emerged about the growing power of prime ministers, and whether this threatens other democratic institutions.

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    https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/5df52fa3-73b2-41b8-bee2-e20d15ed0875.jpg Prime Minister of Canada
  • Article

    Prime Minister of Canada (Plain-Language Summary)

    The prime minister (PM) is the head of the federal government. The PM is typically the leader of the party with the most seats in the House of Commons. The PM controls the governing party and speaks for it. They appoint senators and senior judges. They also appoint and dismiss all members of Cabinet. As chair of Cabinet, the PM controls its agenda and sets the goals of Parliament. Recent years have seen a debate over the growing power of prime ministers and the effect of this on Parliament. This article is a plain-language summary of the Prime Minister of Canada. If you are interested in reading about this topic in more depth, please see our full-length entry: Prime Minister of Canada.

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    https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/Justin_Trudeau_2021.jpg Prime Minister of Canada (Plain-Language Summary)
  • Article

    Sir John A. Macdonald

    Sir John Alexander Macdonald, prime minister of Canada 1867–73 and 1878–91, lawyer, businessman, politician (born 10 or 11 January 1815 in Glasgow, Scotland; died 6 June 1891 in Ottawa, ON). John A. Macdonald was Canada’s first and second-longest serving prime minister (19 years). He set wide-ranging policies that continue to influence the country today. Macdonald helped unite the British North American colonies in Confederation and was a key figure in the writing of the British North America Act — the foundation of Canada’s Constitution. He oversaw the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and the addition of Manitoba, the North-West Territories, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island to Confederation. However, his legacy also includes the creation of the residential school system for Indigenous children, the policies that contributed to the starvation of Plains Indigenous peoples, and the “head tax” on Chinese immigrants.

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    https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/Twitter_Cards/Sir John A 1.jpg Sir John A. Macdonald
  • Article

    Sir Robert Borden

    Sir Robert Laird Borden, lawyer, politician, prime minister of Canada, 1911–20 (born 26 June 1854 in Grand Pré, NS; died 10 June 1937 in Ottawa, ON).

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    https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/6e19f5db-f5f6-4776-baf8-40a98b38b97d.jpg Sir Robert Borden
  • Macleans

    Stephen Harper (Profile)

    This article was originally published in Maclean’s magazine on May 9, 2005. Partner content is not updated. JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING you hear repeated about Stephen HARPER does more to obscure than reveal him. He's said to be a policy wonk at heart.

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    https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/images/tce_placeholder.jpg?v=e9dca980c9bdb3aa11e832e7ea94f5d9 Stephen Harper (Profile)
  • Article

    Stephen Harper

    Stephen Joseph Harper, CC, PC, prime minister of Canada 2006–15, politician, author, economist (born 30 April 1959 in Toronto, ON). Stephen Harper is Canada’s longest-serving Conservative prime minister since Sir John A. Macdonald. He helped found the Reform Party and served as head of the National Citizens Coalition and leader of the Canadian Alliance Party. He then transformed the country’s political landscape by uniting the previously divided right into the Conservative Party of Canada. He led the CPC to three consecutive election wins before being defeated in 2015 and resigning as party leader. Harper’s adherence to a brand of ideologically pure conservatism resulted in what the Globe and Mail called “Canada’s first ever truly Conservative government.” He was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in December 2019.

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    https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/a010c6ef-8141-4a58-b41e-867ee56f2f82.jpg Stephen Harper