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John Turner

Sunday September 20, 2020

September 21, 2020 by Graeme MacKay

RIP John N. Turner

When John turner became the new Liberal Leader there was a very strong sense of change in the air in Canada. It wasn’t just the Liberal party that was looking to renew itself, the Progressive Conservatives had done that very thing by electing a promising, charismatic newcomer to the political scene, Brian Mulroney.

It wasn’t until I neared the age of 16 that I witnessed my first major changing of the guard in Ottawa. With the exception a brief interregnum when Joe Clark seized control the same machine that guided Liberal governments in the 1970’s was there into the mid 80’s.

The election leaders, 1984

Pierre Trudeau had essentially been Prime Minister since before I was born. 

People forget that by 1984 Canadians had grown quite tired of Pierre Trudeau. While his legacy now shines for repatriating the constitution and putting the nation on a progressive path, thanks in part to inspiring activist movements of the 60s and 70s, there were big dark clouds that hung over Trudeau and his government. Relations with the western provinces were horrible thanks to the National Energy Program, and Quebeckers were in full on separation mode thanks to work left undone in signing on the province to the Charter of Rights. The arrogance of the elder Trudeau had highlighted by growing deficits, crony patronage appointments, and a lavish farewell world ego tour (minus cultural costumes his son would later show up in) to promote peace in the waning days of the cold war.

A walk in a snow storm convinced Pierre Trudeau to retire from his position, a whiteout, perhaps, that was a metaphor for an empty slate of ideas left to run on. 

The last John Turner cartoon – May 26, 2016

John Turner, the Prince in waiting, had all the qualities to become a long reigning Canadian Prime Minister: Rich, smart and well-educated, athletic, handsome, bilingual, connected, and well experienced in powerful cabinet positions. 

Timing was Turner’s worst enemy, however. 

He couldn’t brush off the reek of arrogance left from 16 years of Liberal rule, and faced formidable opponents not just in Brian Mulroney, but also Jean Chretien, who, when running for the leadership against Turner in 1984, used the slogan, “call for a man from Main Street, not Bay Street.” The Turner vs. Chretien struggle was a carry over from the Trudeau vs. Turner fight that had brewed since the latter’s resignation from cabinet several years prior. This inner party challenge would play out among future Liberal leaders and wannabe leaders.

Patting the bum of Liberal Party President Iona Campagnolo during the 1984 election might be regarded as Canada’s first #MeToo moment that may not have sunk him were he a 1960’s cabinet minister. It did him no favours in the mid 80’s and will remain part of his ugly legacy, and among one of the many reasons which resulted in a rump of 40 or so Liberal MPs in the House of Commons.

by Graeme MacKay, 1988

The Free Trade debate and the passions it unleashed in John Turner may be his most enduring legacy of his leadership. But again, timing was his biggest enemy when he fought hard against Mulroney while at the same time having knives stuck in his back from the dissent in his own party.

Turner was able to oversee a doubling of the Liberal caucus following the 1988 convention he might have been able to carry on were it not for the ongoing sniping and sideline maneuvers from power hungry Jean Chretien. It became too much for Turner and he resigned from politics in 1990. Eight years of Chretien rule would send Turner deep into private life and declining health. While the testimonials are full of praise for a gentleman who devoted much to the importance of public life, he as much a victim of political skullduggery and dirty politics from within his own party.

It is interesting to see that in the recollections of the life lead by John Turner the strongest voice comes from his biggest foe, Brian Mulroney. 

Often said was the line that Robert Stanfield was the greatest Prime Minister Canada never had. Perhaps that’s true of an older generation, but from my vantage point John Turner was the greatest Prime Minister who never really got the chance.

August 25, 2015

Posted in: Canada Tagged: Canada, death, history, John Turner, Liberal Part, Obit, obituary, Prime Ministers

Thursday May 26, 2016

May 25, 2016 by Graeme MacKay
Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Thursday May 26, 2016 Stephen Harper to bow out of federal politics before next fall Stephen Harper will bow out of federal politics before Parliament resumes in the fall to pursue new business interests. Harper, who served as prime minister for nearly a decade, is deciding his future as the Conservative Party prepares to meet for its national convention in Vancouver starting Thursday. Harper has offers from multiple U.S. companies, including private equity giant KKR, sources tell CBC News. A spokesperson for KKR declined a request for comment. The news of Harper's pending departure was first reported by the Globe and Mail. Conservatives will honour Harper with a tribute Thursday night before they look to chart a new course for the party he helped create. Harper is expected to deliver a short speech following the tribute. But don't expect Harper to discuss life after politics. Canada "He will be speaking on Thursday, but he won't be speaking about his future plans," said Rachel Curran, one of Harper's confidants and a former PMO policy director. "He will be talking about the last 10 years, and what work the party still has to do, that will be the focus.Ó Until an official announcement is made, Harper's colleagues are shying away from weighing in on the former prime minister's next career move. A spokesperson for interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose declined comment. (Source: CBC News) http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/stephen-harper-to-bow-out-from-federal-politics-1.3598913 Canada, Stephen Harper, Joe Clark, Kim Campbell, John Turner, Paul Martin, Prime Minister, legacy, purgatory

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday May 26, 2016

Stephen Harper to bow out of federal politics before next fall

Stephen Harper will bow out of federal politics before Parliament resumes in the fall to pursue new business interests.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013Harper, who served as prime minister for nearly a decade, is deciding his future as the Conservative Party prepares to meet for its national convention in Vancouver starting Thursday.

Harper has offers from multiple U.S. companies, including private equity giant KKR, sources tell CBC News. A spokesperson for KKR declined a request for comment.

The news of Harper’s pending departure was first reported by the Globe and Mail.

Conservatives will honour Harper with a tribute Thursday night before they look to chart a new course for the party he helped create. Harper is expected to deliver a short speech following the tribute.

But don’t expect Harper to discuss life after politics. Canada

“He will be speaking on Thursday, but he won’t be speaking about his future plans,” said Rachel Curran, one of Harper’s confidants and a former PMO policy director. “He will be talking about the last 10 years, and what work the party still has to do, that will be the focus.”

Until an official announcement is made, Harper’s colleagues are shying away from weighing in on the former prime minister’s next career move. A spokesperson for interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose declined comment. (Source: CBC News)

2016-05-26tearsheet

Posted in: Canada Tagged: Canada, Joe Clark, John Turner, Kim Campbell, legacy, Paul Martin, Prime Minister, purgatory, Stephen Harper, tearsheet

Tuesday August 25, 2015

August 24, 2015 by Graeme MacKay

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Tuesday August 25, 2015 The Growing Power of the PMO In 2006, Stephen Harper rode into Ottawa with a mandate to clean up the ethical wreckage of the Liberal sponsorship scandal. The Conservative Party leader moved quickly as the prime minister of a minority government. He banned corporate and union donations, and lowered the individual donation limit to $1,000. He toughened federal lobbying rules, created the Parliamentary Budget Office and gave additional powers to the Ethics Commissioner. His goal, he said over and over, was to return accountability to Ottawa. And he did that, to a degree. His reforms have helped bring the federal government up to date on important issues of political financing and budget oversight. Not surprisingly, though, Mr. Harper failed to target the real source of OttawaÕs accountability crisis. As the trial of Mike Duffy has reminded us, the greatest threat to responsible government in Canada is none other than the Prime MinisterÕs Office. Over the past 40 years, the PMO has morphed into a parasite on the body of Parliament that prospers by sucking the democracy out of its host. The court-documented efforts by Nigel Wright, the former chief of staff to Mr. Harper, to control the Senate from inside the PMO are outrageous only because they have been exposed by Mr. DuffyÕs lawyer. The real scandal lies below the surface, where the PMO uses its toxic tentacles to neutralize every part of government that might compete with it for power, so that today we are ruled by an imperial prime minister, unaccountable to anyone or anything. Do not blame Mr. Harper alone for this. The expansion of the PMO began under Pierre Trudeau, and every prime minister since then has been responsible for increasing its malignant grip on Parliament. Brian Mulroney was the first to name a Òchief of staffÓ and elevate that person above the principal secretary who was, up till then, the highest unelect

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday August 25, 2015

The Growing Power of the PMO

In 2006, Stephen Harper rode into Ottawa with a mandate to clean up the ethical wreckage of the Liberal sponsorship scandal. The Conservative Party leader moved quickly as the prime minister of a minority government. He banned corporate and union donations, and lowered the individual donation limit to $1,000. He toughened federal lobbying rules, created the Parliamentary Budget Office and gave additional powers to the Ethics Commissioner.

His goal, he said over and over, was to return accountability to Ottawa. And he did that, to a degree. His reforms have helped bring the federal government up to date on important issues of political financing and budget oversight.

Not surprisingly, though, Mr. Harper failed to target the real source of Ottawa’s accountability crisis. As the trial of Mike Duffy has reminded us, the greatest threat to responsible government in Canada is none other than the Prime Minister’s Office.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013Over the past 40 years, the PMO has morphed into a parasite on the body of Parliament that prospers by sucking the democracy out of its host. The court-documented efforts by Nigel Wright, the former chief of staff to Mr. Harper, to control the Senate from inside the PMO are outrageous only because they have been exposed by Mr. Duffy’s lawyer. The real scandal lies below the surface, where the PMO uses its toxic tentacles to neutralize every part of government that might compete with it for power, so that today we are ruled by an imperial prime minister, unaccountable to anyone or anything.

Do not blame Mr. Harper alone for this. The expansion of the PMO began under Pierre Trudeau, and every prime minister since then has been responsible for increasing its malignant grip on Parliament. Brian Mulroney was the first to name a “chief of staff” and elevate that person above the principal secretary who was, up till then, the highest unelected authority in the PMO. Jean Chrétien relied on the protective coating of the PMO to shield himself from direct responsibility for the sponsorship scandal, just as Mr. Harper is now doing in the Duffy affair. (Continued: Globe & Mail)

Posted in: Canada Tagged: Brian Mulroney, Canada, crown, Democracy, imperialism, Jean Chretien, John Turner, Kim Campbell, Monarchy, Paul Martin, Pierre Trudeau, PMO, power, Prime Ministers Office, royalty, Stephen Harper

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