The Macdonald–Laurier Institute ( MLI ) is a public policy think tank located in Ottawa , Ontario , Canada .
121-464: Founded in 2010, the institute is named after John A. Macdonald , a Tory and Canada's first prime minister, and Wilfrid Laurier , a Grit (Liberal) the country's first French-Canadian prime minister. MLI is a registered charity and is funded by corporate and individual donors and private foundations. MLI's analysis has been described as market-oriented. It is affiliated with the Atlas Network ,
242-537: A Nobel Prize winner and classical liberal , is considered a "friend" of the organization. An Atlas Network executive wrote in the New York Post that its Liberty Forums are "like an Anti-Davos," offering trade-show-type environments for think tanks to exchange ideas. In Canada, Atlas Network partners with about a dozen think tanks. Atlas Network has partnered with the F.A. Hayek Foundation in Slovakia,
363-635: A "connector," putting "freedom intellectuals" and local think tanks in contact and financing their trips. The organization offers training, consulting, and professional certification related to fundraising, marketing, organizational leadership, and think tank management through its Atlas Network Academy program. In 2020, Atlas Network trained nearly 4,000 people in promoting free-market voices, preparing nearly 900 people to work at global think tanks. Philadelphia Magazine described Atlas Network as "supporting free-market approaches to eliminating poverty and noted for its refutation of climate change and defense of
484-643: A Crossroads ; Internal Trade ; Fiscal Reform ; Fixing Canadian Health Care ; Size of Government in Canada ; Canada and the Indo-Pacific Initiative ; and The Canadian Century Project: Why Balanced Budgets Matter . MLI published its first book in May 2010. Titled The Canadian Century: Moving out of America's Shadow , the book appeared on the best-seller list of the Montreal Gazette and
605-646: A Pacific outlet. The colony had an extremely large debt that would have to be assumed should it join Confederation. Negotiations were conducted in 1870, principally during Macdonald's illness and recuperation, with Cartier leading the Canadian delegation. Cartier offered British Columbia a railway linking it to the eastern provinces within ten years. The British Columbians, who privately had been prepared to accept far less generous terms, quickly agreed and joined Confederation in 1871. The Canadian Parliament ratified
726-582: A blow to the head by a servant charged with taking care of the boys. After Hugh's store failed, the family moved to Hay Bay (south of Napanee, Ontario ), west of Kingston, where Hugh unsuccessfully ran another shop. In 1829, his father was appointed as a magistrate for the Midland District . John Macdonald's mother was a lifelong influence on her son, helping him in his difficult first marriage and remaining influential in his life until her 1862 death. Macdonald initially attended local schools. When he
847-655: A confederation if the details could be successfully negotiated. In October 1864, delegates for Confederation met in Quebec City for the Quebec Conference , where they agreed to the Seventy-Two Resolutions , the basis of Canada's government. The Great Coalition was endangered by Taché's 1865 death; Lord Monck asked Macdonald to become premier, but Brown felt that he had as good a claim on the position as his coalition partner. The disagreement
968-598: A conservative and libertarian group based in the United States. MLI says it is non-partisan, a description used for it by The Economist in 2010 and by a story in The Globe and Mail in 2024. In August 2022, Russia designated the MLI as an " undesirable organisation ". MLI is described by Global News as "an Ottawa-based think tank made up of academics, activists and former diplomats and politicians". MLI publishes
1089-879: A conservative and libertarian group. MLI says it is non-partisan. In April 2023, MLI's website was blocked in Russia, along with that of other Western think tanks including Britain's Chatham House and the Woodrow Wilson Center in the U.S. Global News said MLI had been "a leading voice against the Russian war in Ukraine". In August 2022 MLI was added to the Russian Ministry of Justice's list of "foreign and international non-governmental organizations whose activities are recognized as undesirable in Russia." The Macdonald-Laurier Institute's Managing Director
1210-571: A fellow for the Center for Latin America, which publishes the annual Index of Bureaucracy. Atlas Network also runs the Center for United States and Canada and the Center for Asia and Oceania. Defunct Newspapers Journals TV channels Websites Other Economics Gun rights Identity politics Nativist Religion Watchdog groups Youth/student groups Miscellaneous Other Atlas Network has been described as
1331-516: A fifth of Atlas Network affiliates worldwide had either opposed tobacco controls or taken tobacco donations. A 2017 paper in the International Journal of Health Planning and Management said that Atlas Network "channeled funding from tobacco corporations to think tank actors to produce publications supportive of industry positions." The University of Bath 's Tobacco Control Research Group said Atlas Network "appears to have played
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#17328010779881452-530: A lawyer, hoping to gain his former employer's clients. Macdonald's parents and sisters also returned to Kingston. Soon after Macdonald was called to the Bar in February 1836, he arranged to take in two students; both became, like Macdonald, Fathers of Confederation . Oliver Mowat became premier of Ontario, and Alexander Campbell a federal cabinet minister and Lieutenant Governor of Ontario . One early client
1573-553: A literary career. Macdonald's parents decided he should become a lawyer after leaving school. As Donald Creighton (who penned a two-volume biography of Macdonald in the 1950s) wrote, "law was a broad, well-trodden path to comfort, influence, even to power". It was also "the obvious choice for a boy who seemed as attracted to study as he was uninterested in trade." Macdonald needed to start earning money immediately to support his family because his father's businesses were failing. "I had no boyhood," he complained many years later. "From
1694-412: A new position without needing to face a by-election; Macdonald and his ministers accepted new positions, then completed what was dubbed the " Double Shuffle " by returning to their old posts. In an effort to give the appearance of fairness, Head insisted that Cartier be the titular premier, with Macdonald as his deputy. In the late 1850s and early 1860s, Canada enjoyed a period of great prosperity, while
1815-640: A parliamentary committee on confederation among the British North American colonies, which had reported back just before the Taché-Macdonald government fell. Brown was more interested in representation by population; Macdonald's priority was a federation that the other colonies could join. The two compromised and agreed that the new government would support the "federative principle" – a conveniently elastic phrase. The discussions were not public knowledge and Macdonald stunned
1936-540: A particular role in helping the tobacco industry oppose tobacco control measures in Latin America" during the 1990s. In 2022, Le Monde identified 17 Atlas Network partners engaged in lobbying and advocacy for "tobacco harm reduction," which supports vaping as a substitute for smoking. Some academics and news publications have linked Atlas Network to oil and gas producers, to efforts opposing governments' and activists' efforts against climate change , and to
2057-576: A practice especially effective in the era when votes were publicly declared. Macdonald and the Conservatives saw their majority reduced from 35 to 8. The Liberals (as the Grits were coming to be known) did better than the Conservatives in Ontario, forcing the government to rely on the votes of Western and Maritime MPs who did not fully support the party. Macdonald had hoped to award the charter for
2178-520: A prominent young lawyer who was a well-regarded member of Kingston's rising Scottish community. Mackenzie practised corporate law, a lucrative speciality that Macdonald himself would later pursue. Macdonald was a promising student, and in the summer of 1833, managed the Mackenzie office when his employer went on a business trip to Montreal and Quebec in Lower Canada (today the southern portion of
2299-599: A scandal in which his party took bribes from businessmen seeking the contract to build the Canadian Pacific Railway . He was reelected in 1878 . His greatest achievements were building and guiding a successful national government for the new Dominion, using patronage to forge a strong Conservative Party , promoting the protective tariff of the National Policy , and completing the railway. He fought to block provincial efforts to take power back from
2420-599: A three-year term as the seat of government before the Assembly moved to the permanent capital. He privately asked the Colonial Office to ensure she would not respond for at least ten months, or until after the general election. In February 1858, her choice was announced to the dismay of many legislators from both parts of the province: the isolated Canada West town of Ottawa became the capital. On 28 July 1858, an opposition Canada East member proposed an address to
2541-731: Is Brian Lee Crowley . He has served as the Clifford Clark Visiting Economist at the Department of Finance, and founded the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies . MLI has a Board of Directors, an Advisory Council, and a Research Advisory Board. MLI is a registered charity with the Canada Revenue Agency. John A. Macdonald Provincial Provincial Sir John Alexander Macdonald (10 or 11 January 1815 – 6 June 1891)
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#17328010779882662-483: Is a non-governmental 501(c)(3) organization based in the United States that provides training, networking, and grants for libertarian , free-market , and conservative groups around the world. Atlas Network was founded in 1981 by Antony Fisher , a British entrepreneur, who wanted to create a means to connect various think tanks via a global network. Described as "a think tank that creates think tanks,"
2783-559: Is nonpartisan and "willing to talk to all parties." Matt Warner is the organization's president, while Tom G. Palmer serves as executive vice president for international programs. Warner and Palmer co-authored the book Development with Dignity: Self-Determination, Localization, and the End of Poverty . Palmer, known in libertarian circles since the 1970s, has promoted libertarian efforts in various countries including communist and post-communist Eastern Europe , Iraq and Afghanistan ; after
2904-631: Is the author of Liberalism and the Free Society in 2021. He has said he advocates for a "freedom philosophy," and quoting Friedman, has summarized Atlas Network's function as "to develop alternatives to existing policies, to keep them alive until the politically impossible becomes the politically inevitable." In an opinion article in The Chronicle of Philanthropy , Lips argued for funding market-oriented nonprofit groups instead of increasing traditional foreign aid . He has said Atlas Network
3025-589: The 2021 Cuban protests , according to disinformation expert Julián Macías Tovar. Tovar, cited in The Guardian , also said that Atlas Network partners' Twitter accounts had been involved in bot or troll center campaigns during the 2019 Bolivian political crisis , the 2021 Ecuadorian general election , and the 2021 Peruvian general election . Atlas Network partners opposed the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Atlas Network worked with its partners to create
3146-413: The 2022 Russian invasion , he traveled inside Ukraine to help coordinate Atlas Network aid. Only 30 people work specifically for Atlas Network, although more than 1,000 people participate in it via its partner think tanks, according to Global Think Tanks: Policy Networks and Governance , published in 2020. Atlas Network is organized into centers by region. Entrepreneur Magatte Wade is director of
3267-604: The American Legislative Exchange Council , which are active in conservative politics. Atlas Network states on its website that it is nonpartisan. Atlas Network has received funding from American and European businesses and think tanks to coordinate and organize libertarian organizations in the developing world. Atlas Network has been described as "self-replicating, a think tank that creates think tanks." The 2019 and 2020 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report ranked Atlas Network as 54th among
3388-675: The Association for Liberal Thinking in Turkey, the Lithuanian Free Market Institute , and Libertad y Desarrollo in Chile to establish Free Enterprise Training Centers. The organization also partners with Chile's Fundación Piensa and Argentina's Libertad y Progreso. In 2021, Atlas Network partnered with Cuban anti-communism activist Ruhama Fernandez to share her story after Fernandez was arrested for criticizing
3509-551: The Battle of the Windmill near Prescott, Upper Canada . Public opinion was inflamed against the prisoners, as they were accused of mutilating the body of a dead Canadian lieutenant. Macdonald could not represent the prisoners, as they were tried by court-martial and civilian counsel had no standing. At the request of Kingston relatives of Daniel George, paymaster of the ill-fated invasion, Macdonald agreed to advise George, who, like
3630-694: The British North America Act and the establishment of Canada as a nation on 1 July 1867. Macdonald was the first prime minister of the new nation, and served 19 years; only William Lyon Mackenzie King has served longer. In his first term, he established the North-West Mounted Police and expanded Canada by annexing the North-Western Territory , Rupert's Land , British Columbia , and Prince Edward Island . In 1873, he resigned from office over
3751-504: The Canadian Pacific Railway in early 1872, but negotiations dragged on between the government and the financiers. Macdonald's government awarded the Allan group the charter in late 1872. In 1873, when Parliament opened, Liberal MP Lucius Seth Huntington charged that government ministers had been bribed with large, undisclosed political contributions to award the charter. Documents soon came to light which substantiated what came to be known as
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3872-1208: The Canadian Review of Sociology . An article in The New Republic blamed Atlas Network for its partners' efforts in some countries to criminalize climate protesting , particularly in Germany, although Atlas Network has said it supports free speech for climate protestors. Some academics have described Atlas Network as an "oil-industry-funded transnational network" and "the predominant vehicle for fossil capital's global mobilization against climate science and policy", and its affiliates as being "partly funded by Koch and allied capitalists, with heavy support from fossil fuel-based fortunes". Atlas Network told The New Republic that it has "no partnerships with extractive industries such as oil and gas companies, we receive no funding from oil and gas companies and have not received funding from oil and gas companies for nearly 15 years." The Intercept , The Guardian , and The New Republic have described Atlas Network as having ties to right-wing and conservative movements, including
3993-864: The Centre for Independent Studies in Australia; and the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union . Atlas Network was founded in 1981 in San Francisco as the Atlas Economic Research Foundation by Antony Fisher , a British entrepreneur who was influenced by economist F.A. Hayek and his book, The Road to Serfdom . After founding the Institute of Economic Affairs in London in 1955, Fisher had helped establish
4114-512: The Centre for Independent Studies , Institute of Public Affairs , and LibertyWorks. In New Zealand, Atlas Network has partnered with the free-market think tank New Zealand Taxpayers' Union . The leader of New Zealand's libertarian ACT party , David Seymour , once worked for the Atlas Network-affiliated Frontier Centre for Public Policy in Canada. Atlas Network chair Debbi Gibbs' father helped found
4235-818: The Charles Koch Foundation and the Charles Koch Institute , along with Koch-affiliated funds such as Donors Trust . Other donors include the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation , the John Templeton Foundation and the Lilly Endowment . Research by the activist website DeSmog said Atlas Network had received millions of dollars from Koch-affiliated groups, the ExxonMobil Foundation, and
4356-776: The East StratCom Task Force , European Values Center for Security Policy , Henry Jackson Society , Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies , NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, and the Stockholm Free World Forum . The Macdonald-Laurier Institute has been ranked among the top three Canadian think tanks in the Global Go To Think Tanks Report produced by the University of Pennsylvania's Think Tanks and Civil Society Program. In 2012,
4477-634: The Fraser Institute , the Manhattan Institute and the Pacific Research Institute in the 1970s. The late Linda Whetstone , Fisher's daughter, served as chairman of Atlas Network. Margaret Thatcher , F. A. Hayek , and Milton Friedman , all friends of Fisher, formally endorsed the organization. Fisher conceived Atlas Network as a means to connect various think tanks via a global network through which
4598-592: The London Conference , winning acclaim for his handling of the discussions, and courted and married his second wife, Agnes Bernard . Bernard was the sister of Macdonald's private secretary, Hewitt Bernard ; the couple first met in Quebec in 1860, but Macdonald had seen and admired her as early as 1856. In January 1867, while still in London, he was seriously burned in his hotel room when his candle set fire to
4719-914: The North-West Rebellion that resulted in Riel's execution, and the development of the residential school system designed to assimilate Indigenous children. He remains respected by others for his key role in Confederation. Historical rankings of Prime Ministers of Canada have consistently made him one of the highest-rated in Canadian history . John Alexander Macdonald was born in Ramshorn parish in Glasgow , Scotland, on 10 January (official record) or 11 (father's journal) 1815. His father Hugh, an unsuccessful merchant, had married John's mother, Helen Shaw, on 21 October 1811. John Alexander Macdonald
4840-551: The Pacific Scandal . The Allan-led financiers, who were secretly backed by the United States's Northern Pacific Railway , had donated $ 179,000 to the Tory election funds, they had received the charter, and Opposition newspapers began to publish telegrams signed by government ministers requesting large sums from the railway interest at the time the charter was under consideration. Macdonald had taken $ 45,000 in contributions from
4961-574: The Sarah Scaife Foundation . As of 2005, Atlas Network had received $ 440,000 from ExxonMobil itself. In 2023, Atlas Network said it had received no funding from oil and gas companies "for nearly 15 years". Of Atlas Network partners, 57% in the United States received funding from the tobacco industry between 1990 and 2000. Analysis in the International Journal of Health Planning and Management in 2016 said that
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5082-477: The Treaty of Washington against a political firestorm. In the run-up to the 1872 election , Macdonald had yet to formulate a railway policy, or to devise the loan guarantees that would be needed to secure the construction. During the previous year, Macdonald had met with potential railway financiers such as Hugh Allan and considerable financial discussion took place. The greatest political problem Macdonald faced
5203-930: The World Bank 's Doing Business Index "follows exactly Atlas' policy recommendations". In 1981, Atlas Network helped economist Hernando de Soto found the Institute for Liberty and Democracy (ILD) in Peru and invested in the Institut Economique de Paris (IEP) in France . In 1983, Fisher helped launch the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) in Dallas, Texas , and the Jon Thorlaksson Institute in Iceland (now replaced by
5324-413: The province of Quebec ). Later that year, Macdonald was sent to manage the law office of a Mackenzie cousin who had fallen ill. In August 1834, George Mackenzie died of cholera . With his supervising lawyer dead, Macdonald remained at the cousin's law office in Hallowell (today Picton, Ontario ). In 1835, Macdonald returned to Kingston, and even though not yet of age nor qualified, began his practice as
5445-479: The "Top Think Tanks in the United States." The organization's website says it is not named after Ayn Rand 's novel Atlas Shrugged , but some published sources say it is. Atlas Network's think tank partners "produce white papers, meet with politicos, liaise with the media, write legislation, and much more," as described by WNYC . In 2018, academic Karin Fischer described Atlas Network campaigns for deregulation and property rights as having so much influence that
5566-432: The 1851 election but were soon divided by a parliamentary scandal. In September, the government resigned, and a coalition government uniting parties from both parts of the province under Allan MacNab took power. Macdonald did much of the work of putting the government together and served as attorney general . The coalition, which came to power in 1854, became known as the Liberal-Conservatives (referred to, for short, as
5687-537: The ACT party. In May 2024, Atlas Network co-hosted its Europe Liberty Forum in Madrid, Spain , with its Spanish partner Fundalib (Foundation for the Advancement of Liberty). In the early 2000s, Atlas Network moved to distribute general purpose funds through grant competitions. The organization provides limited amounts of financial support to new think tanks on a case-by-case basis. Grants are usually given for specific projects and range between $ 2,000 and $ 5,000. In 2020, Atlas Network provided more than $ 5 million in
5808-419: The Assembly by accepting their positions, and had to face by-elections . This gave Macdonald a majority pending the by-elections, and he promptly defeated the government. Head refused Brown's request for a dissolution of the Assembly, and Brown and his ministers resigned. Head then asked Macdonald to form a government. The law allowed anyone who had held a ministerial position within the last thirty days to accept
5929-408: The Assembly by announcing that the dissolution was being postponed because of progress in negotiations with Brown – the two men were not only political rivals, but were known to hate each other. The parties resolved their differences, joining in the Great Coalition , with only the Parti rouge of Canada East, led by Jean-Baptiste-Éric Dorion , remaining apart. A conference, called by
6050-431: The Assembly. The two sections each elected 65 legislators, even though Canada West had a larger population. One of Brown's major demands was representation by population, which would lead to Canada West having more seats; this was bitterly opposed by Canada East. The American Civil War led to fears in Canada and in Britain that once the U.S. had concluded its internal warfare, they would invade Canada again. Canada
6171-411: The Burundian think tank CDE Great Lakes, which has helped reduce the paperwork and fees required to start a business in the country. The think tank works with local entrepreneurs such as "Papa Coriandre," who formalized his small business and has since grown it from two to 139 employees. Atlas Network’s Templeton Freedom Award, supported by Templeton Religion Trust and named after Sir John Templeton ,
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#17328010779886292-422: The Center for African Prosperity and the historian Ibrahim B. Anoba is a fellow at the center. Wade said in Reason that the solution to Africa's economic problems lies in a "cheetah generation" of young Africans who embrace free markets, individualism, human rights, and transparency in government. In her words, "[Africa is] poor because we don't let our entrepreneurs work." Antonella Marty of Argentina served as
6413-400: The Colonial Office, was scheduled for 1 September 1864, in Charlottetown , Prince Edward Island; the Maritimes were to consider a union . The Canadians obtained permission to send a delegation – led by Macdonald, Cartier, and Brown – to what became known as the Charlottetown Conference . At its conclusion, the Maritime delegations expressed a willingness to join
6534-488: The Conservatives). In 1855, George-Étienne Cartier of Canada East (today Quebec) joined the Cabinet. Until Cartier's 1873 death, he would be Macdonald's political partner. In 1856, MacNab was eased out as premier by Macdonald, who became the leader of the Canada West Conservatives. Macdonald remained as attorney general when Étienne-Paschal Taché became premier. In July 1857, Macdonald departed for Britain to promote Canadian government projects. On his return to Canada, he
6655-457: The Cuban government. The Ukraine-based Bendukidze Free Market Center is also an Atlas Network partner. Commentator Deroy Murdock , an Atlas Network senior fellow as of 2017, wrote that the organization "encourages institutions to use local knowledge to reduce government obstacles to upward mobility," featuring local entrepreneurs who overcome such obstacles. In Australia, Atlas Network has partnered with several free-market think tanks, including
6776-490: The Icelandic Research Centre for Innovation and Economic Growth). Atlas Network helped establish the Hong Kong Centre for Economic Research in 1987 and the Liberty Institute in New Delhi in 1996. Atlas Network grew from 15 think tanks in nine countries in the mid-1980s to 457 think tanks in 96 countries as of 2020. Atlas Network generally refrains from taking any institutional positions on public policy subjects that its partners support. According to The Guardian , more than
6897-475: The MLI campaign was in partnership with the Atlas Network , a libertarian-conservative group based in the United States, but MLI disputes the relationship. MLI said its experts support Indigenous energy rights but took issue with the proposed legislation. The Economist described MLI in 2010 as non-partisan, as did a story in The Globe and Mail in 2024. MLI was included in a 2012 Forbes article by former Atlas Network president Alejandro Chafuen describing
7018-406: The Macdonald house in Ottawa, together with Bernard's widowed mother. In May 1870, John Macdonald fell ill with gallstones; coupled with his frequent drinking, he may have developed a severe case of acute pancreatitis . In July, he moved to Prince Edward Island to convalesce, most likely conducting discussions aimed at drawing the island into Confederation at a time when some there supported joining
7139-424: The Maritimes and bind them closer to the rest of Canada, was not yet built. Anglo-American relations were in a poor state, and Canadian foreign relations were matters handled from London. The withdrawal of the Americans in 1866 from the Reciprocity Treaty had increased tariffs on Canadian goods in US markets. American and British opinion largely believed that the experiment of Confederation would quickly unravel, and
7260-406: The Queen informing her that Ottawa was an unsuitable place for a national capital. Macdonald's Canada East party members crossed the floor to vote for the address, and the government was defeated. Macdonald resigned, and the Governor General, Sir Edmund Walker Head , invited opposition leader George Brown to form a government. Under the law at that time, Brown and his ministers lost their seats in
7381-448: The Templeton Freedom Award. The organization's Think Tank Shark Tank competition allows professionals to pitch their projects to judges. In 2018, Dhananath Fernando won the Asia Think Tank Shark Tank championship for his research on the high cost of construction in Sri Lanka and his proposal to lower the taxes on construction materials. In 2019, Students for Liberty and Entrepreneurship (South Sudan) led by John Mustapha Kutiyote won
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#17328010779887502-408: The Ukraine Freedom Fund, acquiring, transporting, and providing goods to Ukrainians, and supporting Atlas Network partner groups in the country. The Washington Examiner said the aid totaled $ 3.5 million by December 2022. The chief executive officer of Atlas Network is Brad Lips. Lips joined Atlas Network, then known as the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, in 1998 and became CEO in 2009. He
7623-550: The United States. The island joined Confederation in 1873. Macdonald had once been tepid on the question of westward expansion of the Canadian provinces; as prime minister, he became a strong supporter of a bicoastal Canada. Immediately upon Confederation, he sent commissioners to London who in due course successfully negotiated the transfer of Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory to Canada. The Hudson's Bay Company received £300,000 ( CA$ 1,500,000 ) in compensation, and retained some trading posts as well as one-twentieth of
7744-405: The United States. Macdonald was appointed a British commissioner, a post he was reluctant to accept as he realised Canadian interests might be sacrificed for the mother country. This proved to be the case; Canada received no compensation for the raids and no significant trade advantages in the settlement, which required Canada to open her waters to American fishermen. Macdonald returned home to defend
7865-405: The accession of Newfoundland, whose voters rejected a Confederation platform in a general election in October 1869. In 1869, John and Agnes Macdonald had a daughter, Mary. It soon became apparent that Mary had ongoing developmental issues; she was never able to walk, nor did she ever fully develop mentally. Hewitt Bernard, Deputy Minister of Justice and Macdonald's former secretary, also lived in
7986-598: The administration of Donald Trump in the United States, Brexit in the United Kingdom, and anti-government protests in Latin America. An article in International Affairs analyzing 52 Atlas Network partners said that "while some Atlas-affiliated partners show readiness to confront the threat of nationalist and authoritarian societal mobilization, others conceive it as a tactical or strategic opportunity to advance free market causes". According to The Guardian , "Atlas took no position on Brexit itself, and many of its European partners were opposed, but directors of UK groups in
8107-459: The age of 15, I began to earn my own living." Macdonald travelled by steamboat to Toronto (known until 1834 as York ), where he passed an examination set by The Law Society of Upper Canada . British North America had no law schools in 1830; students were examined when beginning and ending their tutelage. Between the two examinations, they were apprenticed, or articled to established lawyers. Macdonald began his apprenticeship with George Mackenzie,
8228-432: The award for promoting home ownership by women. Students for Liberty Brasil won the 2021 Latin America competition for their project on educating Brazilian favela residents about property rights. As a non-governmental 501(c)(3) organization, Atlas Network receives donations from foundations, individuals, and corporations, but not government funding. It has received major funding from Koch family foundations including
8349-449: The best farmland. Prior to the date of acquisition, the Canadian government faced unrest in the Red River Colony (today southeastern Manitoba , centred on Winnipeg ). The local people, including the Métis , were fearful that rule would be imposed on them which did not take into account their interests, and rose in the Red River Rebellion led by Louis Riel . Unwilling to pay for a territory in insurrection, Macdonald had troops put down
8470-450: The bill. The government fell over the bill, and the Grits took over under the leadership of John Sandfield Macdonald (no relation to John A. Macdonald). The parties held an almost equal number of seats, with a handful of independents able to destroy any government. The new government fell in May 1863, but Head allowed a new election, which did little to change party standings. In December 1863, Canada West MP Albert Norton Richards accepted
8591-427: The border. With Canadians fearing invasion from the U.S., the British asked that Canadians pay a part of the expense of defence, and a Militia Bill was introduced in the Assembly in 1862. The opposition objected to the expense, and Canada East representatives feared that French-Canadians would have to fight in a war they wanted no part in. Macdonald was drinking heavily and failed to provide much leadership on behalf of
8712-496: The card game loo and winning substantially. Sometime during his two months in Britain, he met his first cousin, Isabella Clark . As Macdonald did not mention her in his letters home, the circumstances of their meeting are not known. In late 1842, Isabella journeyed to Kingston to visit with a sister. The visit stretched for nearly a year before John and Isabella Macdonald married on 1 September 1843. On 29 March 1843, Macdonald
8833-501: The chair he had fallen asleep in, but Macdonald refused to miss any sessions of the conference. In February, he married Agnes at St George's, Hanover Square . On 8 March, the British North America Act, 1867 , which would thereafter serve as the major part of Canada's constitution, passed the House of Commons (it had previously passed the House of Lords). Queen Victoria gave the bill Royal Assent on 29 March 1867. Macdonald had favoured
8954-696: The court of public opinion. And, while there, he was learning the arts of argument and of persuasion that would serve him all his political life. All male Upper Canadians between 18 and 60 years of age were members of the Sedentary Militia, which was called into active duty during the Rebellions of 1837 . Macdonald served as a Private in Captain George Well's Company of the Commercial Bank Guard. Macdonald and
9075-547: The defendants in the one trial to take place in Kingston. All the Kingston defendants were acquitted, and a local paper described Macdonald as "one of the youngest barristers in the Province [who] is rapidly rising in his profession". In late 1838, Macdonald agreed to advise one of a group of American raiders who had crossed the border to overthrow British rule in Canada. The raiders had been captured by government forces after
9196-431: The election concluded on 15 October 1844. Macdonald was never an orator, and especially disliked the bombastic addresses of the time. Instead, he found a niche in becoming an expert on election law and parliamentary procedure. In 1844, Isabella fell ill. She recovered, but the illness recurred the following year, and she became an invalid. John took his wife to Savannah, Georgia , in the United States in 1845, hoping that
9317-608: The election, Nova Scotia 's premier, Charles Tupper , pushed a pro-Confederation resolution through that colony's legislature. A final conference, to be held in London, was needed before the British Parliament could formalise the union. Maritime delegates left for London in July 1866, but Macdonald, who was drinking heavily again, did not leave until November, angering the Maritimers. In December 1866, Macdonald both led
9438-545: The form of grants to support its network of more than 500 partners worldwide. According to Atlas Network, its grants fund coaching, networking, pitch competitions, award programs, and other "ambitious projects for policy change." The organization funds Costa Rica 's IDEAS Labs, which helped reform the country's pension laws in 2020. Atlas Network also supports the Philippines -based Foundation for Economic Freedom, which works on property rights. Atlas Network supports
9559-642: The infant. Although he was often absent due to his wife's illness, Macdonald was able to gain professional and political advancement. In 1846, he was made a Queen's Counsel . The same year, he was offered the non-cabinet post of solicitor general , but declined it. In 1847, Macdonald became receiver general . Accepting the government post required Macdonald to give up his law firm income and spend most of his time in Montreal, away from Isabella. When elections were held in December 1848 and January 1849, Macdonald
9680-480: The legislature of the Province of Canada . By 1857, he had become premier under the colony's unstable political system. In 1864, when no party proved capable of governing for long, he agreed to a proposal from his political rival, George Brown , that the parties unite in a Great Coalition to seek federation and political reform. He was a leading figure in the subsequent discussions and conferences which resulted in
9801-620: The market-oriented think tank landscape in Canada. MLI was described in 2012 as one of a new generation of similarly-minded think tanks to the Fraser Institute in a story published in the National Post . The social democratic Broadbent Institute referred to the MacDonald-Laurier Institute as a "right-wing charity" in a 2018 article. MLI is one of ten Canadian think tanks that belong to the Atlas Network,
9922-412: The militia marched to Toronto to confront the rebels, and Sir Joseph Pope , Macdonald's private secretary, recalled Macdonald's account of his experience during the march: "I carried my musket in '37", he was wont to say in after years. One day he gave me an account of a long march his company made, I forget from what place, but Toronto was the objective point: "The day was hot, my feet were blistered – I
10043-461: The nascent nation absorbed by the United States. In August 1867, the new nation's first general election was held; Macdonald's party won easily, with strong support in both large provinces, and a majority from New Brunswick. By 1869, Nova Scotia had agreed to remain part of Canada after a promise of better financial terms – the first of many provinces to negotiate concessions from Ottawa. Pressure from London and Ottawa failed to gain
10164-490: The national and international media on average once a day. According to a report in The Guardian , a multi-year MLI campaign defended oil and gas development rights on Indigenous land. For several years, it helped discourage Canada's government from implementing a United Nations declaration on Indigenous peoples' rights to reject pipelines or drilling, until Parliament eventually passed a law in 2021. The Guardian said
10285-514: The national government in Ottawa . He approved the execution of Métis leader Louis Riel for treason in 1885 which alienated many francophones from his Conservative Party. He sat until his death in 1891 and remains the oldest Canadian prime minister. Macdonald came under criticism for his role in the Chinese head tax and federal policies toward Indigenous peoples , including his actions during
10406-568: The network were prominent in the official campaign to take Britain out of the EU." In Brazil, Atlas Network had a role in the "Free Brazil" movement in 2014 that led to the rise of Jair Bolsonaro , and it sponsors the Liberty Forum where policies of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva were opposed. Atlas Network was linked to an online campaign that used fake accounts against the Cuban government during
10527-508: The new Commercial Bank of the Midland District. Throughout the 1840s, Macdonald invested heavily in real estate, including commercial properties in downtown Toronto. Meanwhile, he was suffering from some illness, and in 1841, his father died. Sick and grieving, he decided to take a lengthy holiday in Britain in early 1842. He left for the journey well supplied with money, as he spent the last three days before his departure gambling at
10648-475: The new province; Upper Canada and Lower Canada became known as Canada West and Canada East. In March 1844, Macdonald was asked by local businessmen to stand as Conservative candidate for Kingston in the upcoming legislative election . Macdonald followed the contemporary custom of supplying the voters with large quantities of alcohol. Votes were publicly declared in this election, and Macdonald defeated his opponent, Anthony Manahan , by 275 "shouts" to 42 when
10769-581: The organization partners with nearly 600 organizations in over 100 countries. Notable members of Atlas Network include think tanks such as the Institute of Economic Affairs in the United Kingdom; the Cato Institute , Heartland Institute , American Legislative Exchange Council , Manhattan Institute , Pacific Research Institute , and Acton Institute in the United States; the Fraser Institute and MacDonald-Laurier Institute in Canada;
10890-532: The organizations could learn best practices from one another and "pass the best research and policy ideas from one to the other." Initially comprising only Fisher's think tanks, Atlas Network grew to include many others, including those affiliated with the Koch family . Major American think tanks in Atlas Network have included the Cato Institute , the Heartland Institute , The Heritage Foundation , and
11011-410: The other prisoners, had to conduct his own defence. George was convicted and hanged. According to Macdonald biographer Donald Swainson, "By 1838, Macdonald's position was secure. He was a public figure, a popular young man, and a senior lawyer." Macdonald continued to expand his practice while being appointed director of many companies, mainly in Kingston. He became both a director of and a lawyer for
11132-554: The periodical Inside Policy , and produces books, reports, commentary, columns, and video. The institute's research areas encompass Canadian domestic and foreign policy, energy policy, and indigenous affairs, according to its website. Examples of current and past MLI research projects include Competition Policy in Canada ; DisInfoWatch.org ; Aboriginal Canada and the Natural Resource Economy ; COVID Misery Index ; The Great Energy Crisis ; Indigenous Prosperity at
11253-561: The position, serving briefly as a Private in the regiment, patrolling the area around Kingston. The town saw no real action during 1838 and Macdonald was not called upon to fire on the enemy. The Frontenac Militia regiments stayed on active duty in Kingston while the Battle of the Windmill occurred. Although most of the trials resulting from the Upper Canada Rebellion took place in Toronto, Macdonald represented one of
11374-549: The post of solicitor general, and so had to face a by-election. John A. Macdonald campaigned against Richards personally, and Richards was defeated by a Conservative. The switch in seats cost the Grits their majority, and they resigned in March. John A. Macdonald returned to office with Taché as titular premier. The Taché-Macdonald government was defeated in June. The parties were deadlocked to such an extent that, according to Swainson, "It
11495-447: The railroad and telegraph improved communications. According to Macdonald biographer Richard Gwyn, "In short, Canadians began to become a single community." At the same time, the provincial government became increasingly difficult to manage. An act affecting both Canada East and Canada West required a "double majority" – a majority of legislators from each of the two sections of the province. This led to increasing deadlock in
11616-617: The railway interest himself. Substantial sums went to Cartier, who waged an expensive fight to try to retain his seat in Montreal East (he was defeated, but was subsequently returned for the Manitoba seat of Provencher ). During the campaign Cartier had fallen ill with Bright's disease , which may have been causing his judgment to lapse; he died in May 1873 while seeking treatment in London. Atlas Network Atlas Network , formerly known as Atlas Economic Research Foundation ,
11737-854: The same organization ranked MLI as one of the top three of the Best New Think Tanks worldwide. MLI contributors and staff have provided commentary for national and regional news media on a variety of national issues. The institute's Op-Eds have appeared in Canadian national newspapers such as The Globe and Mail and National Post , as well as in the Vancouver Sun , Calgary Herald , Windsor Star , Moncton Times & Transcript , Halifax Chronicle-Herald . The institute has also been highlighted in Foreign Policy magazine, The Wall Street Journal and The Economist . According to MLI, its articles and op-eds appear in
11858-458: The sea air and warmth would cure her ailments. John returned to Canada after six months and Isabella remained in the United States for three years. He visited her again in New York at the end of 1846 and returned several months later when she informed him she was pregnant. In August 1847 their son John Alexander Macdonald Jr. was born in New York, but as Isabella remained ill, relatives cared for
11979-474: The seat of government permanently to Quebec City. Macdonald opposed this and used his power to force the Assembly to reconsider in 1857. He proposed that Queen Victoria decide which city should be Canada's capital. Opponents, especially from Canada East, argued that she would not make the decision in isolation and was bound to receive informal advice from her Canadian ministers. His scheme was adopted, with Canada East support assured by allowing Quebec City to serve
12100-547: The spreading of climate change denial . Atlas Network collaborated with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute of Canada in a push for oil and gas development on Indigenous land, according to documents described in The Guardian . Atlas affiliates in Canada have "extensive and deepening board interlocks" involving the fossil fuel industry, other policy groups, and academia, and are "a reactionary current" against most climate actions, Nicolas Graham wrote in
12221-657: The terms after a debate over the high cost that cabinet member Alexander Morris described as the worst fight the Conservatives had had since Confederation. There were continuing disputes with the Americans over deep-sea fishing rights, and in early 1871, an Anglo-American commission was appointed to settle outstanding matters between the British, the Canadians and the Americans. Canada was hoping to secure compensation for damage done by Fenians raiding Canada from bases in
12342-503: The tobacco industry." Atlas Network holds four regional Liberty Forums (in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe) and an international conference in the United States. At its December 2021 "Liberty Forum and Freedom Dinner" in Miami, Florida, for think tank partners from around the world, Mario Vargas Llosa and Yeonmi Park were among the 800 attendees, and Yotuel performed. Llosa,
12463-443: The union coming into force on 15 July, fearing that the preparations would not be completed any earlier. The British favoured an earlier date and, on 22 May, it was announced that Canada would come into existence on 1 July. Lord Monck appointed Macdonald as the new nation's first prime minister. With the birth of the new nation, Canada East and Canada West became separate provinces, known as Quebec and Ontario, respectively. Macdonald
12584-554: The uprising before the formal transfer; as a result of the unrest, the Red River Colony joined Confederation as the province of Manitoba, while the rest of the purchased lands became the North-West Territories . Macdonald also wished to secure the colony of British Columbia. There was interest in the United States in bringing about the colony's annexation, and Macdonald wished to ensure his new nation had
12705-420: Was Eliza Grimason, an Irish immigrant then aged sixteen, who sought advice concerning a shop she and her husband wanted to buy. Grimason would become one of Macdonald's richest and most loyal supporters, and may have also become his lover. Macdonald joined many local organisations, seeking to become well known in the town. He also sought out high-profile cases, representing accused child rapist William Brass. Brass
12826-431: Was aged 10, his family gathered enough money to send him to Midland District Grammar School in Kingston. Macdonald's formal schooling ended at 15, a common school-leaving age at a time when only children from the most prosperous families were able to attend university. Macdonald later regretted leaving school when he did, remarking to his secretary Joseph Pope that if he had attended university, he might have embarked on
12947-625: Was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) on that first observance of what came to be known as Dominion Day, later called Canada Day , on 1 July 1867. Macdonald and his government faced immediate problems upon the formation of the new country. Much work remained to do in creating a federal government. Nova Scotia was already threatening to withdraw from the union; the Intercolonial Railway, which would both conciliate
13068-566: Was appointed premier in place of the retiring Taché, just in time to lead the Conservatives in a general election. Macdonald was elected in Kingston by 1,189 votes to 9 for John Shaw; other Conservatives did poorly in Canada West and only French-Canadian support kept Macdonald in power. On 28 December, Isabella Macdonald died, leaving John a widower with a seven-year-old son. Hugh John Macdonald would be principally raised by his paternal aunt and her husband. The Assembly had voted to move
13189-547: Was but a weary boy – and I thought I should have dropped under the weight of the old flint musket which galled my shoulder. But I managed to keep up with my companion, a grim old soldier who seemed impervious to fatigue." The Bank Guard served on active duty in Toronto guarding the Commercial Bank of the Midland District on King Street . The company was present at the Battle of Montgomery's Tavern and Macdonald recalled in an 1887 letter to Sir James Gowan that: "I
13310-476: Was clear to everybody that the constitution of the Province of Canada was dead". As his government had fallen again, Macdonald approached the new governor general, Lord Monck , to dissolve the legislature . Before Macdonald could act on this, Brown approached him through intermediaries; the Grit leader believed that the crisis gave the parties the opportunity to join together for constitutional reform. Brown had led
13431-673: Was easily reelected for Kingston, but the Conservatives lost seats and were forced to resign when the legislature reconvened in March 1848. Macdonald returned to Kingston when the legislature was not sitting, and Isabella joined him there in June. In August, their child died suddenly. In March 1850, Isabella Macdonald gave birth to another boy, Hugh John Macdonald , and his father wrote, "We have got Johnny back again, almost his image." Macdonald began to drink heavily around this time, both in public and in private, which Patricia Phenix, who studied Macdonald's private life, attributes to his family troubles. The Liberals, or Grits , maintained power in
13552-407: Was elected as alderman in Kingston's Fourth Ward, with 156 votes against 43 for his opponent, Colonel Jackson. He also suffered what he termed his first downfall, as his supporters, carrying the victorious candidate, accidentally dropped him onto a slushy street. The British Parliament had merged Upper and Lower Canada into the Province of Canada in 1841. Kingston became the initial capital of
13673-610: Was established in 2004. In 2015, the Acton Institute was awarded $ 100,000 for its documentary film “ Poverty, Inc. ” In 2020, the Center for Indonesian Policy Studies won the award for its Affordable Food for the Poor Initiative. In 2021, India's Centre for Civil Society was the winner. In 2022, the Sri Lanka–based Advocata Institute, an Atlas Network partner, won its Asia Liberty Award and
13794-407: Was hanged for his crime, but Macdonald attracted positive press comments for the quality of his defence. According to one of his biographers, Richard Gwyn : As a criminal lawyer who took on dramatic cases, Macdonald got himself noticed well beyond the narrow confines of the Kingston business community. He was operating now in the arena where he would spend by far the greatest part of his life –
13915-519: Was in the Second or Third Company behind the cannon that opened out on Montgomery’s House. During the week of the rebellion I was [in] the Commercial Bank Guard in the house on King Street, afterward the habitat of George Brown’s ' Globe '." The Bank Guard was taken off active service on 17 December 1837, and returned to Kingston. On 15 February 1838, Macdonald was appointed an Ensign in the 3rd (East) Regiment of Frontenac Militia but did not take up
14036-728: Was named to the 2010 Hill Times list of Best Books in the public policy category. In September 2020, MLI launched "DisinfoWatch", a project to monitor and track disinformation in Canada and debunk misinformation, with a specific focus on the COVID-19 pandemic . The project is funded by the Macdonald–Laurier Institute, Journalists for Human Rights , and the United States Department of State 's Global Engagement Center , an organization created by former U.S. president Obama. Its listed research partners include
14157-555: Was resolved by appointing another compromise candidate to serve as titular premier, Narcisse-Fortunat Belleau . In 1865, after lengthy debates, Canada's legislative assembly approved Confederation by 91 votes to 33. None of the Maritimes approved the plan. In 1866, Macdonald and his colleagues financed pro-Confederation candidates in the New Brunswick general election , resulting in a pro-Confederation assembly. Shortly after
14278-618: Was sometimes a safe haven for Confederate Secret Service operations against the U.S.; many Canadian citizens and politicians were sympathetic to the Confederacy. This led to events such as the Chesapeake Affair , the St. Albans Raid , and a failed attempt to burn down New York City . As attorney general of Canada West, Macdonald refused to prosecute Confederate operatives who were using Canada to launch attacks on U.S. soil across
14399-655: Was the Washington treaty, which had not yet been debated in Parliament. In early 1872, Macdonald submitted the treaty for ratification, and it passed the Commons with a majority of 66. The general election was held through late August and early September. Redistribution had given Ontario increased representation in the House; Macdonald spent much time campaigning in the province, for the most part outside Kingston. Widespread bribery of voters took place throughout Canada,
14520-566: Was the first prime minister of Canada , serving from 1867 to 1873 and from 1878 until his death in 1891. He was the dominant figure of Canadian Confederation , and had a political career that spanned almost half a century. Macdonald was born in Scotland ; when he was a boy his family immigrated to Kingston in the Province of Upper Canada (today in eastern Ontario ). As a lawyer, he was involved in several high-profile cases and quickly became prominent in Kingston, which elected him in 1844 to
14641-474: Was the third of five children. After Hugh's business ventures left him in debt, the family immigrated to Kingston , in Upper Canada (today the southern and eastern portions of Ontario), in 1820, as the family had several relatives and connections there. The family initially lived together, then resided over a store which Hugh Macdonald ran. Soon after their arrival, John's younger brother James died from
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