101-705: The Royal Commission on the Economic Union and Development Prospects for Canada , also known as the Macdonald Commission , was a historic landmark in Canadian economy policy. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau appointed the Royal Commission in 1982, and it presented its recommendations to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in 1984. The commission's recommendations reflect three broad themes mainly derived from neoconservative ideology. Firstly,
202-509: A surprise election in 1976 that resulted in René Lévesque and the sovereigntist Parti Québécois (PQ) winning a majority government. The PQ had chiefly campaigned on a "good government" platform, but promised a referendum on independence to be held within their first mandate. Trudeau and Lévesque had been personal rivals, with Trudeau's intellectualism contrasting with Lévesque's more working-class image. While Trudeau claimed to welcome
303-420: A " Multiculturalism Policy" on October 8, 1971. It was the first of its kind in the world, subsequently being emulated by several provinces such as Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba; even other countries, most notably Australia, which has had a similar history and immigration pattern, emulated the policy. Beyond the specifics of the policy itself, this action signalled an openness to the world and coincided with
404-464: A Franco-Manitoban. Following their advice, he chose a career in politics and a degree in law at the Université de Montréal . In his obituary, The Economist described Trudeau as "parochial as a young man", who "dismissed the second world war as a squabble between the big powers, although he later regretted 'missing one of the major events of the century'." In his 1993 Memoir, Trudeau wrote that
505-520: A French Canadian Catholic living outside the province of Quebec for the first time, felt like an outsider. As his sense of isolation deepened, he decided in 1947 to continue his work on his Harvard dissertation in Paris , where he studied at the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po). The Harvard dissertation remained unfinished when Trudeau briefly entered a doctoral program to study under
606-868: A civil servant in Ottawa in 1949. Until 1951 he worked in the Privy Council Office of the Liberal Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent as an economic policy advisor. He wrote in his memoirs that he found this period very useful when he entered politics later on, and that senior civil servant Norman Robertson tried unsuccessfully to persuade him to stay on. Trudeau's progressive values and his close ties with Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) intellectuals (including F. R. Scott , Eugene Forsey , Michael Kelway Oliver and Charles Taylor ) led to his support of and membership in that federal democratic socialist party throughout
707-590: A conference called by British Columbia Premier W. A. C. Bennett to attempt to finally patriate the Canadian constitution . Negotiations between the provinces and Justice Minister John Turner created a draft agreement, known as the Victoria Charter , that entrenched a charter of rights, bilingualism, and a guarantee of a veto of constitutional amendments for Ontario and Quebec, as well as regional vetoes for Western Canada and Atlantic Canada , within
808-415: A deal in exchange for James Cross' life, although they eventually returned to Canada years later, where they served time in prison. Although this response is still controversial and was opposed at the time as excessive by parliamentarians like Tommy Douglas and David Lewis , it was met with only limited objections from the public. After consultations with the provincial premiers, Trudeau agreed to attend
909-550: A deficit of $ 667 million, while the 1969 budget produced a surplus of $ 140 million. However, the 1970 budget (which produced a deficit of over $ 1 billion) marked the start of consecutive budget deficits run by the Trudeau government; the budget would not be balanced until 1997 . By the time Trudeau's first tenure ended in 1979, the deficit grew to $ 12 billion. In 1971, Trudeau's government greatly expanded unemployment insurance , making coverage nearly universal as coverage for
1010-455: A down payment for the acquisition of an owner-occupied dwelling or to buy furnitures for the dwelling (or the spouse's dwelling). Individuals who already owned a home (either owner-occupied or rented to another person) could not deduct RHOSP contributions. In 1976, Trudeau's government allowed for transfers of funds between the RHOSP (for instance to select a plan with better returns). In 1977,
1111-495: A final and bloody conflict, armed rioters fired on the troops, and the soldiers returned fire. At least five men were killed by gunfire and there were over 150 casualties and $ 300,000 in damage. In 1939, it was Lapointe who helped draft the Liberals' policy against conscription for service overseas. Lapointe was aware that a new conscription crisis would destroy the national unity that Mackenzie King had been trying to build since
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#17327653167581212-759: A fourth election victory shortly afterwards, in 1980 , and eventually retired from politics shortly before the 1984 election . Trudeau is the most recent prime minister to win four elections (having won three majority governments and one minority government ) and to serve two non-consecutive terms. His tenure of 15 years and 164 days makes him Canada's third-longest-serving prime minister, behind John A. Macdonald and William Lyon Mackenzie King . Despite his personal motto, "Reason before passion", Trudeau's personality and policy decisions aroused polarizing reactions throughout Canada during his time in office . While critics accused him of arrogance, of economic mismanagement, and of unduly centralizing Canadian decision-making to
1313-546: A leading figure opposing Duplessis's rule. Trudeau actively supported the workers in the Asbestos Strike who opposed Duplessis in 1949. Trudeau was the co-founder and editor of Cité Libre , a dissident journal that helped provide the intellectual basis for the Quiet Revolution. In 1956, he edited an important book on the subject, La grève de l'amiante , which argued that the asbestos miners' strike of 1949
1414-526: A media sensation, inspiring " Trudeaumania ", and helped him to win the leadership of the Liberal Party in 1968 , when he succeeded Pearson and became prime minister of Canada. From the late 1960s until the mid-1980s, Trudeau's personality dominated the political scene to an extent never before seen in Canadian political life. After his appointment as prime minister, he won the 1968 , 1972 , and 1974 elections, before narrowly losing in 1979 . He won
1515-515: A more open immigration policy that Pearson had brought in. The policy recognized that while Canada was a country of two official languages, it recognized a plurality of cultures – "a multicultural policy within a bilingual framework". This annoyed public opinion in Quebec, which believed that it challenged Quebec's claim of Canada being a country of two nations. Following the Vietnam War,
1616-520: A narrow majority government in the election of 1921 , defeating Prime Minister Meighen. His government fluctuated between majority and minority over the course of four years, due to by-elections and political developments. He won a minority government in the 1925 election , but that government was cut short by the King-Byng Affair . To avoid a motion of censure in the Commons, King asked
1717-542: A new party leader. Second term : In the first session of the new parliament it became clear that Clark's government was quickly losing popular support. The Liberals and the New Democratic Party combined to defeat the budget of the Clark government. Since that was a confidence matter, Clark was forced to call an election. Trudeau resumed the leadership of the Liberal Party and defeated Prime Minister Clark in
1818-548: A parliamentary no confidence vote, or upon retirement. Theoretically, the governor general can dismiss a prime minister, but that has never happened. The prime ministerial term is not tied directly to the term of the House of Commons, which the Constitution sets as a maximum of five years from the most recent general election. A prime minister takes office after winning an election, and resigns after losing an election, but
1919-464: A proportion of units toward social housing initiatives. In order to ensure that loans contributed to the provision of low income housing, the CMHC was restricted to giving loans amounting to $ 7500 or less per unit. The Registered home ownership savings plan (RHOSP) was introduced in the government's November 1974 budget . Similar to RRSPs , proceeds from the RHOSP could be received tax-free for either
2020-635: A refugee crisis was caused by the flight of the " boat people " from Vietnam, as thousands of people, mostly ethnic Chinese, fled the country in makeshift boats across the South China Sea , usually to the British colony of Hong Kong. The Trudeau government was generous in granting asylum to the refugees. By 1980, Canada had accepted about 44,000 of the "boat people", making it one of the top destinations for them. In 1969, Trudeau, along with his then- Minister of Indian Affairs Jean Chrétien , proposed
2121-654: A rise in the polls after the rejection of the Victoria Charter, the Quebec Liberals had taken a more confrontational approach with the federal government on the constitution, French language laws , and the language of air traffic control in Quebec. Trudeau responded with increasing anger at what he saw as nationalist provocations against Ottawa's bilingualism and constitutional initiatives, at times expressing his personal contempt for Bourassa. Partially in an attempt to shore up his support, Bourassa called
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#17327653167582222-483: A rise in what many called " Western alienation ". In other domestic policy, Trudeau pioneered official bilingualism and multiculturalism , fostering a pan-Canadian identity. Trudeau's foreign policy included making Canada more independent; he patriated the Constitution and established the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms , actions that achieved full Canadian sovereignty . He distanced Canada from
2323-534: A set term of office , and does not have term limits . Instead, prime ministers can stay in office as long as their government has the confidence of a majority in the House of Commons of Canada under the system of responsible government . Under this system, William Lyon Mackenzie King was Canada's longest-serving prime minister, holding office for a total of 21 years and 154 days over three non-consecutive terms. The prime minister's term begins upon appointment by
2424-414: A shorter period. The shortest minority government, Arthur Meighen 's second government, lasted just under three months. A prime minister who is selected by the governing party to replace an outgoing prime minister may also serve a short term, if the new prime minister is defeated at the general election. Charles Tupper served the shortest term in Canadian history, only sixty-eight days, in this way. He
2525-418: Is called, the current prime minister stays in office during the election campaign. If the prime minister's party wins the election, the prime minister remains in office without being sworn in again; the prime minister's tenure of office is continuous. If defeated in the election, the outgoing prime minister stays in office during the transition period, until the new prime minister takes office. All of that time
2626-425: Is included in the total "Time in office". The first day of a prime minister's term is counted in the total, but the last day is not. For the first half century of Confederation, there were gaps between the term of an outgoing prime minister and the incoming prime minister. The shortest gap, two days, was between Macdonald and Alexander Mackenzie in 1873: Macdonald resigned office on November 5, 1873, and Mackenzie
2727-443: Is not re-appointed as prime minister for each parliament, but rather serves one continuous term. When a prime minister holds office in more than one parliament, it is customarily referred to as the prime minister's first government, second government, and so on. A majority government normally lasts around four years, since general elections for Parliament are normally held every four years. Minority governments generally last for
2828-607: Is ranked highly among scholars in rankings of Canadian prime ministers , though he remains a divisive figure in Canadian politics and is viewed less favourably in Western Canada and Quebec. His eldest son, Justin Trudeau , became the 23rd and current prime minister, following the 2015 Canadian federal election ; Justin Trudeau is the first prime minister of Canada to be a descendant of a former prime minister. The Trudeau family can be traced to Marcillac-Lanville in France in
2929-494: Is regarded as the signature recommendation of the commission. Pierre Trudeau Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau (October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 15th prime minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1984. Between his non-consecutive terms as prime minister, he served as the leader of the Opposition from 1979 to 1980. Trudeau
3030-589: The National Housing Act to provide financial assistance for new home buying , loans for co-operative housing , and low interest loans for municipal and private non-profit housing. The amendments saw the introduction the Rental Rehabilitation Assistance Program, which established that homeowners and occupants in low income neighborhoods could qualify for small grants to be used for home repair. Also introduced
3131-646: The 1930 general election and resigned as prime minister. He stayed on as party leader and became Leader of the Opposition . Third term : King began his third and longest term when he won the election of 1935 , defeating Prime Minister Bennett and winning a majority government. He won the subsequent elections in 1940 and 1945 , and retired in 1948. He was succeeded by Louis St. Laurent. (6 years, 127 days) 1878-10-17 to 1891-06-06 (12 years, 232 days) 1867–1872 1872–1873 1878–1882 1882–1887 1887–1891 1891 First term : The Governor-General, Viscount Monck , appointed Macdonald
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3232-491: The 1968 election with a strong majority government ; this was the Liberals' first majority since 1953 . Trudeau's first major legislative push was implementing the majority of recommendations from Pearson's Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism via the Official Languages Act , which made French and English the co-equal official languages of the federal government. More controversial than
3333-656: The 1969 White Paper (officially entitled "Statement of the Government of Canada on Indian policy"). The Paper proposed the general assimilation of First Nations into the Canadian body politic through the elimination of the Indian Act and Indian status, the parcelling of reserve land to private owners, and the elimination of the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs . The White Paper was widely seen as racist and an attack on Canada's indigenous peoples, and prompted
3434-636: The 1971 budget . Also implemented in 1972 was the child care expense deduction which allowed for a deduction of up to $ 500 per child. As Benson had now become a political liability, Trudeau replaced him with John Turner (who was seen as a " Business Liberal ") in 1972. List of Prime Ministers of Canada by time in office The prime minister of Canada is the head of government of Canada. Since Canadian Confederation in 1867, there have been 23 prime ministers who have formed 29 Canadian ministries . The first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald , took office on July 1, 1867. The position does not have
3535-515: The Earl of Dufferin , appointed Alexander Mackenzie as prime minister. Mackenzie then called the general election of 1874 , which he won. Second term : Returned to power after defeating Prime Minister Mackenzie in the election of 1878 , Macdonald won four successive majority governments. His last government, elected in April, 1891 , ended upon his death on June 6, 1891. The office of prime minister
3636-472: The Liberal Party in 1965. That year , he was elected to the House of Commons , quickly being appointed as Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson 's parliamentary secretary . In 1967, he was appointed as minister of justice and attorney general . As minister, Trudeau liberalized divorce and abortion laws and decriminalized homosexuality. Trudeau's outgoing personality and charismatic nature caused
3737-589: The October Crisis of 1970, when a Marxist-influenced Quebec separatist group, the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ), kidnapped British Trade Consul James Cross at his residence on October 5. Five days later, the group also kidnapped Quebec Labour Minister Pierre Laporte . Trudeau, with the acquiescence of Quebec Premier Robert Bourassa , responded by invoking the War Measures Act , which gave
3838-459: The governor general of Canada , usually after winning a general election . One prime minister can also succeed another with no election—usually, but not necessarily, when they are successive leaders of the same party. A prime minister stays in office until they resign, die or are dismissed by the governor general. Two prime ministers have died in office (Macdonald and Sir John Thompson ). All others have resigned, either after losing an election,
3939-655: The mayor of Montreal ) in Outremont . Trudeau described a speech he heard in Montreal by Ernest Lapointe , minister of justice and Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King 's Quebec lieutenant . Lapointe had been a Liberal MP during the 1917 Conscription Crisis , in which the Canadian government had deployed up to 1,200 soldiers to suppress the anti-conscription Easter Riots in Quebec City in March and April 1918. In
4040-579: The "clarity" provided by the PQ victory, the unexpected rise of the Quebec sovereignty movement became, in his view, his biggest challenge. As the PQ began to take power, Trudeau faced the prolonged breakdown of his marriage, which the English-language press covered in lurid detail on a day-by-day basis. Trudeau's reserve was seen as dignified by contemporaries, and his poll numbers actually rose during
4141-532: The "historic importance" of the war and that he had "missed one of the major events of the century in which [he] was living. Harvard had become a major intellectual centre, as fascism in Europe led to a great migration of intellectuals to the United States. Trudeau's Harvard dissertation was on the topic of communism and Christianity. At Harvard, an American and predominantly Protestant university, Trudeau,
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4242-460: The 16th century and to a Robert Truteau (1544–1589). In 1659, the first Trudeau to arrive in Canada was Étienne Trudeau or Truteau (1641–1712), a carpenter and home builder from La Rochelle . Pierre Trudeau was born at home in Outremont, Montreal , Quebec , on October 18, 1919, to Charles-Émile "Charley" Trudeau (1887–1935), a French-Canadian businessman and lawyer, and Grace Elliott, who
4343-565: The 1950s. An associate professor of law at the Université de Montréal from 1961 to 1965, Trudeau's views evolved towards a liberal position in favour of individual rights counter to the state and made him an opponent of Quebec nationalism. He admired the labour unions, which were tied to the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), and tried to infuse his Liberal Party with some of their reformist zeal. By
4444-578: The 1980 election. He stayed in office until 1984, when he announced his retirement after taking a walk in the snow. He was succeeded by John Turner. 1896–1900 1900–1904 1904–1908 1908–1911 1993–1997 1997–2000 2001–2003 Two minority governments: 2006–2008 2008–2011 One majority government: 2011–2015 One majority government: 2015–2019 Two minority governments: 2019–2021 2021–present 1984–1988 1988–1993 1917-10-12 to 1920-07-09 1911–1917 1917–1921 First term : Borden
4545-637: The B&;A gas station chain (now defunct), some "profitable mines, the Belmont amusement park in Montreal and the Montreal Royals , the city's minor-league baseball team", by the time Trudeau was fifteen. When his father died in Orlando, Florida , on April 10, 1935, Trudeau and each of his siblings inherited $ 5,000 (equivalent to $ 110,000 in 2023), a considerable sum at that time, which meant that he
4646-697: The CMHC). The amendments saw the passage of the Rent Supplement Act , which enabled the CMHC to partner with private landlords, cooperatives, and not-for-profit associations to provide affordable housing; in addition, the act saw the CMHC agree to fund the difference between market rental prices and rent prices geared to the specific occupant's income. Lastly, the Canada Rental Supply Program was introduced to provide interest-free loans for 15 years to developers who agreed to allocate
4747-559: The Canadian labour force jumped to 96 percent from 75 percent. The system was sometimes called the 8/42, because one had to work for eight weeks (with at least 20 hours per week), and wait two weeks, to get benefits for the other 42 weeks of the year. This expansion also opened the UI program up to maternity, sickness, and retirement benefits, covered seasonal workers for the first time, and allowed mothers to receive up to 15 weeks of benefits if they had 20 or more insurable weeks. The reforms increased
4848-469: The Liberal leadership and became prime minister on April 20, 1968. He called a general election for June 25, 1968 , winning a majority government. He remained in office for two more elections, but was defeated by Joe Clark in the 1979 general election . Trudeau resigned the leadership of the Liberal Party and announced his retirement from politics, staying on as interim leader until the Liberals elected
4949-596: The United States and rather formed close ties with the Soviet Union, China, and Cuban leader Fidel Castro , putting him at odds with other capitalist Western nations. In his retirement, Trudeau practised law at the Montreal law firm of Heenan Blaikie . He also successfully campaigned against the Meech Lake and Charlottetown Accords (which proposed granting Quebec certain concessions), arguing they would strengthen Quebec nationalism . Trudeau died in 2000. He
5050-520: The Université de Montréal while in the COTC from 1940 until his graduation in 1943. Following his graduation, he articled for a year and, in the fall of 1944, began his Masters in political economy at Harvard University 's Graduate School of Public Administration (now the John F. Kennedy School of Government ). In his Memoir , he admitted that it was at Harvard's "super-informed environment" that he realized
5151-432: The annual Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day parade in Montreal, rioting Quebec sovereigntists threw rocks and bottles at the grandstand where Trudeau was seated, chanting "Trudeau au poteau!" ("Trudeau to the stake!"). Rejecting the pleas of aides that he take cover, Trudeau stayed in his seat, facing the rioters, without any sign of fear. The image of the defiant Prime Minister impressed the public. The next day, Trudeau handily won
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#17327653167585252-577: The anti-establishment manifesto Refus global , the publication of Les insolences du Frère Untel , the 1949 Asbestos Strike , and the 1955 Richard Riot . Artists and intellectuals in Quebec signed the Refus global on August 9, 1948 in opposition to the repressive rule of Quebec Premier Maurice Duplessis and the decadent "social establishment" in Quebec, including the Catholic Church. When he returned to Montreal in 1949, Trudeau quickly became
5353-479: The commission recommended the adoption of an elected Senate in order to better represent Canada's diverse regions. Most notably, the commission’s recommendations affected trade policy directly by giving greater legitimacy and momentum to the debate surrounding free trade with the United States. Mulroney began trade negotiations with the American administration shortly after the report was released. Indeed, free trade
5454-475: The convention, prominent Cabinet Minister Judy LaMarsh was caught on television profanely stating that Trudeau was not a Liberal. Nevertheless, at the April 1968 Liberal leadership convention , Trudeau was elected leader on the fourth ballot, with the support of 51 percent of the delegates. He defeated several prominent and long-serving Liberals, including Paul Martin Sr. , Robert Winters and Paul Hellyer . As
5555-799: The day after the former prime minister leaves office. Canadian custom is to count by the individuals who were prime minister, not by terms. Since Confederation, 23 prime ministers have been appointed by the governor general to form 29 Canadian Ministries . Historical conservative parties / Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (12) Liberal Party of Canada (10) Conservative Party of Canada (1) (4 years, 181 days) 1926-09-25 to 1930-08-06 (3 years, 315 days) 1935-10-23 to 1948-11-14 (13 years, 23 days) Three majority governments: 1921–1925 1935–1940 1940–1945 Three minority governments: 1925–1926 1926–1930 1945–1948 First term : King began his first term after winning
5656-623: The declaration (which was backed by the NDP and, with some opposition in caucus, the PCs) was the implementation of the Act's principles: between 1966 and 1976, the francophone proportion of the civil service and military doubled, causing alarm in some sections of anglophone Canada who felt they were being disadvantaged. Trudeau's Cabinet fulfilled Part IV of the Royal Commission's report by announcing
5757-490: The detriment of the culture of Quebec and the economy of the Prairies , admirers praised what they considered to be the force of his intellect and his political acumen that maintained national unity over the Quebec sovereignty movement . Trudeau suppressed the 1970 Quebec terrorist crisis by controversially invoking the War Measures Act . In addition, Quebec's proposal to negotiate a sovereignty-association agreement with
5858-420: The end of Canada's centennial year in 1967, Pearson announced his intention to step down, and Trudeau entered the race to succeed him as party leader and Prime Minister. His energetic campaign attracted widespread media attention and mobilized many young people, who saw Trudeau as a symbol of generational change. However, many Liberals still had reservations, given that he had only joined the party in 1965. During
5959-540: The end of the First World War. Trudeau believed Lapointe had lied and broken his promise. His criticisms of King's wartime policies, such as "suspension of habeas corpus," the "farce of bilingualism and French-Canadian advancement in the army," and the "forced 'voluntary' enrolment", was scathing. As a university student, Trudeau joined the Canadian Officers' Training Corps (COTC), which trained at
6060-547: The federal government was overwhelmingly rejected in the 1980 Quebec referendum . In economic policy, Trudeau expanded social programs, introduced the capital gains tax , and oversaw major increases in deficit spending . In a bid to move the Liberal Party towards economic nationalism , Trudeau's government oversaw the creation of Petro-Canada and launched the National Energy Program , both of which generated uproar in oil -rich Western Canada , leading to
6161-634: The financial program Established Programs Financing to help finance the provincially -run healthcare and post-secondary education system, through transfer payments , by cash and tax points . This system lasted until 1995. In 1979, Trudeau's government restructured family allowances by increasing the role of the tax system in child support and decreasing the role of family allowances. The government established an annual Refundable Child Tax Credit of $ 200 for families with incomes of $ 18,000 or less. As incomes increased above this level, benefits would be taxed away to disappear completely at $ 26,000. Since
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#17327653167586262-466: The first major national mobilization of indigenous activists against the federal government's proposal, leading Trudeau to set aside the legislation. On July 14, 1976, after a long and emotional debate, Bill C-84 was passed by the House of Commons by a vote of 130 to 124, abolishing the death penalty completely and instituting a life sentence without parole for 25 years for first-degree murder. Trudeau's first serious test as Prime Minister came during
6363-471: The first prime minister of Canada on July 1, 1867 prior to the first general election , which Macdonald won. His second government, elected in 1872, was cut short by the Pacific Scandal . When it became apparent that he had lost the confidence of the Commons in the fall of 1873, Macdonald resigned as prime minister, remaining party leader and becoming Leader of the Opposition. The Governor-General,
6464-730: The government subsequently won an actual confidence motion, but the incident made it clear that the minority government Trudeau had inherited would not realistically last the full parliamentary term, and that he would soon need to call an early election in order to win a parliamentary majority. Trudeau eventually called this election for June 25, 1968. Trudeau's campaign benefited from an unprecedented wave of personal popularity called " Trudeaumania ", which saw him mobbed by throngs of youths. His main national opponents were PC leader Robert Stanfield and NDP leader Tommy Douglas , both popular figures who had respectively been premiers of Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan (albeit in Trudeau's native Quebec,
6565-494: The government sweeping powers of arrest and detention without trial. Trudeau presented a determined public stance during the crisis; when questioned by CBC Television journalist Tim Ralfe regarding how far he would go to stop the violence, Trudeau answered, " Just watch me ". Laporte was found dead on October 17 in the trunk of a car. The cause of his death is still debated. Five of the FLQ members were flown to Cuba in 1970 as part of
6666-410: The government tightened the rules of the RHOSP (the reforms removed the purchase of furnitures from the list of usage allowed for tax-free use of RHOSP proceeds starting in 1978; disallowed deductible contributions for a taxpayer whose spouse owned a home; suspended tax-free rollover of RHSOP funds to an RRSP; and capped the lifetime of the RHOSP at 20 years). In 1977, Trudeau's government established
6767-424: The governor general, Viscount Byng to call an election. Byng refused and King resigned. Byng appointed Meighen as prime minister, but Meighen's government fell after only four days in office, triggering a general election , which King won. Second term : King began his second term when he won a minority government in the 1926 election. His second term lasted until 1930, when he was defeated by R.B. Bennett in
6868-590: The height of coverage, but aides felt the personal tensions left him uncharacteristically emotional and prone to outbursts. Trudeau's first government implemented many procedural reforms to make Parliament and the Liberal caucus meetings run more efficiently, significantly expanded the size and role of the Prime Minister's office, and substantially expanded social-welfare programs. Trudeau's government ran large budget deficits throughout its time in office. The government's first budget in 1968 produced
6969-471: The late 1950s Trudeau began to reject social democratic and labour parties, arguing that they should put their narrow goals aside and join forces with Liberals to fight for democracy first. In economic theory he was influenced by professors Joseph Schumpeter and John Kenneth Galbraith while he was at Harvard. In 1963, Trudeau criticized the Liberal Party of Lester Pearson when it supported arming Bomarc missiles in Canada with nuclear warheads . Trudeau
7070-627: The local armoury in Montreal during the school term and undertook further training at Camp Farnham each summer. Although the National Resources Mobilization Act , enacted in 1940, originally provided that conscripts could not be required to serve outside of Canada, in 1942 Parliament amended the act and removed that restriction. The Conscription Crisis of 1944 arose in response to the invasion of Normandy in June 1944. Trudeau continued his full-time studies in law at
7171-521: The main competition to the Liberals was from the Ralliement créditiste , led by Réal Caouette ). As a candidate, Trudeau espoused participatory democracy as a means of making Canada a " Just Society ". He vigorously defended the newly implemented universal health care and regional development programmes, as well as the recent reforms found in the Omnibus bill. On the eve of the election, during
7272-580: The maximum benefit period to 50 weeks, though the benefit duration was calculated using a complex formula depending on labour force participation and the regional and national unemployment rates. In 1977, the government simplified the benefit duration formula but introduced a variable entrance requirement dependent on the unemployment rate in the applicant's region; the changes also mandated that workers in areas with low unemployment regions work twice as long to be eligible for benefits as workers in high unemployment regions. In 1973, Trudeau's government amended
7373-427: The median income for families during this time was $ 19,500, the majority of families received some benefit from the new program. In 1969, Trudeau's first finance minister , Edgar Benson , introduced a white paper on tax reform which included tax deductions for child care and advocated shifting the tax burden from the poor to the wealthy. Measures to fulfill the latter proposal included a capital gains tax , which
7474-454: The new constitution. The agreement was acceptable to the nine predominantly-English speaking provinces, but Quebec's premier Robert Bourassa requested two weeks to consult with his cabinet. After a strong backlash of popular opinion against the agreement in Quebec, Bourassa stated Quebec would not accept it. Trudeau faced increasing challenges in Quebec, starting with bitter relations with Bourassa and his Quebec Liberal government. Following
7575-542: The new leader of the governing Liberals, Trudeau was sworn in as prime minister on April 20. Though the term of the Parliament was not due to expire until November 1970, Pearson's government had almost fallen before the leadership contest could even take place after a tax bill was voted down in Parliament, leading to much confusion over whether this counted as a matter of confidence in the government. Governor General Roland Michener ultimately ruled that it did not, and
7676-406: The office in this way. The new prime minister may continue to govern in the parliament called by the previous prime minister, but normally calls an election within a few months. (Meighen was the exception, governing for over a year before calling an election.) In those cases, the time before and after the election is counted as one government for the purposes of this table. When a general election
7777-692: The outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 and his father's death were the two "great bombshells" that marked his teenage years. In his first year at university, the prime topics of conversation were the Battle of France , the Battle of Britain , and the London blitz . He wrote that in the early 1940s, when he was in his early twenties, he thought, "So there was a war? Tough. It wouldn't stop me from concentrating on my studies so long as that
7878-554: The party leadership tended toward a " deux nations " approach he could not support. Upon arrival in Ottawa, Trudeau was appointed as parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson , and spent much of the next year travelling abroad, representing Canada at international meetings and bodies, including the United Nations . In 1967, he was appointed to Pearson's Cabinet as Minister of Justice and Attorney General . As Justice Minister and Attorney General, Trudeau
7979-468: The report suggested for Canada to foster a more flexible economy, which would be capable of adjusting to international and technological change, and it recommended greater reliance on the market mechanisms and a free trade agreement with the United States . Secondly, the commission recommended various reforms to the welfare state model and emphasized social equity and economic efficiency. Thirdly,
8080-603: The segment of the bill decriminalizing homosexual acts by telling reporters that "there's no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation", adding that "what's done in private between adults doesn't concern the Criminal Code". Trudeau paraphrased the term from Martin O'Malley's editorial piece in The Globe and Mail on December 12, 1967. Trudeau also liberalized divorce laws, and clashed with Quebec Premier Daniel Johnson, Sr. during constitutional negotiations. At
8181-660: The socialist economist Harold Laski at the London School of Economics (LSE). This cemented Trudeau's belief that Keynesian economics and social sciences were essential to the creation of the "good life" in a democratic society. Over a five-week period he attended many lectures and became a follower of personalism after being influenced most notably by Emmanuel Mounier . He also was influenced by Nikolai Berdyaev , particularly his book Slavery and Freedom . Max and Monique Nemni argue that Berdyaev's book influenced Trudeau's rejection of nationalism and separatism. In
8282-603: The subsequent election of the opposition party. In the late nineteenth century, three prime ministers succeeded to the office and did not call an election: John Abbott resigned for health reasons and Thompson died in office. Bowell resigned after a Cabinet revolt. On six occasions from the twentieth century, a prime minister has retired and the governing party has selected a new party leader, who automatically became prime minister. Arthur Meighen (1920), Louis St. Laurent (1948), Pierre Trudeau (1968), John Turner (1984), Kim Campbell (1993) and Paul Martin (2003) all succeeded to
8383-717: The summer of 1948, Trudeau embarked on world travels to find a sense of purpose. At the age of twenty-eight, he travelled to Poland where he visited Auschwitz , then Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia , Bulgaria, and the Middle East , including Turkey, Jordan and southern Iraq. Although he was wealthy, Trudeau travelled with a back pack in "self-imposed hardship". He used his British passport instead of his Canadian passport in his travels through Pakistan, India, China, and Japan, often wearing local clothing to blend in. According to The Economist , when Trudeau returned to Canada in 1949 after an absence of five months, his mind
8484-455: The term in office does not match up directly to the term of the Parliament. An incoming prime minister will normally take office a few weeks after the election, and an outgoing prime minister will usually stay in office for a few weeks after losing the election. The transition period and the date for the transfer of office are negotiated by the incoming and the outgoing prime ministers. A prime minister who holds office in consecutive parliaments
8585-459: Was "directly involved in managing a large inheritance." From the age of six until twelve, Trudeau attended the primary school, Académie Querbes, in Outremont , where he became immersed in the Catholic religion. The school, which was for both English and French Catholics, was an exclusive school with very small classes and he excelled in mathematics and religion. From his earliest years, Trudeau
8686-527: Was "seemingly broadened" from his studies at Harvard, Sciences Po, and the LSE, as well as his travels. He was "appalled at the narrow nationalism in his native French-speaking Quebec, and the authoritarianism of the province's government". Beginning while Trudeau was travelling overseas, several events took place in Quebec that were precursors to the Quiet Revolution . These included the 1948 release of
8787-465: Was a seminal event in Quebec's history, marking the beginning of resistance to the conservative, Francophone clerical establishment and Anglophone business class that had long ruled the province. Because of Trudeau's labour union activities in Asbestos, Duplessis blacklisted him, and he was unable to teach law at the Université de Montréal. He surprised his closest friends in Quebec when he became
8888-431: Was appointed on November 7. The longest gap, ten days, was upon the death of Macdonald on June 6, 1891. Abbott did not take office until June 16, 1891. The last time there was a gap, of four days, occurred between Laurier and Robert Borden : Laurier resigned effective October 6, 1911, and Borden took office on October 10. There have been no gaps in office since that transition, with the new prime minister taking office
8989-448: Was born and raised in Outremont , Quebec , a Montreal suburb, and studied politics and law. In the 1950s, he rose to prominence as a labour activist in Quebec politics by opposing the conservative Union Nationale government. Trudeau was then an associate professor of law at the Université de Montréal . He was originally part of the social democratic New Democratic Party , though felt they could not achieve power, and instead joined
9090-490: Was elected in the safe Liberal riding of Mount Royal in Montreal. He would hold this seat until his retirement from politics in 1984, winning each election with large majorities. His decision to join the Liberals rather than the CCF's successor, the New Democratic Party (NDP), was partly based on his belief that the federal NDP could not achieve power. He also doubted the feasibility of the NDP's centralizing policies, and felt that
9191-501: Was financially secure and independent. His mother, Grace, "doted on Pierre" and he remained close to her throughout her long life. After her husband died, she left the management of her inheritance to others and spent a lot of her time working for the Roman Catholic Church and various charities, travelling frequently to New York, Florida, Europe, and Maine, sometimes with her children. Already in his late teens, Trudeau
9292-753: Was fluently bilingual, which would later prove to be a "big asset for a politician in bilingual Canada." As a teenager, he attended the Jesuit French-language Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf , a prestigious secondary school known for educating elite francophone families in Quebec. In his seventh and final academic year, 1939–1940, Trudeau focused on winning a Rhodes Scholarship . In his application he wrote that he had prepared for public office by studying public speaking and publishing many articles in Brébeuf . His letters of recommendations praised him highly. Father Boulin, who
9393-421: Was of mixed Scottish and French-Canadian descent. He had an older sister named Suzette and a younger brother named Charles Jr. Trudeau remained close to both siblings for his entire life. Trudeau attended the prestigious Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf (a private French Jesuit school), where he supported Quebec nationalism . Trudeau's paternal grandparents were French-speaking Quebec farmers. His father had acquired
9494-420: Was offered a position at Queen's University teaching political science by James Corry , who later became principal of Queen's, but turned it down because he preferred to teach in Quebec. In 1965, Trudeau joined the Liberal Party, along with his friends Gérard Pelletier and Jean Marchand . Dubbed the "three wise men" by the media, they ran successfully for the Liberals in the 1965 election . Trudeau himself
9595-496: Was possible...[I]f you were a French Canadian in Montreal [at that time], you did not automatically believe that this was a just war. In Montreal in the early 1940s, we still knew nothing about the Holocaust and we tended to think of this war as a settling of scores among the superpowers." Young Trudeau opposed conscription for overseas service, and in 1942 he campaigned for the anti-conscription candidate Jean Drapeau (later
9696-410: Was responsible for introducing the landmark Criminal Law Amendment Act , an omnibus bill whose provisions included, among other things, the decriminalization of homosexual acts between consenting adults, new gun ownership restrictions and the legalization of contraception, abortion and lotteries, as well as the authorization of breathalyzer tests on suspected drunk drivers. Trudeau famously defended
9797-561: Was selected by the Conservative Party to replace Mackenzie Bowell just before the general election of 1896 , which Tupper and the Conservatives lost. John Turner and Kim Campbell both served short terms for similar reasons. Of the other prime ministers who served short terms, Arthur Meighen , Joe Clark , and Paul Martin had their time in office cut short by the collapse of their minority governments and
9898-411: Was severely criticized by corporate Canada and the business community (notably Israel Asper ). The bill was debated in Parliament for over a year, with its more radical proposals being removed in parliamentary committee. The reforms managed to be passed through the use of closure , with the capital gains tax (that had an inclusion rate of 50 percent) coming into effect on January 1, 1972, as prescribed by
9999-555: Was the Assisted Home Ownership Program which allowed the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to start providing grants and subsidized interest rates to low income families (though in 1978 an amendment discontinued the provision of grant money to these families, which led to a high incidence of defaults, and in turn, necessitated that the federal government provide financial assistance to
10100-526: Was the head of the college, said that during Trudeau's seven years at the college (1933–1940), he had won a "hundred prizes and honourable mentions" and "performed with distinction in all fields". Trudeau graduated from Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf in 1940 at the age of twenty-one. Trudeau did not win the Rhodes Scholarship. He consulted several people on his options, including Henri Bourassa , the economist Edmond Montpetit, and Father Robert Bernier,
10201-505: Was vacant for ten days from Macdonald's death on June 6, 1891, until the appointment of Sir John Abbott as prime minister on June 16, 1891. After Abbott, three other individuals served in turn as prime minister until the next election in 1896. (11 years, 45 days) 1980-03-03 to 1984-06-29 (4 years, 119 days) Three majority governments: 1968–1972 1974–1979 1980–1984 One minority government: 1972–1974 First term : When Prime Minister Pearson retired, Trudeau won
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