"African leaders with long memories will recall the important role Joe Clark and Brian Mulroney played in the Commonwealth in helping to bring an end to apartheid in South Africa and also stepping up to the plate in the Ethiopian famine crisis," said Hampson. Joe Clark, 80, served as the 16th prime minister of Canada between 1979 and 1980. The Progressive Conservatives won the popular vote in seven provinces. [21] This book was also published in a French translation. Two by-election victories later in 2002 increased the PC caucus to 15 members and fourth place in the Commons. UN. Clark announced that he would continue to sit for the remainder of the session as a "Progressive Conservative" MP, and retired from Parliament at the end of the session. [citation needed] Other party members felt that the federal Liberal Party's stranglehold on Quebec seats (they held all but one of the province's 75 seats) could only be broken by a native from that province, which gave Mulroney considerable support. However, he ran in the federal election held a year later, and was elected to Parliament as the MP for Rocky Mountain, a largely rural riding in southwestern Alberta. Their advertisements declared "This is no time for on-the-job training", and "We need tough leadership to keep Canada growing. École Joe Clark School in High River, Alberta, is named in honour of Clark. He made a political comeback in 1998 to lead the Progressive Conservatives in their last stand before the party's eventual dissolution, serving his final term in Parliament from 2000 to 2004. These positions put Clark at odds with the right-wing members of his caucus, several members of which were not afraid to confront him. On June 4, 1979, the day before his 40th birthday, Clark was sworn in as Canada's youngest prime minister, steering the first Tory government since the defeat of John Diefenbaker in the 1963 election. ",[citation needed] taking aim at how the Tories had replaced their proven leader with an unknown. Joe Clark, 80, served as the 16th prime minister of Canada between 1979 and 1980. Taylor sheltered six Americans and helped them escape Iran during the 1979 hostage crisis. One of the two PC candidates to survive the 1993 wipe-out, Jean Charest, became leader of the PC party following Campbell's resignation. There were frequent rumors that several potential challengers were covertly undermining Clark's leadership;[citation needed] though in 1982 Brian Mulroney appeared at a press conference with Clark to say that he was not seeking the leadership of the PC party. However, he wanted a merger on his terms. He served as president of the University of Alberta Young Progressive Conservatives, and eventually served as national president for the Young PCs group. During the same tour, while inspecting a military honour guard, Clark turned too soon and nearly bumped into a soldier's bayonet; one of the first major media reports on the incident claimed, with some exaggeration, that he had nearly been beheaded. Clark served as a chief assistant to provincial opposition leader and future Premier Peter Lougheed, and served in the office of federal opposition leader Robert Stanfield, learning the inner workings of government. Trudeau also enlisted the services of former Prime Minister Joe Clark, who served as foreign minister in Brian Mulroney’s government, as Canada struggled to win a non-permanent seat on the Security Council of the United States. [citation needed] The fact that Clark had been able to increase his support among party members by only 0.4% was likely a contributing factor to his decision to resign as leader and seek a renewed mandate from the membership through a leadership convention. Former PM Joe Clark has been appointed as the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Canada’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council. In contrast to Clark, Trudeau and Mulroney had become bitter enemies over the Meech Lake Accord,[citation needed] despite never having fought an election. [citation needed], In a rematch of the 1976 convention, Mulroney emerged as the main challenger, gaining the support of the party's right wing, which viewed Clark as too progressive and opposed his continued leadership. [citation needed] Clark already had most of a campaign team up and running by the time he called the leadership convention, as he had mobilized support to help gain in the convention's leadership review. The only person to become prime minister younger than Justin Trudeau was Joe Clark. Clark sustained a bloody nose but was not seriously hurt. McTeer suggested that for her husband, anything less than a 75% endorsement would not have been a clear enough mandate to forge onwards from the party membership. In 1979 the Progressive Conservatives won a plurality of seats in Parliament, and Clark became head of a minority government. Trudeau's chief of staff Katie Telford is now scheduled to testify for two hours following the prime minister. Clark obtained a B.A. That year he held a formal leadership-selection meeting and was defeated by Brian Mulroney. Clark again became active in student politics, serving as president of the Progressive Conservative Youth wing for two terms. While some of them rejoined the Alliance later, seven of them, led by Chuck Strahl of British Columbia and including Grey, refused and formed the Democratic Representative Caucus. [citation needed] Skinny and tall, he became a frequent target for editorial cartoonists, who delighted in portraying him as a sort of walking candy apple, with an enormous head and floppy dog-like ears;[citation needed] cartoonist Andy Donato typically drew Clark with mittens on strings hanging from his suit sleeves. Mulroney, who was endorsed by all but two candidates, defeated Clark on the fourth ballot. Clark then attended Dalhousie Law School. Clark ran on his previous experience as Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister. The prime ministership of Joe Clark is one of the great “what-ifs?” of Canadian history. His tenure was brief as he only won a minority government, and it was defeated on a motion of non-confidence. The latter position saw him play a leading role in the drafting of the Charlottetown Accord, which was decisively rejected in a nationwide referendum and further hurt the standing of the PC party in polls. He served as Prime Minister of Canada from June 4, 1979 until March 3, 1980. [citation needed] Difficult budgets and the economic recession resulted in Trudeau's approval ratings declining after the bounce from the 1982 Constitution patriation and showed his party headed for certain defeat by early 1984, prompting him to retire. As a former prime minister, Clark is entitled to carry "The Right Honourable" designation for life. Others attacked Clark's goal of the PC party regaining its former power as unrealistic. He soon realized that there was no chance of dislodging the Liberals as long as the centre-right remained split. Clark however decided that he would govern as if he had a majority,[12] and refused to grant the small Socred official party status, form a coalition, or co-operate with the party in any way. At crime- and drug-ridden Eastside High School in Paterson, New Jersey, Clark … Clark continues to apply his experience in foreign affairs. Opposition to Clark's leadership began to grow after the fall of the PC minority government, and the party's defeat by a resurgent Liberal Party. Born in Alberta, Clark became a member of the Progressive Conservative Party while in college, and sought a career in politics from a young … In September 2019, Clark, along with former prime minister Jean Chretien, represented Canada at the United Nations General Assembly after the Trudeau government chose to pass on the event due to the October election. Several candidates agreed to an "ABC" (Anybody But Clark) strategy for the convention and when news of that back-room deal broke out, support was expected to rally around the party's embattled leader. In addition to teaching classes at the American University in Washington, Clark has written several op-ed pieces for several of Canada's national newspapers since his retirement. Yes, Clark is somewhat disqualified by the fact that he actually was the prime minister, but being in power for less than nine months hardly counts in the history books. Though the election had been held in May, Parliament did not resume sitting until October, one of the longest break periods in Confederation. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Joe Clark waving to supporters at a convention, 1983. How much does Justin Trudeau make as prime minister? However, he faced a difficult task, with critics and opponents attacking him and the PC Party as a "vote for the past". Clark feared that the 34% of PC members who did not support him would become his most vocal critics in the upcoming election campaign, and that his continued leadership would have led to fractures in the party. During the Harper government reign there was a 1.1% increase in job growth, and this was during … [15] The Liberals supported the NDP subamendment. Joe Clark's rapid rise from a relatively unknown Alberta MP to the Leader of the Opposition took much of Canada by surprise. He was elected by a teleconference of PC members from around the country in which each of the party's riding associations was allocated 100 points. Despite their personal differences, Clark ably served in Mulroney's cabinet as the Secretary of State for External Affairs, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs was known before 1993. In his first year at the University of Alberta, Clark joined the staff of the campus newspaper Gateway and eventually became editor-in-chief. [citation needed]. He came to power in the 1979 election, defeating the Liberal government of Pierre Trudeau and ending sixteen years of continuous Liberal rule. Humphreys. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Joe Clark, Canada’s 16th prime minister and the one with the most easily pronounceable name. [citation needed] This was also considering that the governing Liberals under Pierre Trudeau were slipping in polls, and although the PCs had built up a substantial lead in popularity, Trudeau was expected to retire before the election and a new Liberal leader could have been able to pull off a victory. Clark was criticized by some for dismissing the new Conservative Party outright rather than helping to steer it towards a moderate path. The party's right-wing rallied behind Wagner. Pierre Elliott … Trudeau also enlisted the services of former Prime Minister Joe Clark, who served as foreign minister in Brian Mulroney’s government, as Canada struggled to win a non-permanent seat on the Security Council of the United States. They won the leadership through clever strategies. Omissions? Clark has also served on the boards of directors or advisory boards of several Canadian companies. How much does Justin Trudeau make as prime minister? While Trudeau's National Energy Program was hugely unpopular in Western Canada, especially Alberta, it was able to shore up Liberal support in the voter-rich Eastern Canada, particularly Ontario and Quebec, generally having the opposite effect of Clark's proposed gas tax. [citation needed] During delegate voting, Clark won the first ballot, but only won 36.5% of the vote, well short of the 50% required. However, Clark remained belligerent in his attacks on the Trudeau government, angrily clashing with the prime minister in Parliament. Clark was attacked while walking down the street in Montreal in mid-November 2007. Laimdota Straujuma, Prime Minister of Latvia (2014-2016) Laura Chinchilla Miranda, President of Costa Rica (2010-2014) Mari Kiviniemi, Prime Minister of Finland (2010-2011) Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, President of Malta (2014-2019) Mary Robinson, President of Ireland (1990-1997) Paula Cox, Premier of Bermuda (2010-2012) Bold indicates parties with members elected to the House of Commons, Progressive Conservative leadership convention 1976, Secretary of State for External Affairs (Minister of Foreign Affairs), Minister responsible for Constitutional Affairs, Progressive Conservative leadership, 1998–2003, Progressive Conservative–Canadian Alliance merger, CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (. His support dwindled over the next two ballots. UN. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joe-Clark, The Canadian Encyclopedia - Biography of Joe Clark, Joe Clark - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Joe Clark - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [citation needed] Orchard unsuccessfully tried to block the merger and later joined the Liberal Party. The 1995 Quebec referendum saw the federal side win by less than one percent of the vote. Prime Minister Joe Clark meets with Ken Taylor, the Canadian ambassador to Iran, on Feb. 1, 1980. After leaving Dalhousie, he unsuccessfully pursued first-year law studies at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Law in Vancouver. The budget also proposed a 4-cent per litre (18-cent per gallon) tax on gasoline in order to reduce the budgetary deficit. [citation needed]. Joe Clark, 80, served as the 16th prime minister of Canada between 1979 and 1980. [citation needed] Clark was convinced that he could win another leadership race and gain a clear level of support, once his qualities were compared against the handful of politically inexperienced challengers who coveted his position and who were covertly undermining his leadership. The five Socred MPs had demanded the gas tax revenues be allocated to Quebec and abstained when Clark turned them down. This is common practice when a newly elected party leader does not already have a seat in Parliament. Clark campaigned on the slogans, "Let's get Canada working again", and "It's time for a change—give the future a chance!". In October 2006, Clark took a position at McGill University as a Professor of Practice for Public-Private Sector Partnerships at the McGill Institute for the Study of International Development. Taking office the day before his 40th birthday, Clark is the youngest person to become Prime Minister. Learn how and when to remove this template message, leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party, University of British Columbia Faculty of Law, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, Quebec's constitutional status within Canada, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Centre for International Governance Innovation, 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal, "The Access to Information Act: 10 years on – The Information Commissioner of Canada, 1994", "House of Commons Journals, 31st Parliament, 1st Session", "Terrorism and Multiculturalism in the West", http://canada.berkeley.edu/CAN%20history%20pamphlet%20continuous%20text.pdf#page=3, "David Orchard spouts anti-U.S. rhetoric and racists sentiments", "Joe Clark says he'd choose Martin over Harper", "IBG – Joe Clark, The Centre for International Governance Innovation", "Trudeau appoints former PM Joe Clark as special envoy for Canada's bid for UN Security Council seat", "Order of Canada – Charles Joseph Clark, P.C., C.C., A.O.E., M.A., LL.D. In 1973, Clark married law student Maureen McTeer. John N. Turner was sworn in today as the 17th Prime Minister of Canada in a private ceremony that ended a 16-year-long political era dominated by Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Jock Osler, a former journalist, radio personality and press secretary under Prime Minister Joe Clark, has died at 83. The long and the short of Canadian campaigns Back to video. This lasted until 2002, when Stephen Harper ousted Day as Alliance leader. Prime Minister of Canada: 1979-80 Birth: June 5, 1939, in High River, Alberta in history (1960) and an M.A. Clark was appointed as Special Representative to the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Cyprus from 1993 to 1996. It took two years for Clark to return to Parliament. "Celebrating Thirty Years of Canadian Studies at the University of California, Berkeley: 1982–2012" Accessed June 6, 2015. He later worked one summer at the Edmonton Journal where he met his future biographer, David L. On December 8, 2003, the day that the PC Party and the Canadian Alliance were dissolved and the new Conservative Party of Canada registered, Clark was one of three MPs—the other two were André Bachand and John Herron—to announce that they would not join the new caucus. [citation needed], Overall, Clark's efforts to rebuild the PC party had mixed results. University of California, Berkeley Canadian Studies Program. [citation needed], Joe Clark is vice-chairman and a Member of the Global Leadership Foundation, an organization that works to support democratic leadership, prevent and resolve conflict through mediation and promote good governance in the form of democratic institutions, open markets, human rights and the rule of law. However, the publication of The Secret Mulroney Tapes shows that Mulroney continued to hold negative feelings towards Clark during the 1980s and 1990s. Clark will travel to Algeria, Bahrain, Qatar and Egypt from March 2–9 seeking votes. Some PC caucus members refused to accept the merger: long-time MP and former Prime Minister Joe Clark continued to sit as a "Progressive Conservative" for the remainder of the Parliament, as did MPs John Herron and André Bachand, while Scott Brison left the new party to join the Liberal Party in December 2003. Trudeau had put off asking the Canadian Governor General to call an election as long as possible, in the hope that his party could recover popular support but it backfired, as there was growing public antipathy towards his perceived arrogance. Canada’s 16th Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Joe Clark is one of the most widely respected Canadians in history. In 1998 Clark was again elected leader of the Progressive Conservatives, and in 2000 he won a seat in the House of Commons. Joe Clark, the short-lived Progressive Conservative prime minister who governed for nine months in 1979-1980. Mulroney, a Quebec businessman with no elected political experience, was unable to expand his base of support significantly. While Clark's 1976 leadership rivals were prominent in that province, Claude Wagner had left politics (he died shortly after the election), while Brian Mulroney was still bitter about his loss and turned down an offer to serve under Clark. Clark was unable to accomplish much in office because of the tenuous situation of his minority government. Prime minister from June 4, 1979, to March 3, 1980. Fellow Tory MP Stanley Schumacher had much of his old riding of Palliser merged into Bow River as well. However, Trudeau also complimented Clark as a respectable leader and a better choice over Brian Mulroney, who had defeated Clark at the leadership convention in 1983. Clark's personal popularity grew as, once again, scandal enveloped Chrétien's Liberal government. He was honoured as Commandeur de l'Ordre de la Pleiade from La Francophonie. That incident was widely lampooned by Toronto Sun cartoonist Andy Donato. Updates? In 2004, Clark's lifetime achievements were recognized with the Award for Excellence in the Cause of Parliamentary Democracy by Canada's Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy. When the Prince met Clark in the receiving line at the function, he asked to Clark: "why wasn't two thirds enough? Joe Clark, byname of Charles Joseph Clark, (born June 5, 1939, High River, Alberta, Canada), Canadian politician who served as prime minister of Canada from June 1979 to March 1980, the youngest person ever to win the post. Also in 1994, he wrote the book A Nation Too Good to Lose: Renewing the Purpose of Canada. The attacker first asked him if he was the former prime minister, and when Clark answered that he was, the man struck him and fled. His talent for negotiation and consensus diplomacy has served him well in politics and as Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Cyprus. Even before the budget, the government was criticized for its perceived inexperience, such as in its handling of its campaign commitment to move Canada's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/joe-clark-8585.php in political science (1973) from the University of Alberta and taught political science there from 1965 to 1967. Nonetheless, Clark's Progressive Conservatives won 136 seats to end sixteen continuous years of Liberal rule. The youngest prime minister in Canadian history, Joe Clark, then leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, was elected in 1979 at the age of 39. It does so by making available, discreetly and in confidence, the experience of former leaders to today's national leaders. Social Credit was below the 12 seats needed for official party status in the House of Commons. [citation needed]. Serving the shortest term of any elected prime minister, Clark barely accomplished anything in office before he was promptly thrown back out. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. [citation needed]. [citation needed] Compared to his predecessor as Prime Minister, Clark reportedly had a better relationship with US President Jimmy Carter, who phoned Clark to wish him luck in the upcoming 1980 election. Jock Osler, a former journalist, radio personality and press secretary under Prime Minister Joe Clark, has died at 83. MP Scott Brison had already joined the Liberals. He also served briefly (1993) as United Nations special representative to Cyprus. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Former prime minister Joe Clark stands beside his official portrait following its unveiling on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday May 27, 2008. During the 1993–1994 academic year, Clark served as a Regents' Lecturer in the Canadian Studies Program at the University of California, Berkeley.[20]. Not to mention that there are long-standing ties between him and former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. Joe Clark, the New Jersey principal who inspired the 1989 film “Lean on Me” starring Morgan Freeman, has died. [citation needed] He hired experienced staffers such as Lowell Murray, Duncan Edmonds, and William Neville, who shaped his policies and ran his office efficiently. [citation needed], Clark's government would last a total of nine months less a day. Tuesday May 27, 2008 the great “ what-ifs? ” of Canadian campaigns Back to.. At 39 pain for long term gain '' Mulroney 's minister of external affairs minister newly elected leader. 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