Joe Clark

:This article is about Joe Clark the Canadian political leader. For other people named Joe Clark please see this page.

Legacy

Joe Clark's departure from politics as a lone independent did not reflect the success of his overall political career, which spanned over thirty-five years of activity. Clark was the only politician to ever defeat Pierre Trudeau in an election. He also remains the only Canadian to ever be elected Prime Minister under the age of forty. While Clark's government was unable to pass any major legislation, it is credited with making the original draft of the Canadian Access to Information Act which was later on reviewed and passed by the Trudeau Liberals. During his term as External Affairs minister, Clark championed Canada's unabashed disapproval of the apartheid regime in South Africa. Canada was the only G7 nation to take such a resolute stance against the apartheid regime during the 1980s. He also took on the difficult Constitution ministerial portfolio after the failure of the Meech Lake Accord and vigourously pursued his task.

Related Topics:
Pierre Trudeau - Apartheid - South Africa - G7 - Meech Lake Accord

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While Clark's return to politics in 1998 was hailed as a death knell by some opponents for the shell shocked Tories, Clark managed to prevent the party's wholesale destruction in the 2000 election and was judged by audiences to be the best speaker during the national debates. Clark was also selected by the media and many parliamentarians for three years in a row, to be Canada's most effective opposition leader between 2000 and 2002, pursuing the Liberal government on issues such as Shawinigate and the Groupaction scandal. In his final mandate, Jean Chrétien repeatedly referred to Clark as the Leader of the Opposition (Clark wasn't), much to the chagrin of the Canadian Alliance politicians who occupied the Opposition Leader's chair during the same period. Clark's efforts to rebuild the PC party culminated at the end of his leadership in May 2003 with the party overtaking the NDP for fourth party status in the House of Commons after by-election wins in Newfoundland and Ontario and the party's return to being the most popular alternative to the governing Liberals in the national polls. Many of his supporters and detractors have suggested his actions shored up the weakened PC party during some of its toughest years when its national alternative status was seriously challenged by the prairie populism of Preston Manning and the Reform Party of Canada and the social conservatism of Stockwell Day and the Canadian Alliance.

Related Topics:
Shawinigate - Groupaction - Jean Chrétien - Leader of the Opposition - Newfoundland - Ontario - Populism - Preston Manning - Reform Party of Canada - Social conservatism - Stockwell Day

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Clark continues to use his experience in foreign affairs. He was in Washington on January 20, 2005 at the second inauguration of U.S. President George W. Bush. Before heading to the Capitol, he and Canada's ambassador to Washington at that time, Michael Kergin, discussed the inaugural festivities with Arizona Senator John McCain at the Canadian Embassy there. Clark has also written several op-ed pieces for several of Canada's national newspapers since his retirement. Clark (or his wife Maureen McTeer) has been seen as a possible future compromise candidate for appointment to the opposition benches of the Senate of Canada. Recently, it has been rumoured that he is under consideration to be the next Lieutenant Governor of Alberta. If this happened, he would be the first person to serve as both Prime Minister of Canada and the Queen's representative in a province.

Related Topics:
January 20 - 2005 - Inauguration - U.S. President - George W. Bush - Capitol - Arizona - Senator - John McCain - Maureen McTeer - Senate of Canada - Lieutenant Governor

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In 1994, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada.

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