Pierre Trudeau

The Right Honourable Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, PC , CC , CH , QC , MA , LL.L , LL.D , FRSC (October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000) was the fifteenth Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 3, 1979, and from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.

Justice minister

As justice minister, Pierre Trudeau was responsible for removing laws against homosexuality from the Criminal Code of Canada, famously remarking: "The view we take here is that there's no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation." He also liberalized divorce laws, and clashed with Quebec Premier Daniel Johnson, Sr., during constitutional negotiations.

Related Topics:
Homosexuality - Criminal Code of Canada - Divorce - Premier - Daniel Johnson, Sr.

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At the end of Canada's centennial year in 1967, Prime Minister Pearson announced his intention to step down. Trudeau was persuaded to run for the Liberal leadership, and ran an energetic campaign that mobilized and inspired many youths who had been influenced by the 1960s counterculture, and who saw Trudeau as a symbol of generational change.

Related Topics:
Centennial - 1967 - 1960s - Counterculture

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At the April 1968 Liberal leadership convention, Trudeau was elected leader of the party on the fourth ballot, defeating several prominent, long-serving Liberals including Paul Martin, Sr., Robert Winters and Paul Hellyer. Some wondered if he was too liberal and radical for the nation's top job, and his views led to some initial alienation from the party's conservative wing. However, he benefited from an unprecedented wave of personal popularity called "Trudeaumania" which saw Trudeau mobbed by throngs of youths.

Related Topics:
1968 Liberal leadership convention - Paul Martin, Sr. - Robert Winters - Paul Hellyer - Trudeaumania

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A significant moment in the 1968 federal election occurred during the annual Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day parade when rioting Quebec separatists threw rocks and bottles at the bandstand where Trudeau was seated. Defying his aides' pleas to take cover, Trudeau stayed in his seat fearlessly facing the rioters. The image of the young politician showing such courage impressed the Canadian populace, and he handily won the election the next day.

Related Topics:
1968 federal election - Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day - Separatists

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