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.

Prime minister

As prime minister, Trudeau espoused participatory democracy as a means of making Canada a "Just Society". His desire for greater citizen involvement in government appears to have been frustrated by lack of support within his party, and he later opposed greater involvement for citizens in representative democracy. He vigorously defended the newly implemented universal health care and regional development programs as means of making society more just.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

During the October Crisis of 1970, when Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) terrorists kidnapped Quebec Labour Minister, Pierre Laporte (who was later murdered) and British Trade Consul James Cross, Trudeau responded by invoking the War Measures Act, which put the nation under temporary martial law. Although this response is still controversial and was opposed as excessive by figures like Tommy Douglas, it was met with only limited objections from the public. Trudeau presented a determined public stance during the crisis, answering the question of how far he would go to stop the terrorists with "Just watch me!" Five of the FLQ terrorists were flown to Cuba in 1970 as part of a deal in exchange for James Cross' life, but all members were eventually arrested. The five flown to Cuba were arrested after they returned to Canada years later.

Related Topics:
October Crisis - Front de libération du Québec - Pierre Laporte - James Cross - War Measures Act - Martial law - Tommy Douglas

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1971, the bachelor prime minister married Vancouver socialite Margaret Sinclair, a woman who, at 22, was less than half Trudeau's age. They had three children and were the subject of enormous press coverage before their well-publicized legal separation in 1977. Their divorce was finalized in 1984.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the election of 1972, Trudeau's Liberal Party won with a minority government, with the New Democratic Party holding the balance of power. In the election of 1974, Trudeau was re-elected with a majority government. Trudeau's government policy of official bilingualism was one of several issues in both elections.

Related Topics:
Election of 1972 - Minority government - New Democratic Party - Balance of power - Election of 1974 - Majority government - Bilingualism

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~