Trudeau, Pierre Elliott 15th Prime Minister of Canada Ministries: April 20, 1968 - June 4, 1979 March 3, 1980 - June 30, 1984 Born: October 18, 1919, Montreal, Quebec Education: Jesuit College Jean-de-Brebeuf Université de Montreal (law) Harvard University Ecole des sciences politiques, Paris London School of Economics Occupation: 1943 - Lawyer 1950-51 - Advisor to the Privy Council 1950 - Co-founder, Cite libre 1961-65 - Law professor, Universite de Montreal 1961-65 - Researcher, Institut de recherches en droit public Author Law consultant Marital status: Married, 1971, Margaret Sinclair (b.1948) Three sons Divorced, 1984 Pierre Trudeau was Canada's first Prime Minister born in the 20th century, and on becoming Prime Minister in 1968, he epitomized modernity for many Canadians. He was wealthy, well-educated, well-travelled, and untraditional. Trudeau came to federal politics in 1965 when Prime Minister Lester Pearson recruited Jean Marchand, Gerard Pelletier, and Trudeau. The "three wise men," as they would become known, were to give the Liberal Government a new perspective on Quebec. The three had known each other since the Asbestos Strike of 1949, in which the authority of Quebec's power structures were challenged. Trudeau later edited a book on the strike, and went on to edit the Cite libre, a forum for intellectuals wanting change in Quebec. Trudeau and his circle ushered in the Quiet Revolution in Quebec. Trudeau had served as an advisor to the Privy Council in 1950-51, so he was not new to Ottawa when he ran for the Liberals in Mont Royal, Quebec. As a backbencher, he served as Pearson's Parliamentary Secretary for two years before becoming Justice Minister in 1967. He was Justice Minister for only a year, but in that time he changed Canada's divorce law and introduced changes to the Criminal Code affecting abortion and homosexuality, claiming that "the state has no business in the bedrooms of the nation." When Trudeau replaced Pearson as Liberal Leader in 1968, "Trudeaumania" reigned. Although 48 years-old, Trudeau represented a new, youthful, confident leadership, and many young people were drawn to both him and politics for the first time. Here was a Prime Minister who wore sandals in the House of Commons and a flower in his lapel. Trudeau had set a course for change in Canada. He was Prime Minister for just a year when he introduced the Official Languages Act (1969), making Canada officially bilingual. In 1970 however, the October Crisis brought Canada to a new reality. The Front de Liberation du Quebec (FLQ) kidnapped James Cross, a British diplomat, and kidnapped and murdered Pierre LaPorte, a Quebec cabinet minister. Trudeau, the man who walked with strikers during the Asbestos Strike and criticized Quebec's authoritarian leadership during the 1950's, invoked the War Measures Act (1914). Civil liberties were suspended for the duration of the Crisis. At that point, Canadians knew that Trudeau was not only charismatic, but defiant when challenged. He received strong criticism from English Canada on official bilingualism, for it meant all federal services were to be made available in French, thus giving an advantage to French speakers in the public service. Trudeau did not change the policy, for it was a cornerstone of his federalism. While English Canada was accusing Trudeau of favouring French Canadians, he campaigned against the nationalists in Quebec, and intervened in the 1980 Quebec referendum on separation. When the federalists won the referendum, Trudeau took the opportunity to work at giving Canada it's own constitution. In 1982, Parliament adopted the Constitution Act (1982) and enshrined the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982) within the Constitution. Both pieces of legislation were passed by the British Parliament thus giving Canada full legal independence from Great Britain. The repatriation of the Constitution in 1982 further alienated Quebec. Unlike seven other provinces that had problems with the distribution of powers and the amending formula, Quebec could not agree to a last minute compromise and did not sign the Constitution. But Trudeau had achieved his goal of bringing Canada's constitution back to Canada. It was a goal he set when he entered public life. He would retire in 1984 having accomplished this goal. It was not the first time Trudeau retired as Prime Minister. He left in 1979 when his Government was defeated at the polls. The economic crises of the 1970's prompted the Trudeau Government to institute wage and price controls in 1975 which did not have the desired effect. Inflation was still high and the economy suffered. This, coupled with the fact that Trudeau seemed preoccupied by national unity following the Parti Quebecois' rise to power in Quebec in 1976, made him unpopular with the voters. The electorate was ready for a change, and they gave Joe Clark and the Conservatives a minority Government in May of 1979. By 1980, the Clark Government was defeated in the House of Commons. Three months after announcing his retirement, Trudeau was back, and he took the Liberals to a majority win in the March 1980 election. In addition to repatriating the Constitution, and creating the National Energy Program (1980) which precipitated a confrontation with energy-producing provinces, Trudeau concentrated on international affairs during his last term. He was now an elder statesmen among international leaders. In this role, he created a peace initiative in which he lobbied other governments to reduce their nuclear arms capacity. As well, he promoted a North-South dialogue between industrial countries and developing economies. These efforts earned him the Albert Einstein Peace Prize. During this administration, Trudeau appointed Jeanne Sauve as the first woman Speaker of the House in 1980. Later in 1984, he also made her the first woman Governor General of Canada. It was not the first time he appointed a woman to a key government position, for in 1972 he selected Muriel McQueen Fergusson as Speaker of the Senate. Trudeau turned 65 in 1984. Rather than seek another mandate, he retired from politics and went to work for a law firm in Montreal. Since retiring he has published his memoirs, and has commented on issues concerning national unity, and constitutional matters. Reading: R. Gwyn (1980) Northern Magus; C. McCall-Newman (1983) Grits: An Intimate Portrait of the Liberal Party; P.Trudeau (1993) Memoirs.