Canada's Best Prime Ministers

[SignalHillHiker]

Lubicon. I love federations.

Skip to 8:20 and watch. Good way for us to handle leaders like Laurent and Trudeau.

• Video Link

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by lubicon

Chretien and Trudeau were in my mind the two most divisive PM's this country has had and belong soundly at the bottom of any list. How they could be considered great is beyond me, the fallout from there terms is still with us today. If they could be placed any lower than the bottom of my list I would do so.

Trudeau in particular was indeed very divisive. Especially for Quebec and the West.

But as far as being influential and transforming the country with a vision, he'd still be near the top.

We are very much living in Pierre Elliot Trudeau's Canada in 2014.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by esquire

Let's not forget this little faux pas:



.......

Is that for real? I thought nothing would ever top Gilles Duceppe's hairnet, but I was wrong!

[WhipperSnapper]

Policy for Mulroney? The guy sold us out to push through his agenda.

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

A lot of our prime minister's had very short and undistinguished careers in office (Clark, Turner, Campbell, Bowell, Tupper etc), so any top ten list will include PMs that many people would consider surprising. There aren't that many prime ministers with longevity in our pantheon.

I would go with a top five list myself.

1)- John A MacDonald
2)- Wilfred Laurier
3)- William Lyon MacKenzie King
4)- Pierre Eliot Trudeau
5)- Brian Mulroney (yes Mulroney - he may have had some distasteful characteristics, but in terms of policy decisions, he was right most of the time.)

Honourable mention - Borden, Bennett, St. Laurent, Pearson, Chretien.

The jury is still out on Harper, but I don't think he will make the grade. I include the (mostly) reviled R B Bennett because he was a victim of circumstance during the great depression. Most of his policy decisions were actually good.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by Echoes

Agreed with you on Harper's lack of charisma. But what about his appearance onstage with Yo Yo Ma where he played piano and sang The Beatles? Did that help to portray him with a shred of personality/charisma (as was most certainly the intention)? Or that leaked video of him doing comedic impressions of past Prime Ministers? While the impressions were pretty weak, I will admit that I found the whole thing slightly endearing, if only because you could tell he was having so much fun doing them.

Let's not get started on his fashion fails though...

Contrast with this level of cool (1968):


Source

You cannot compare the late 60's sharp dressed man with today's slobs.
But I agree, SH needs a better fashion consultant.

[BretttheRiderFan]

I don't think the failures of Trudeau as far as budget deficits and debts, inflation, interest rates, unemployment, flip flopping on wage and price controls, the NEP etc can be swiftly brushed aside. There were serious issues that didn't exist before his leadership and continued to plague this country well into the Chretien years.

But on the other hand...the Charter, patriating the constitution, multiculturalism, bilingualism...his dealings with the separatists probably could have been a bit more nuanced, but there are many scholars who say Quebec would be an independent country today without the actions he took.

[KevinFromTexas]

Please remember to include source/credit links with the photos.

[SignalHillHiker]

Crap, sorry. Mine were all Wikipedia.

[MolsonExport]

ok, sources posted now, thanks.

[bikegypsy]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

Yeah, Trudeau had charisma. You can imagine exactly what his private life was like, you knew him. That's so important for politicians. It what makes the legends great.

I once saw him in the early 80s in Ottawa's Byward market at the wheel of his convertible Mercedes, no security around him, or non apparent. The epitome of cool in his tailored suit, driving around a blonde half his age.

[MolsonExport]

As for divisiveness, Trudeau I understand but Chretien?

Harper's administration does not have very many fans outside of the West. I am trying to think of one single admirable thing his administration has accomplished for our country. On the other hand, I do recall Harper's prorogation of parliament (and yes, I am also aware that his government was not the first to do this).

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

As for divisiveness, Trudeau I understand but Chretien?

Harper's administration does not have very many fans outside of the West. I am trying to think of one single admirable thing his administration has accomplished for our country. On the other hand, I do recall Harper's prorogation of parliament (and yes, I am also aware that his government was not the first to do this).

Prorogations

He even did it with his majority government last fall.

[Architype]

Originally Posted by esquire

Let's not forget this little faux pas:



source: rabble.ca

How can someone from Alberta even not look good in a hat?

[caltrane74]

Trudeau 1 and Pearson from my Generation. Those guys were the best.

[Architype]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Hands down, Lester B. Pearson.

In his 5 years in power, everyone one as a minority government, his reign was by far the most productive in Canadian History; universal health care, the Canadian Flag, countless labour laws (40 hour work week, minimum 2 weeks vacation, minimum wage, E.I...), official languages, CPP, so on and so forth.

Of course, Tommy Douglas and the NDP deserve the outmost praise for giving Pearson's Liberals many of these ideas and unwavering support (and by extension balance in power). We all know that Diefenbaker's Conservatives did everything they could to discredit and oppose the Liberal-NDP's well oiled machine.

Everybody loved Pearson, this is very true. Diefenbaker was a disappointment, Trudeau an enigma, Mulroney a charming embarrassment, Chrétien, no one understood him (but most liked him anyway), Harper (no comment).

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Trudeau gets points for this:



photos c/o (in order): orwelltoday.com, 38media.tumblr, Toronto Star, historymuseum.ca/cma exhibits, huffingtonpost, johnmajorphotography.
Best of all:
• Video Link

Trudeau was hands down the most awesome and entertaining PM. Not just because of his style and charisma, but his decisiveness and strong position on controversial issues, willingness to speak to the media unrehearsed, and public exposure.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Ok, but to me, on charisma, Trudeau rates a perfect "10", whereas Stephen Harper languishes in the "2-3" range.

Not very Trudeauesque:

thingsharperdoestoseemhuman.tumblr.com-290

Trudeau had John Lennon in his corner. Harper has Nickelback.

Charisma is for rock stars and car salesmen.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Policy for Mulroney? The guy sold us out to push through his agenda.

FTA alone makes Mulroney one of the greats. He sold out the Canadian establishment. After FTA, the narrow group of family business dynasties finally had to compete based on merit. Hopefully Harper "sells out" the Canadian establishment's last stand, the media conglomerates/telecoms.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Harper's administration does not have very many fans outside of the West. I am trying to think of one single admirable thing his administration has accomplished for our country. On the other hand, I do recall Harper's prorogation of parliament (and yes, I am also aware that his government was not the first to do this).

I'm no fan of Harper but I can name this as an admirable thing his administration has accomplished:
1) Substantial improvement of intercity rail between Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. Didn't build no HSR but added a lot more trips and cut down on travel time with track upgrades. First PM in forever to actually improve service somewhere instead of the non-stop cutting that has been happening for the past half century. (Yes I'm aware service cuts continued in other parts of the country).

[Gresto]

No doubt Trudeau was the coolest. He may even have been the most debonair and self-possessed politician in modern world history, qualities Justin didn't inherit.