The Rt . Hon . Joe Clark 50th anniversary : In their own words

pembrokeobserver.com · Feb 20, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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(Supplied photo) jpg, KI, apsmcCanada’s Progressive Conservatives gathered 50 years ago this weekend to elect a new leader. It was Feb. 22, 1976. After four ballots, a relatively unknown member of Parliament from Alberta, Joe Clark, only 36 years old, was choice of delegates.Only three years later, he made history, defeating Pierre Trudeau and his Liberals to become the nation’s 16th prime minister. While his government was only in office nine months, and he was deposed as leader in 1983, Clark would go on to serve as a groundbreaking foreign affairs minister (and later minister of constitutional affairs) under Brian Mulroney. Today he is one of Canada’s most respected past leaders.Recommended VideosTo mark this 50th anniversary in the former prime minister’s remarkable career, a variety of experts were asked to comment on the Clark legacy.—Joe Clark has many achievements in his distinguished career as leader of the Conservative Party, foreign minister, prime minister and parliamentarian. But as someone who served as an adviser to Pierre Trudeau, I think of him most often as leader of the opposition — and in that role he had a major impact on Canadian history, arguably more significant than when he held executive office himself.During the great constitutional debate of 1980-81, Mr. Clark demonstrated how an opposition leader should perform. He held his caucus together by developing a principled critique of the government’s unilateral approach to patriation and the enactment of a Charter of Rights without provincial consent or judicial review. He opposed the government not reflexively, but on a fundamental question of constitutional process.Using the full repertoire of an experienced parliamentarian — procedural delays, extended committee hearings, and most dramatically a sustained filibuster in March to April 1981 — Mr. Clark forced prime minister Pierre Trudeau to agree that the constitutional resolution would not be sent to the United Kingdom until the supreme court had ruled.Yet, Clark also understood that opposition alone was not enough. He wanted Conservatives to contribute substantively. Progressive Conservative MPs and senators participated constructively in the Special Joint Committee on the Constitution, where partisanship gave way to serious clause-by-clause work. Of the 67 amendments approved by the committee, seven were initiated by Conservative members. It was also Conservatives who insisted that the committee’s proceedings be televised, a first in Canadian parliamentary history.In the end, most Conservative MPs and senators supported the final resolution — after the Supreme Court ruling and the November 1981 federal-provincial agreement. In retrospect, their success in forcing judicial review was a critical element in the charter’s enduring legitimacy. Joe Clark’s Conservatives opposed when they needed to, contributed when they could, and helped turn a government proposal into a Canadian constitutional settlement. A stellar performance — one future opposition leaders would do well to emulate.Dr. Thomas S. Axworthy, former chair of the Queen’s University Centre for the Study of Democracy, principal secretary to prime minister Pierre Trudeau, 1981-84—Upon his election as leader of Canada’s Progressive Conservatives in February of 1976, Joe Clark brought to that role a deep and abiding love for the House of Commons. Though he had been an MP for less than four years at that point, he had already demonstrated his skill and effectiveness on the floor of the House.In the entirety of his career on Parliament Hill, one that continued well after he left Canada’s highest political office, the House of Commons remained the crucible of his concept of national politics and government. His calls for a constructive House of Commons, ones that he continues, should be heeded by all parliamentarians today.Prof. Jonathan Rose, head of the Department of Political Studies, Queen’s University, co-editor (with the late Hugh Mellon), A Man of Parliament: Selected Speeches from Joe Clark—Fifty years ago this month, in the middle of a raging Ottawa winter storm, my father was elected Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.He believed then, as he does now, that Canada is a country worth fighting for, and so he dedicated his entire adult life to that mission.I have always been incredibly proud of the values my father brought to politics: honesty, integrity, pragmatism, selflessness. These values have formed the backbone of his life, and they have earned him deep respect, not just across partisan lines, but with people in every region of this country.As we celebrate this 50th anniversary for Dad, our family honours a legacy that was built in a different political climate, but one which provides a roadmap for the kind of common decency and sense of purpose to which we can all aspire.Catherine Clark—Simply put, Joe remains one of the most decent, thoughtful people I’ve ever met. Always interested, always ready to share his wise advice grounded in strong values. Truly a man of deep grace.The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, 23rd prime minister of Canada—As the person who moved the motion in the House of Commons to defeat the Clark government in December of 1979, it might be thought that I would have nothing good to say about Joe Clark (and that he would have nothing good to say about me!) Quite the opposite. Joe’s life has been a model of public service and personal decency. He went on to lose the PC leadership, but was sworn in as foreign minister in 1984, a post he filled with distinction.I later worked closely with him when he became minister responsible for the negotiations that led to the Charlottetown Accord — I was premier of Ontario at that time. No one showed more respect for all participants, and the agreement would never have happened without his efforts. Joe’s public service has continued since that time, and his commitment to Canada and to global affairs has remained strong throughout. I have only the highest regard and affection for Joe Clark and wish him well on the 50th anniversary of his election as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party.Hon. Bob Rae, former MP, past provincial premier and Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations from 2020 to 2025—Political historians tend to focus on prime ministers and their legislative accomplishments. That focus risks missing the significance of Clark’s career, which was grounded less in executive success than in a principled commitment to legitimacy borne of consensus.As leader of the Opposition in 1981, Clark refused to endorse Pierre Trudeau’s unilateral approach to constitutional patriation. That resistance helped precipitate the Patriation Reference, in which the Supreme Court of Canada held that while patriation without provincial consent was legally permissible, it violated constitutional convention. Negotiations with premiers followed, producing a more broadly acceptable constitutional package that included an amending formula, recognized Indigenous rights, and adopted the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.Clark applied the same approach to his own political leadership. Despite winning nearly 70-per-cent support in a leadership review in 1983, he called a leadership convention, which he then lost to Brian Mulroney.Yet Clark continued to serve, first as Mulroney’s secretary of state for external affairs and later as minister of constitutional affairs. In the latter role, he led the post–Meech Lake negotiations that produced the Charlottetown Accord, campaigning across the country for its approval in the national referendum that followed. Although Canadians rejected the package, Clark’s willingness to submit constitutional change to popular judgment, even at personal and political cost, reflected a principled faith in consensus-driven governance.For me, it is this commitment to political consensus that remains Joe Clark’s defining legacy.Patricia McMahon, historian, director and lead interviewer of the Osgoode Society’s Oral History Program, professor at Osgoode Hall Law SchoolKingston’s Arthur Milnes is a public historian specializing in the study of Canada’s 24 prime ministers. He served for three years as a speechwriter to then prime minister Stephen J. Harper, and was the memoirs’ assistant to the Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.