Beyond the specifics of the policy itself, this action signalled an openness to the world and coincided with a more open immigration policy that had been brought in by Trudeau's predecessor Lester B. Pearson. [4] His father had acquired the B&A gas station chain (now defunct), some "profitable mines, the Belmont amusement park in Montreal and the Montreal Royals, the city's minor-league baseball team", by the time Trudeau was fifteen. Estimated Net Worth. [52][53] Trudeau also liberalized divorce laws, and clashed with Quebec Premier Daniel Johnson, Sr. during constitutional negotiations. All three men won in the election that year; Trudeau became Minister of Justice. [142], Trudeau and the Liberals engaged in a new strategy for the February 1980 election: facetiously called the "low bridge", it involved dramatically underplaying Trudeau's role and avoiding media appearances, to the point of refusing a televised debate. [4], In the election of 1979, Trudeau and the Liberals faced declining poll numbers and the Joe Clarkled Progressive Conservatives focusing on "pocketbook" issues. [94] As a diplomat, the devout Catholic Cadieux had served on the International Control Commission in 195455, where his experiences of witnessing the exodus of 2 million Vietnamese Catholics from North Vietnam to South Vietnam made him into a very firm anti-Communist. Sentiments of this kind were especially strong in oil-rich Alberta where unemployment rose from 4% to 10% following passage of the NEP. Trudeau wrote and spoke out against both the Meech Lake Accord and Charlottetown Accord proposals to amend the Canadian constitution, arguing that they would weaken federalism and the Charter of Rights if implemented. He was back in power the following year, and he became the leading force against the 1980 referendum to give Quebec sovereignty. According to Michel Gourgues, professor at Dominican University College, Trudeau "considered himself a lay Dominican". [189][unreliable source? Viva Castro!" He was elected to the House of Commons in 1965, quickly being appointed as Prime Minister LesterB. Pearson's parliamentary secretary. Pierre Trudeau was the 15th prime minister of Canada, famous for his youthful energy, his charismatic and controversial personality and his commitment to Canadian unity. In 1991, Trudeau became a father again, with Deborah Margaret Ryland Coyne, to his only daughter, Sarah. "University of Toronto Honorary Degree Recipients", "Mount Trudeau to be officially named in June", "What's in an eponym? Five days later Quebec Labour Minister Pierre Laporte was also kidnapped. [144], The first challenge Trudeau faced upon re-election was the May 20, 1980 Quebec referendum on Qubec sovereignty, called by the Parti Qubcois government under Ren Lvesque. He also made headlines for his personal life, dating the likes of Barbra Streisand before marrying the much younger Margaret Sinclair in 1971. Trudeau's most enduring legacy may lie in his contribution to Canadian nationalism, and of pride in Canada in and for itself rather than as a derivative of the British Commonwealth. At the start of the campaign, polls showed the Liberals 10 points ahead of the Progressive Conservatives led by Robert Stanfield, who previously lost to Trudeau in the 1968 election. Pierre Trudeau,. On election day Ontario returned to the Liberal fold, and Trudeau and the Liberals defeated Clark and won a majority government. Volume 1, The magnificent obsession reprinted in 1997, was the winner of the Governor General's Award. Tough. Following his graduation, Trudeau articled for a year and, in the fall of 1944, began his master's in political economy at Harvard University's Graduate School of Public Administration (now the John F. Kennedy School of Government). He is ranked highly among scholars in rankings of Canadian prime ministers. He appointed Jean Chrtien as the nominal spokesman for the federal government, helping to push the "Non" cause to working-class voters who tuned out the intellectual Ryan and Trudeau. [124] The war which attracted worldwide attention owing to the Nigerian tactic of starving into submission the people living in the self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra, causing a famine that killed millions. With the enactment of the Canada Act 1982, the British Parliament ceded all authority over Canada to the governments of Canada. [117] Trudeau hoped would be the Framework Agreement would be the first step towards a Canadian-EEC free trade agreement, but the EEC proved to be uninterested in free trade with Canada. Trudeau's posthumous reputation in the western provinces is notably less favourable than in the rest of English-speaking Canada, and he is sometimes regarded as the "father of Western alienation". Trudeau: Profession: Politician: Died: Sep 28, 2000 ( age 80) Birthday & Zodiac: Birth Sign: Libra: Birth Date: October 18, 1919: Birthday: October 18 . [127] At a Commonwealth summit in Singapore between 14 and 22 January 1971, Trudeau argued that apartheid was not sustainable in the long run given that the black population of South Africa vastly outnumbered the white population, and it was extremely myopic for Britain to be supporting South Africa, given that majority rule in South Africa was inevitable. The cause of his death is still debated. The traditional Liberal rally at Maple Leaf Gardens saw Trudeau stressing the importance of major constitutional reform to general ennui, and his campaign "photo-ops" were typically surrounded by picket lines and protesters. Stphane Demers performs in the role.[206]. The economy was booming, generating the cash that Ottawa required to fund its ever-expanding social safety net. Inflation and unemployment marred much of Trudeau's tenure as prime minister. However, the results produced a Liberal minority government, with the Liberals winning 109 seats compared to the PCs' 107; this was one of the closest elections in Canadian history. Pierre Trudeau was the 15th prime minister of Canada, famous for his youthful energy, his charismatic and controversial personality and his commitment to Canadian unity. Liberal and NDP votes and Social Credit abstentions led to the subamendment passing 139133, thereby toppling Clark's government and triggering a new election for a House less than a year old. . By 1984, the Progressive Conservatives held a substantial lead in opinion polls under their new leader Brian Mulroney, and polls indicated that the Liberals faced all-but-certain defeat if Trudeau led them into the next election. [93] However, Trudeau made it clear that he did not want an intensified Cold War as a result of the invasion, and worked to avoid a rupture with Moscow. Trudeau's reserve was seen as dignified by contemporaries and his poll numbers actually rose during the height of coverage,[77] but aides felt the personal tensions left him uncharacteristically emotional and prone to outbursts. Provincially, though, Qubcois twice elected the pro-sovereignty Parti Qubcois. [126], In 197071, the Commonwealth was threatened with a split as a number of African Commonwealth nations supported by India denounced Britain's policy of selling arms to South Africa, which the British government argued was necessary because South Africa was one of the world's largest gold producers while the South African government was anti-Communist and pro-Western. Trudeau's outgoing personality and charismatic nature caused a media sensation, inspiring "Trudeaumania", and helped him to win the leadership of the Liberal Party in 1968, when he succeeded Pearson and became prime minister of Canada. [69], Trudeau's first serious test came during the October Crisis of 1970, when a Marxist-influenced group, the Front de libration du Qubec (FLQ) kidnapped British Trade Consul James Cross at his residence on October 5. On February 29, 1984, a day after what he described as a walk through the snowy streets of Ottawa, Trudeau announced he would not lead the Liberals into the next election. [127], In contrast to South Africa, Trudeau was more forceful on the white supremacist government of Rhodesia (modern Zimbabwe), saying during a visit to Jamaica about the question of accepting white refugees from Rhodesia: "I'm certainly not panting to have this immigration movement take placeIf they're liberals, white liberals, they should stay and have nothing to fear after Rhodesian independence. ], As a social democrat, Trudeau sought to combine and harmonize his theories on social democracy with those of federalism so that both could find effective expression in Canada. [71], Although this response is still controversial and was opposed at the time as excessive by parliamentarians like Tommy Douglas and David Lewis, it was met with only limited objections from the public. [193] However, the passage of time has only slightly softened the strong antipathy he inspired among his opponents. He felt that the party leadership tended toward a "deux nations" approach he could not support. "[15] As a teenager, he attended the Jesuit French-language Collge Jean-de-Brbeuf, a prestigious secondary school known for educating elite francophone families in Quebec. [157] By the time Trudeau left office in 1984, the budget deficit was at a whopping $37 billion (fiscal year 19841985). When Trudeau took office in 1968 Canada had a debt of $18billion (24% of GDP) which was largely left over from World War II, when he left office in 1984, that debt stood at $200billion (46% of GDP), an increase of 83% in real terms. Trudeau joined the Montreal law firm Heenan Blaikie as counsel and settled in the historic Maison Cormier in Montreal following his retirement from politics. Trudeau remains well regarded by many Canadians. [132] Trudeau's embrace of Castro attracted much criticism in the United States, which allowed Trudeau to pose as a leader who was "standing up" to the United States without seriously damaging American-Canadian relations. [126] Trudeau's Foreign Policy for Canadians white paper of April 1968 had declared that "social justice" in South Africa was a key priority, but much to the dismay of anti-apartheid activists, Trudeau never imposed sanctions on South Africa. [4] When his father died in Orlando, Florida, on April 10, 1935, Trudeau and each of his siblings inherited $5,000, a considerable sum at that time, which meant that he was financially secure and independent. He was buried in the Trudeau family crypt in Saint-Rmi-de-Napierville Cemetery. [186] Coyne later stood for the 2013 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election and came fifth[2] in a poll won by Justin. [181], The couple had three sons: the first two, 23rd and current Prime Minister Justin (born 1971), and Alexandre (born 1973), were both born on Christmas Day two years apart. [103], Trudeau continued his attempts at increasing Canada's international profile, including joining the G7 group of major economic powers in 1976 at the behest of U.S. President Gerald Ford. Pierre Trudeau was the 15th prime minister of Canada for nearly 16 years. [105] Nixon was infuriated by the resolution and refused to see the Canadian ambassador in Washington in protest. however, he had asked the question rhetorically and then proceeded to answer it himself. If they're racist, why shouldn't you [Jamaica] receive them instead of us? Bold indicates parties with members elected to the House of Commons. Trudeau's government also introduced a capital gains tax in the 1971 federal budget.