Joe Clark facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable Joe Clark PC CC AOE
Clark in 1970
16th Prime Minister of Canada
In office June 4, 1979 – March 3, 1980
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor General	Edward Schreyer
Preceded by	Pierre Trudeau
Succeeded by	Pierre Trudeau
Leader of the Opposition
In office March 4, 1980 – February 19, 1983
Preceded by	Pierre Trudeau
Succeeded by	Erik Nielsen
In office February 22, 1976 – June 3, 1979
Preceded by	Robert Stanfield
Succeeded by	Pierre Trudeau
Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
In office November 14, 1998 – May 31, 2003
Preceded by	Elsie Wayne (interim)
Succeeded by	Peter MacKay
In office February 22, 1976 – February 19, 1983
Preceded by	Robert Stanfield
Succeeded by	Erik Nielsen (interim)
President of the Privy Council
In office April 21, 1991 – June 24, 1993
Prime Minister	Brian Mulroney
Preceded by	Don Mazankowski
Succeeded by	Pierre Blais
Minister of Justice Attorney General of Canada
Acting December 8, 1988 – January 29, 1989
Prime Minister	Brian Mulroney
Preceded by	Ray Hnatyshyn
Succeeded by	Doug Lewis
Secretary of State for External Affairs
In office September 17, 1984 – April 20, 1991
Prime Minister	Brian Mulroney
Preceded by	Jean Chrétien
Succeeded by	Barbara McDougall
House of Commons constituencies Member of Parliament for Calgary Centre In office November 27, 2000 – June 28, 2004 Preceded by Eric Lowther Succeeded by Lee Richardson Member of Parliament for Kings—Hants In office September 11, 2000 – November 27, 2000 Preceded by Scott Brison Succeeded by Scott Brison Member of Parliament for Yellowhead (Rocky Mountain; 1972–1979) In office October 30, 1972 – October 25, 1993 Preceded by Allen Sulatycky Succeeded by Cliff Breitkreuz
Personal details
Born	Charles Joseph Clark (1939-06-05) June 5, 1939 (age 86) High River, Alberta, Canada
Political party	Independent (since 2003)
Other political affiliations	Progressive Conservative (before 2003)
Spouse	Maureen McTeer ​ (m. 1973)​
Children	Catherine Clark
Alma mater	University of Alberta (BA, MA)
Occupation	Politician journalist businessman professor
Signature

Charles Joseph Clark (born June 5, 1939) is a Canadian politician, writer, and businessman. He served as the 16th prime minister of Canada from 1979 to 1980.

Even though he was quite new to federal politics, Clark quickly became important. He entered the House of Commons in 1972. In 1976, he became the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party.

In the 1979 election, he won a minority government. This meant his party had the most seats, but not enough to control Parliament on their own. He defeated the Liberal government led by Pierre Trudeau. This ended 16 years of Liberal rule. Clark became prime minister the day before his 40th birthday, making him the youngest person ever to hold that job.

Clark's time as prime minister was short. His government lost a vote in Parliament on its first budget in December 1979. This led to another election in 1980. Clark and his party lost to Trudeau and the Liberals, who returned to power. Clark later lost the leadership of his party in 1983 to Brian Mulroney.

From 1984 to 1993, Clark was a key minister in Mulroney's government. He served as foreign minister and then as minister for constitutional affairs. Clark left politics in 1993. He made a comeback in 1998 to lead the Progressive Conservatives again. He served his last term in Parliament from 2000 to 2004.

In 2003, the Progressive Conservatives joined with another party to form the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada. Clark did not agree with this merger. He chose to sit as an independent member of Parliament. Today, Clark is a university professor and runs his own consulting company.

Early Life and Education

Charles Clark House, a historic site in Canada.

Charles Joseph Clark was born in High River, Alberta. His mother was Grace Roselyn Clark, and his father, Charles A. Clark, published a local newspaper.

Clark went to schools in his hometown. He then studied at the University of Alberta. There, he earned a bachelor's degree in history in 1960. He also earned a master's degree in political science in 1973. While in high school, he worked for local newspapers. At the University of Alberta, he worked for the campus newspaper, The Gateway, and became its editor.

Later, Clark studied law at Dalhousie Law School. However, he spent more time on student politics and the university newspaper than on his law courses. He then worked full-time for the Progressive Conservative Party.

In 1973, Clark married Maureen McTeer, who was a law student. McTeer became a well-known author and lawyer. She kept her maiden name after marriage, which was unusual at the time. Their daughter, Catherine, works in public relations and broadcasting.

Starting in Politics

Clark became active in politics during his university years. He had been interested in Canadian politics since he was young. He was president of the Young Progressive Conservatives at the University of Alberta. He later became the national president for this youth group.

Clark spent time in France to improve his French. He became comfortable speaking and answering questions in French.

Clark first ran for office at age 28 in 1967, but he did not win. He worked for important political leaders, learning how Parliament works. In 1972, he successfully ran in a federal election. He was elected to Parliament as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Rocky Mountain in Alberta.

Clark's more open-minded views sometimes caused disagreements with some members of his own party. For example, before the 1979 election, his riding (election area) changed. Another MP from his party, Stanley Schumacher, refused to step aside for Clark. This forced Clark, who was already party leader, to run in a different riding called Yellowhead.

Becoming Party Leader in 1976

After the previous leader, Robert Stanfield, stepped down, Joe Clark decided to run for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party. This happened at a special meeting in 1976.

Many people expected another candidate, Flora MacDonald, to win. But Clark surprised everyone by placing third on the first vote. As other candidates were eliminated, Clark gained more support. He eventually won on the fourth vote, becoming the party leader.

Clark was only 36 years old when he became the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party. This made him the youngest leader of a major federal party in Canadian history.

Leader of the Opposition (1976–1979)

Joe Clark's quick rise to become the Leader of the Opposition surprised many Canadians. Some newspapers even called him "Joe Who?" because he was not very well known. Some people made fun of his awkward style.

However, Clark hired experienced staff who helped him shape his policies. He slowly earned the respect of many political observers and his own party members. When live television came to the House of Commons in 1977, it helped people see him more clearly. Clark was known for his sharp wit at times. One famous quote was: "A recession is when your neighbour loses his job. A depression is when you lose your job. Recovery is when Pierre Trudeau loses his job."

The 1979 Election

In the late 1970s, Canada faced economic problems like high prices and unemployment. The Liberal government, led by Pierre Trudeau, was not very popular. Clark campaigned with slogans like "Let's get Canada working again" and "It's time for a change!"

The Liberals tried to make Clark seem too inexperienced for the job. Their ads said, "This is no time for on-the-job training." Clark sometimes seemed clumsy in public, which played into their hands. For example, during a trip to the Middle East, his luggage was lost. This made him seem unprepared.

Even though Clark could speak both English and French, his party struggled to win seats in Quebec. Quebec usually voted for the Liberals.

Despite this, Clark's Progressive Conservatives won 136 seats. This ended 16 years of Liberal rule. They won more votes than the Liberals in seven provinces. They also gained many seats in Ontario. However, they only won two seats in Quebec. This left them six seats short of having a majority in Parliament. Trudeau announced he would step down as Liberal leader.

Prime Minister (1979–1980)

On June 4, 1979, the day before his 40th birthday, Clark became Canada's youngest prime minister. He led the first Conservative government since 1963.

Because Clark led a minority government, he needed support from smaller parties. The Social Credit Party had six seats, and the New Democratic Party (NDP) had 26 seats. Trudeau, now the Opposition leader, said he would let Clark's government try to govern.

Clark decided to act as if he had a majority. He did not form a partnership with the Social Credit Party. This decision would later cause problems for his government.

Clark's government worked on making government information more open to the public. They introduced a bill called the Freedom of Information Act. This bill would give people the right to see government records. However, his government fell before the bill could become law. The next government, led by Trudeau, later passed a similar law based on Clark's work.

Parliament did not meet until October, even though the election was in May. This was one of the longest breaks in Canadian history. Clark's government also faced criticism for its handling of some issues, like a promise to move Canada's embassy in Israel.

Internationally, Clark attended the G7 summit in Tokyo in June 1979. He reportedly had a better relationship with US President Jimmy Carter than his predecessor.

Government Falls Apart

During the 1979 election, Clark promised to cut taxes. But once he was prime minister, his government's budget aimed to slow down the economy to control rising prices. The budget also suggested a new tax on gasoline. Finance Minister John Crosbie said it would be "short term pain for long term gain." This change in policy made many people angry. They felt Clark had broken his promises quickly.

Clark's choice not to work with the Social Credit Party, combined with the new gas tax, led to his government's downfall. In December 1979, the budget came up for a vote in the House of Commons. The NDP proposed a change to the budget, saying Parliament did not approve of it. The Liberals supported this change. The five Social Credit MPs, who wanted the gas tax money to go to Quebec, did not vote. As a result, the budget motion failed by a small number of votes.

Clark was criticized for not realizing his government would lose the vote. Three of his party's members were absent, one due to illness and two stuck abroad. The Liberals, however, had almost all their members present.

The 1980 Election

Clark and his party were surprised by the vote. They thought they could easily win a new election because Trudeau had announced he was stepping down as Liberal leader. However, polls showed that the Progressive Conservatives' popularity had dropped. After the government fell, Pierre Trudeau quickly changed his mind and decided to lead the Liberals in the new election.

Clark's party campaigned with the slogan, "Real change deserves a fair chance." But voters remembered the broken promises. In the February 1980 election, Trudeau led the Liberals back to power. They won 147 seats, while the Progressive Conservatives won 103. Clark's government lasted only nine months. As his Finance Minister, John Crosbie, famously said: "Long enough to conceive, just not long enough to deliver."

Opposition Leader (1980–1983)

After his government fell and his party lost the 1980 election, some people in the Progressive Conservative Party started to question Clark's leadership. There were rumors that others were secretly trying to take his place.

In 1981, during a party meeting, 33.5% of the members voted for a leadership review. This meant they wanted to reconsider who should lead the party. Clark saw this as an endorsement, as two-thirds still supported him. However, at another meeting in 1983, 33.1% still wanted a review. Because his support had barely grown, Clark decided to step down as leader and call for a new leadership election. He hoped to win again with stronger support.

1983 Leadership Election

In 1983, Clark called a leadership convention to decide who would lead the party. He felt that 66.9% support was not enough for a clear mandate.

Joe Clark at the 1983 leadership convention.

Clark immediately ran to keep his position. He had support from many party members who did not like the public attacks on his leadership. However, Brian Mulroney and John Crosbie had been planning their own campaigns for some time.

Mulroney became the main challenger. He gained support from the party's right wing, who thought Clark was too progressive. Many also believed that only a leader from Quebec, like Mulroney, could win seats in that province.

During the voting, Clark won the first ballot, but he only got 36.5% of the votes. This was not enough to win outright. His support dropped in the next votes. Mulroney eventually defeated Clark on the fourth ballot. Clark urged his supporters to unite behind Mulroney. He also agreed to serve in Mulroney's government.

Many people wondered why Clark called for a new leadership election when he had two-thirds support. His wife, Maureen McTeer, explained in her book that Clark felt anything less than 75% support was not a strong enough mandate. He worried that the 34% who did not support him would cause problems during the next election. Clark believed he could win another leadership race and gain stronger support.

Serving in Mulroney's Government

The Progressive Conservatives, led by Mulroney, won a huge victory in the 1984 election. Mulroney became prime minister.

Even though they had personal differences, Clark served well in Mulroney's government. He was the Secretary of State for External Affairs, which is now called the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Some of Clark's achievements in this role included:

• He convinced Mulroney to appoint Stephen Lewis as Canada's ambassador to the United Nations.
• In 1984, he was the first foreign affairs minister from a developed country to visit Ethiopia during a severe famine. Canada's quick response led other countries like the United States and Great Britain to follow.
• He strongly opposed apartheid (racial segregation) in South Africa. He supported economic penalties against South Africa, even when allies like Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher did not.
• He opposed American involvement in Nicaragua.
• He welcomed refugees from El Salvador and Guatemala.
• Despite these strong stands, he kept very good relations with the United States. He helped with the negotiations for the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Clark also took on the difficult role of Minister responsible for Constitutional Affairs. He played a key part in writing the Charlottetown Accord, which was a plan to change Canada's constitution. However, Canadians voted against this plan in a national referendum.

First Retirement from Politics

Clark left politics in 1993. This meant he was not in Parliament when the Progressive Conservative party suffered a huge loss in the 1993 election.

From 1993 to 1996, Clark worked as a special representative for the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Cyprus. In 1993, he started his own consulting firm, Joe Clark and Associates, Ltd., which he still runs. He also served on the boards of several Canadian companies.

In 1994, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, a high honour. He also wrote a book called A Nation Too Good to Lose: Renewing the Purpose of Canada.

Leading the Progressive Conservatives Again (1998–2003)

After the 1993 election, only two Progressive Conservative MPs remained. One of them, Jean Charest, became the party leader. After leading the party to a small comeback in the 1997 election, Charest left federal politics. The party needed a new leader, and in 1998, they turned to Clark again. He was elected leader by party members across the country.

It took two years for Clark to return to Parliament. In 2000, he was elected as an MP for Kings—Hants, Nova Scotia, in a special election. This often happens when a new party leader does not have a seat in Parliament. For the general election later that year, Clark ran and was elected as the MP for Calgary Centre in Alberta.

Clark used his past experience as prime minister and foreign minister in his campaign. However, critics said he was a "vote for the past." The Liberal government was doing well economically. The Progressive Conservative party lost seats, but they managed to keep at least 12 seats. This was important because it allowed them to be recognized as an official party in the House of Commons. This meant they received funding and speaking time.

Clark believed the Progressive Conservatives could become a major party again. He wanted the party to be between the Canadian Alliance (a more right-wing party) and the Liberals.

He soon realized that the Liberals would stay in power as long as the centre-right parties were divided. In 2001, some MPs from the Canadian Alliance left their party. These MPs, led by Chuck Strahl, formed a new group. This group then joined with Clark's Progressive Conservatives to form a combined group in Parliament. Clark was the leader of this joint group.

This lasted until 2002, when Stephen Harper became the new leader of the Canadian Alliance. Harper wanted the Progressive Conservatives and the Alliance to merge. But Clark refused this offer in April 2002. Most of the former Alliance MPs rejoined their party.

From 2000 to 2002, Clark was chosen by the media as Canada's most effective opposition leader. He challenged the Liberal government on various scandals. Even the Prime Minister, Jean Chrétien, often referred to Clark as the "Leader of the Opposition," even though Clark did not officially hold that title. Chrétien and Clark had been in Parliament together since the 1970s and respected each other.

Clark's personal popularity grew as more scandals affected the Liberal government. Canadians trusted Clark, but he noted that this trust did not lead to more votes or seats for his party. Because of this, Clark announced in August 2002 that he would step down as PC leader. He was replaced by Peter MacKay in May 2003. MacKay had promised not to merge the PC Party with the Alliance, but he quickly changed his mind.

In 2003, 90% of PC Party members voted to merge with the Canadian Alliance. The two parties formed the new Conservative Party of Canada.

Merger of Parties

On December 8, 2003, the Progressive Conservative Party and the Canadian Alliance officially merged. Clark was one of three MPs who announced they would not join the new Conservative Party. He said he would continue to sit as an independent Progressive Conservative MP. He retired from Parliament at the end of that session.

Clark openly criticized the new Conservative Party before the 2004 election. He even gave a mild endorsement to the Liberal Party, calling their leader, Paul Martin, "the devil we know." Clark said it was most important to have a strong Parliament. Some people criticized Clark for not helping to guide the new Conservative Party towards a more moderate path.

After Politics (2004–Present)

Clark continues to use his experience in international affairs. He has taught at universities like the American University in Washington, D.C., and McGill University in Montreal. He also works with the Jimmy Carter Center, traveling overseas to observe elections.

Clark speaking with Progressive Conservative Senator Elaine McCoy (Alberta)

Joe Clark is a vice-chairman of the Global Leadership Foundation. This group helps support democratic leaders and promotes good governance. He is also a member of the Inter-American Dialogue, a think tank in Washington, D.C.

In November 2007, Clark was attacked while walking in Montreal. A man asked if he was the former prime minister, and when Clark said yes, the man hit him. Clark had a bloody nose but was not seriously hurt.

In 2013, he published a book called How We Lead: Canada in a Century of Change.

In March 2020, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Clark as a special envoy. His job was to help Canada's bid for a seat on the UN Security Council. Clark traveled to several countries to seek votes for Canada.

Honours and Awards

As a former prime minister, Joe Clark is allowed to use the title "The Right Honourable" for his entire life. He has received many honours, including:

• Companion of the Order of Canada
• Member of the Alberta Order of Excellence
• Commandeur de l'Ordre de la Pleiade from La Francophonie (an organization of French-speaking countries)
• Various medals celebrating the Queen's Jubilees and Canadian anniversaries.

Clark was the first person to receive the Vimy Award. He is also an Honorary Chief Bald Eagle of the Samson Cree Nation.

In 2004, Clark received an award for his excellent work in parliamentary democracy. In 2008, his official portrait was unveiled in Centre Block in Parliament, where portraits of past prime ministers are hung.

In a 1999 survey of Canadian historians, Clark was ranked 15th out of the first 20 prime ministers. École Joe Clark School in High River, Alberta, is named in his honour.

Honorary Degrees

Joe Clark has received honorary degrees from several universities:

Location	Date	School	Degree
New Brunswick	May 1976	University of New Brunswick	Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
Alberta	1984	University of Calgary	Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
Alberta	1985	University of Alberta	Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
Quebec	November 1994	Concordia University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
Ontario	Spring 2009	York University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
Ontario	2010	Carleton University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
British Columbia	May 24, 2012	University of British Columbia	Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
Quebec	June 3, 2015	McGill University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
Alberta	1993	MacEwan University	Distinguished Citizen Award
Alberta		Southern Alberta Institute of Technology	Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
Nova Scotia		University of King's College	Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
Minnesota		University of St. Thomas	Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
Ontario	November 17, 2023	Queen's University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D)

Coat of Arms

See also

• List of prime ministers of Canada