John Crosbie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable John Crosbie PC, OC, ONL, QC
12th Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador
In office February 4, 2008 – March 19, 2013
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor General	Michaëlle Jean David Johnston
Premier	Danny Williams Kathy Dunderdale
Preceded by	Edward Roberts
Succeeded by	Frank Fagan
5th Chancellor of Memorial University of Newfoundland
In office 1994–2008
Preceded by	Paul Desmarais
Succeeded by	Rick Hillier
Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
In office April 21, 1991 – June 24, 1993
Prime Minister	Brian Mulroney
Preceded by	Bernard Valcourt
Succeeded by	Ross Reid
Minister of International Trade
In office March 31, 1988 – April 20, 1991
Prime Minister	Brian Mulroney
Preceded by	Pat Carney
Succeeded by	Michael Wilson
Minister of Transport
In office June 30, 1986 – March 30, 1988
Prime Minister	Brian Mulroney
Preceded by	Don Mazankowski
Succeeded by	Benoît Bouchard
Minister of Justice
In office September 17, 1984 – June 29, 1986
Prime Minister	Brian Mulroney
Preceded by	Donald Johnston
Succeeded by	Ray Hnatyshyn
Minister of Finance
In office June 4, 1979 – March 3, 1980
Prime Minister	Joe Clark
Preceded by	Jean Chrétien
Succeeded by	Allan MacEachen
Member of Parliament for St. John's West
In office October 18, 1976 – October 25, 1993
Preceded by	Walter C. Carter
Succeeded by	Jean Payne
Member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly for St. John's West
In office September 8, 1966 – September 4, 1976
Preceded by	William G. Adams
Succeeded by	Hubert Kitchen
Personal details
Born	John Carnell Crosbie (1931-01-30)January 30, 1931 St. John's, Dominion of Newfoundland
Died	January 10, 2020(2020-01-10) (aged 88) St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Political party	Conservative Progressive Conservative (1969-2003) Liberal (1966-1969)
Spouse	Jane Ellen Furneaux ​ (m. 1952)​
Children	3, including Ches
Parents	Chesley Crosbie (father) Jessie Carnell (mother)
Relatives	Sir John Chalker Crosbie (grandfather)
Alma mater	Queen's University Dalhousie Law School
Profession	Lawyer, Politician

John Carnell Crosbie (January 30, 1931 – January 10, 2020) was an important Canadian politician. He served as the 12th Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. This is a special role representing the King or Queen in the province.

Before that, he was a cabinet minister for both the provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the federal government of Canada. He worked under different premiers and prime ministers. John Crosbie held many big jobs, like Minister of Finance, Justice, Transport, International Trade, and Fisheries.

He was known for speaking his mind directly and sometimes controversially. However, he was also seen as a leader who supported modern ideas within his party. He even spoke up for gay and lesbian rights.

Crosbie tried to become the leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador in 1969 but lost. He also ran for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 1983, coming in third place.

John Crosbie's Early Life and Education

John Crosbie was born in St. John's, Newfoundland, in 1931. At that time, Newfoundland was a separate country called the Dominion of Newfoundland. His father, Chesley Crosbie, and grandfather, Sir John Chalker Crosbie, were well-known businessmen. His father was also a political leader who did not want Newfoundland to join Canada.

John Crosbie went to local schools and then to St. Andrew's College in Ontario. He studied political science and economics at Queen's University. He graduated with high honours.

Later, he studied law at Dalhousie Law School in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He finished in 1956 as the top law student. He also did more studies in London, England. He became a lawyer in Newfoundland in 1957. Dalhousie University gave him an honorary law degree in 1984.

Starting in Local and Provincial Politics

John Crosbie began his political career in 1965. He became a councillor for the St. John's City Council. For a short time in 1966, he was also the deputy mayor.

In 1966, he joined the provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador. He was appointed a minister by Premier Joey Smallwood. Crosbie became the Minister of Municipal and Housing. He helped create the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation. This group helps people find homes.

In 1967, he became Minister of Health. He helped set up the Newfoundland Medicare plan. This plan helps people get healthcare. Premier Smallwood had been in power for a long time. Crosbie and other young ministers felt frustrated by Smallwood's leadership style.

Crosbie and another minister, Clyde Wells, resigned from the government. They did this because they disagreed with a deal Smallwood wanted to make about an oil refinery. They stayed Liberals but sat as "Reform Liberals."

In 1969, Smallwood said he would retire. But when Crosbie seemed likely to become the new leader, Smallwood decided to run again. Smallwood won the leadership race. After this, Crosbie left the Liberal Party and joined the Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador. This party was in opposition at the time.

In 1972, Crosbie helped the Progressive Conservatives win the election. They defeated Smallwood's government. In the new government, Crosbie held many important jobs. These included Minister of Finance, Minister of Fisheries, and Minister of Mines and Energy. He left provincial politics in 1976 to enter federal politics.

John Crosbie's Federal Political Career

In 1976, John Crosbie won a special election to become a Member of Parliament. He represented the riding of St. John's West in the House of Commons of Canada. He was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, which was not in power then.

Minister of Finance under Joe Clark

In 1979, the Progressive Conservatives, led by Joe Clark, formed a government. John Crosbie was made Minister of Finance. He presented a budget that included tax increases. He famously said it was "short term pain for long term gain."

However, the government lost a vote on this budget. This meant Clark's government fell after only nine months. A new election was called, and the Conservatives lost. Crosbie joked that their time in power was "Long enough to conceive, just not long enough to deliver."

Running for Party Leader

After the election loss, some people in the Progressive Conservative Party wanted a new leader. In 1983, John Crosbie decided to run for the party's leadership. He came in third place.

One challenge for Crosbie was that he did not speak French. When asked about this, he famously replied that he did not speak Chinese either. This comment was not well received by everyone.

Working in Brian Mulroney's Cabinet

In 1984, Brian Mulroney became the leader of the Progressive Conservatives. His party won the federal election. John Crosbie was appointed Minister of Justice in Mulroney's first cabinet.

While Justice Minister, he had some famous debates with Liberal Member of Parliament Sheila Copps. They often had lively arguments in Parliament. Years later, Crosbie said they played up their disagreements for political reasons. He said they became good friends.

In 1986, he became Minister of Transport. John Crosbie strongly supported free trade with the United States. He believed it would help Canada's economy. In 1988, he became Minister for International Trade. He actively promoted the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement in the 1988 election.

Crosbie also supported giving money to Japanese Canadians who were unfairly held during World War Two. In 1988, the government apologized and paid them. In 1990, Crosbie suggested creating the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Despite his sometimes blunt comments, Crosbie was often a social liberal in his actions. As Justice Minister, he made divorce laws more modern. He also appointed more women to be judges. He was an early supporter of gay and lesbian rights. He tried to change laws to protect homosexuals from discrimination in public jobs, including the military and police.

Crosbie's last job in Mulroney's government was Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. He had to make a very difficult decision. Due to a big drop in fish numbers, he decided to close the cod fishing industry in Atlantic Canada. This decision put about 35,000 Newfoundlanders out of work. Crosbie said it was the hardest political moment of his life.

When Brian Mulroney decided to leave politics, John Crosbie did not run for party leader again. He supported another candidate, Jean Charest. Crosbie decided not to run in the 1993 federal election and retired from federal politics.

Life After Politics

Crosbie with federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer in 2017.

In 1997, John Crosbie wrote a book about his life in politics called No Holds Barred. He remained involved with the Progressive Conservative Party until it merged with another party in 2003. He then joined the new Conservative Party of Canada.

From 1994 to 2008, he was the Chancellor of Memorial University of Newfoundland. This is a ceremonial head of the university. In 1998, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. This is a high honour for Canadians. He continued to work as a lawyer in St. John's.

Lieutenant Governor

On February 4, 2008, John Crosbie was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. This role involves representing the King or Queen in the province. He was the 12th person to hold this position.

As Lieutenant Governor, he wore a sealskin coat to some official events. He said this was to show support for the annual seal hunt. He finished his term in 2013.

Family Life

John Crosbie married Jane Ellen Furneaux in 1952, and they were married for his whole life. They had three children. His eldest son, Ches Crosbie, is a lawyer and also became a politician. His daughter, Beth Crosbie, was a real estate agent and ran in provincial elections.

John Crosbie passed away in St. John's on January 10, 2020, after being unwell for some time.

Honours and Awards

John Crosbie received many honours for his service to Canada:

• He was made a member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada in 1979. This gave him the title "The Honourable."
• In 1998, he became an Officer of the Order of Canada.
• When he became Lieutenant Governor in 2008, he received the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador.
• He was also made a Knight of Justice of the Order of St John.
• He was appointed a Queen's Counsel, which is a special title for lawyers.

Decorations

• He received the Canadian Centennial Medal in 1967.
• He was given the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977.
• He received the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal in 1992.
• He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002.
• He also received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.

Ribbon bars of John Crosbie

Coat of Arms

Honorary Degrees

John Crosbie received several honorary degrees from universities. These degrees recognized his contributions to Canada.

Honorary degrees

Location	Date	School	Degree
Nova Scotia	May 1984	Dalhousie University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
Newfoundland and Labrador	May 1999	Memorial University of Newfoundland	Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
Nova Scotia	May 1999	Cape Breton University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
Ontario	2011	Queen's University	Doctor of Laws (LL.D)

Famous Quotes

John Crosbie was known for his memorable and often witty comments. Here are a few:

• "They don't need to go berserk. Trying to batter on doors to frighten me. In the first place, I don't frighten." (He said this about protesters during the cod fishing ban.)
• "Americans were far more popular in Newfoundland than Canadians. So I was never hung up about the United States."
• "It is better to be honest and sincere in one language than a twister, a trickster and a twit in two." (He said this about his own lack of French skills compared to others.)
• "No, I don't speak Mandarin Chinese either." (His response when asked if not speaking French would stop him from being Prime Minister.)
• "The Canadian economy needs a transfusion and who do they give us, Dracula." (He said this about a new Finance Minister in 1982.)

Archives

There is a collection of John Crosbie's papers at Library and Archives Canada.