John Roberts (Canadian politician) facts for kids

John Moody Roberts (born November 28, 1933 – died March 30, 2007) was an important Canadian politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Liberal Party. He served in Canada's Parliament for 13 years between 1968 and 1984. He also worked as a minister in the government of Pierre Trudeau.

Early Life and Education

John Roberts was born in Hamilton, Ontario. He grew up in Toronto, Ontario. He later became a university professor. He taught Political Science and Public Administration. He worked at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. He also taught at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario. He even spent time as a visiting scholar at Oxford University in the United Kingdom.

Political Career

Roberts began his political journey in 1968. He was elected to the House of Commons of Canada. He became a Liberal MP for the area called York—Simcoe. He lost his seat in the 1972 election. However, he returned to Parliament in 1974. From 1974 to 1984, he represented St. Paul's in Toronto. He lost this seat in 1979 but was re-elected in 1980.

Serving in Cabinet

John Roberts became a junior minister in 1971. He was a Parliamentary Secretary. In 1976, he joined the main group of ministers, called the Cabinet. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau appointed him Secretary of State for Canada. This role involved managing government departments.

Roberts lost his seat again in the 1979 election. The Trudeau government was also defeated. But he was elected back to the House of Commons in 1980. He then joined Trudeau's last Cabinet. He served as Minister of the Environment. He was also Minister of State for Science and Technology. Later, he became Minister of Employment and Immigration.

Fighting Acid Rain

As Canada's Environment Minister in the early 1980s, Roberts faced a big challenge. He worked to address acid rain. This was a pollution problem that crossed the border from the United States. At the time, the US government did not agree that acid rain was a problem.

Roberts led a strong public campaign. He shared information about acid rain in both Canada and the US. At one point, the US government called a Canadian documentary about acid rain "foreign propaganda." Despite this, his efforts helped lead to an agreement between Canada and the US. This agreement helped reduce acid rain later on.

Leadership Race and Later Politics

In 1984, Pierre Trudeau decided to step down. Roberts ran to become the new leader of the Liberal Party. He finished fourth in the leadership race. John Turner became the new leader and Prime Minister. Turner kept Roberts in his Cabinet. Roberts continued as Minister of Employment and Immigration.

Roberts and Turner's government were defeated in the 1984 election. Roberts tried to return to Parliament in 1988. He ran in the Ontario riding (Pickering). However, he was not successful.

Later Life and Legacy

After leaving politics, John Roberts returned to academic life. He lived in Toronto, near the Yorkville area. In 1998, he led the Canadian group at the 1998 Lisbon World Exposition in Portugal. This was a big international event. John Roberts passed away in 2007 from a heart attack.

Archives

You can find many of John Roberts's papers and records at Library and Archives Canada.