The sight of crowds booing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has a parallel from nearly 60 years ago when Prime Minister John Diefenbaker from Saskatchewan governed Canada.
Diefenbaker ended 23 years of Liberal government with a minority win in 1957, a year later winning the largest majority in Canadian history — 208 of 265 seats.
That election marked the Conservative conversion of the West. Only two opposition MPs came from the west — CCF socialist Hazen Argue of Saskatchewan and James Sinclair of Vancouver, who became Justin Trudeau’s grandfather. The West has remained a Conservative bastion since.
Diefenbaker had the misfortune of taking over when a recession was brewing. Unemployment reached record highs, up by 22 per cent.
As usual, the blame went to government and Diefenbaker. In the nickel mining city of Sudbury, angry crowds surrounded and rocked his car on a visit.
The other similarity with Trudeau was indecision.
Instead of cutting off discordant/disloyal cabinet ministers quickly when issues arose, Trudeau dithered and prolonged scandal news by trying to talk his way out of the matter. No other Canadian Prime Minister since Diefenbaker, except for the diplomat Lester Pearson, would have let this issue simmer and burn so long in the public eye.
The minister in question would have been fired and that would have stopped the unending news cycle.
Perhaps Trudeau dithered because he knew firing a woman minister and an Indigenous minister at that would have severe repercussions on his feminist and Indigenous policy themes.
Whatever the reason, no one could have positioned themselves better to take on Trudeau for the Liberal leadership than Jody Wilson Raybould’s damning testimony and the honest image that resulted with the public. That may explain why she insisted on remaining a Liberal MP.
Diefenbaker was also known for indecisiveness.
The recession, an unpopular devaluation of the dollar, and cancellation of the Avro-Arrow fighter aircraft led to squandering his record majority by losing 92 seats in 1962. He won a minority only because of Western support.
Once the effective Avro-Arrow fighter aircraft project was cancelled and 14,000 skilled jobs were lost overnight, the United States wanted to place Bomarc missiles with nuclear warheads on Canadian soil.
Diefenbaker delayed and delayed the decision.
The delay caused a split in cabinet. Three cabinet ministers — Defence Minister Doug Harkness, his replacement Pierre Sevigny, Trade and Commerce Minister George Hees — resigned within days of each other, citing the Bomarc missile issue as their reason.
Sevigny had other issues. His fling with a German prostitute who had Communist spy connections was exposed leading to headlines about life under the Conservatives.
The lesson drawn from these two parallel situations is simple — indecision is never a desirable trait for political leaders when the leader doesn’t get complete loyalty.
In Diefenbaker’s case, indecision was a major factor in his government’s defeat.
Political leadership requires going for the jugular when disputes threaten the future. There is no place for sunny ways when loyalty concerns arise.
If Lester Pearson had had a more impressive presence in 1962, he would have put Diefenbaker in Opposition a year sooner. Some observers see Andrew Scheer’s lacklustre presence as similar to the Pearson experience.
Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
