Eric Kierans
Encyclopedia
Eric William Kierans, PC
, OC
(February 2, 1914 – May 9, 2004) was a Canadian
economist
and politician.
at McGill University
and president of the Montreal Stock Exchange, Kierans entered provincial politics in 1963. He was appointed Minister of Revenue and then Minister of Health in the Quebec Liberal government of Premier
Jean Lesage
at the time of the Quiet Revolution
.
Kierans became president of the Quebec Liberal Party and clashed with former cabinet minister and colleague René Lévesque
in 1967, daring him to give up the idea of Quebec separatism
or quit the Liberal Party. Lévesque did quit the Liberal Party, and established the Mouvement Souveraineté-Association
, which became Quebec's leading sovereigntist party as the Parti Québécois
.
Initially a critic of Walter L. Gordon
's economic nationalism
, Kierans' experience in government changed his mind, and he became a believer in the need for state intervention in the economy.
In 1968, Kierans entered federal politics running unsuccessfully for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada
at its 1968 leadership convention. He was elected to the House of Commons
in the 1968 federal election
. Kierans served as Postmaster-General and Minister of Communications in the cabinet of Prime Minister
Pierre Trudeau
. He did not run for re-election in the 1972 election
, partly as a result of his criticisms of Trudeau's economic policy.
Kierans called for Canada to leave the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1969. He argued that the organization might have served a useful purpose on its initial formation, but had since become anachronistic. Some others with the Trudeau government agreed with Kierans, while others strongly disagreed. The Trudeau government did not ultimately withdraw Canada from NATO, although it did reduce the country's troop deployment.
He considered running for the leadership of the New Democratic Party
in 1975, but declined in favour of Ed Broadbent
.
After leaving politics, Kierans taught at McGill and Dalhousie University
. In the 1980s, he became a familiar voice appearing with Dalton Camp
and Stephen Lewis
as part of a weekly political panel on Peter Gzowski
's Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
radio show, Morningside
.
In 1994, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
, OC
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(February 2, 1914 – May 9, 2004) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
and politician.
Life and career
Born in Montreal on Feb. 2, 1914, Kierans grew up in the working-class Saint-Henri neighbourhood; his father worked at Canadian Car and Foundry and his mother came to Canada as a domestic. After serving as director of the school of commerceCommerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
and president of the Montreal Stock Exchange, Kierans entered provincial politics in 1963. He was appointed Minister of Revenue and then Minister of Health in the Quebec Liberal government of Premier
Premier of Quebec
The Premier of Quebec is the first minister of the Canadian province of Quebec. The Premier is the province's head of government and his title is Premier and President of the Executive Council....
Jean Lesage
Jean Lesage
Jean Lesage, PC, CC, CD was a lawyer and politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 19th Premier of Quebec from 22 June 1960, to 16 August 1966...
at the time of the Quiet Revolution
Quiet Revolution
The Quiet Revolution was the 1960s period of intense change in Quebec, Canada, characterized by the rapid and effective secularization of society, the creation of a welfare state and a re-alignment of politics into federalist and separatist factions...
.
Kierans became president of the Quebec Liberal Party and clashed with former cabinet minister and colleague René Lévesque
René Lévesque
René Lévesque was a reporter, a minister of the government of Quebec, , the founder of the Parti Québécois political party and the 23rd Premier of Quebec...
in 1967, daring him to give up the idea of Quebec separatism
Quebec sovereignty movement
The Quebec sovereignty movement refers to both the political movement and the ideology of values, concepts and ideas that promote the secession of the province of Quebec from the rest of Canada...
or quit the Liberal Party. Lévesque did quit the Liberal Party, and established the Mouvement Souveraineté-Association
Mouvement Souveraineté-Association
The Mouvement Souveraineté-Association was formed on November 19, 1967 by René Lévesque to promote the concept of sovereignty-association between Quebec and the rest of Canada....
, which became Quebec's leading sovereigntist party as the Parti Québécois
Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
.
Initially a critic of Walter L. Gordon
Walter L. Gordon
Walter Lockhart Gordon, PC, CC, FCA was a Canadian accountant, businessman, politician, and writer.-Education:...
's economic nationalism
Economic nationalism
Economic nationalism is a term used to describe policies which emphasize domestic control of the economy, labor and capital formation, even if this requires the imposition of tariffs and other restrictions on the movement of labor, goods and capital. It opposes globalization in many cases, or at...
, Kierans' experience in government changed his mind, and he became a believer in the need for state intervention in the economy.
In 1968, Kierans entered federal politics running unsuccessfully for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
at its 1968 leadership convention. He was elected to the House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
in the 1968 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1968
The Canadian federal election of 1968 was held on June 25, 1968, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 28th Parliament of Canada...
. Kierans served as Postmaster-General and Minister of Communications in the cabinet of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
. He did not run for re-election in the 1972 election
Canadian federal election, 1972
The Canadian federal election of 1972 was held on October 30, 1972 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 29th Parliament of Canada. It resulted in a slim victory for the governing Liberal Party, which won 109 seats, compared to 107 seats for the opposition Progressive...
, partly as a result of his criticisms of Trudeau's economic policy.
Kierans called for Canada to leave the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1969. He argued that the organization might have served a useful purpose on its initial formation, but had since become anachronistic. Some others with the Trudeau government agreed with Kierans, while others strongly disagreed. The Trudeau government did not ultimately withdraw Canada from NATO, although it did reduce the country's troop deployment.
He considered running for the leadership of the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
in 1975, but declined in favour of Ed Broadbent
Ed Broadbent
John Edward "Ed" Broadbent, is a Canadian social democratic politician and political scientist. He was leader of the federal New Democratic Party from 1975 to 1989. In the 2004 federal election, he returned to Parliament for one additional term as the Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre.-Life...
.
After leaving politics, Kierans taught at McGill and Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University is a public research university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university comprises eleven faculties including Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. It also includes the faculties of architecture, planning and engineering located at...
. In the 1980s, he became a familiar voice appearing with Dalton Camp
Dalton Camp
Dalton Kingsley Camp, PC, OC was a Canadian journalist, politician, political strategist and commentator and supporter of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. Despite having never been elected to a seat in the House of Commons, he was a prominent and influential politician and a popular...
and Stephen Lewis
Stephen Lewis
Stephen Henry Lewis, is a Canadian politician, broadcaster and diplomat. He was the leader of the social democratic Ontario New Democratic Party for most of the 1970s. During many of the those years as leader, his father David Lewis was simultaneously the leader of the Federal New Democratic Party...
as part of a weekly political panel on Peter Gzowski
Peter Gzowski
Peter Gzowski, was a Canadian broadcaster, writer and reporter, most famous for his work on the CBC radio show Morningside. His first biographer argued that Gzowski's contribution to Canadian media must be considered in the context of efforts by a generation of Canadian nationalists to understand...
's Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
radio show, Morningside
Morningside (radio program)
Morningside was a nationally broadcast Canadian radio program, which aired on CBC Radio from September 20, 1976 to May 30, 1997. It was broadcast from 9AM to 12 Noon, Monday to Friday...
.
In 1994, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
.
External links
- Eric Kierans, 90 Globe and Mail obituary
- Eric Kierans, 90: Politician respected for candour Toronto Star obituary
- Order of Canada Citation