Jack Horner (politician)
Encyclopedia
John Henry "Jack" Horner, PC
(July 20, 1927 – November 18, 2004) was a rancher and former Canadian
politician and Cabinet minister.
Nicknamed "Cactus Jack", Horner was born in Saskatchewan
, the fifth child in a family of six boys and three girls. His mother's uncle had been a prisoner of Louis Riel
's provisional government
. His father, Ralph Horner
was a failed Conservative candidate who was appointed to the board of directors
of Canadian National Railways by the government of R.B. Bennett in 1931, and then to the Canadian Senate
in 1933.
Jack Horner moved to Alberta
at the age of 18 to manage a ranch purchased by his father and then bought his own ranch in 1947.
He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons
in the 1958 federal election
when the Progressive Conservative Party
of which he was a member was swept to power with a huge majority
. Horner was an avid supporter of PC leader John Diefenbaker
. Also elected to the Parliament of Canada
as Tories were his older brother, Hugh Horner
and cousin Albert Horner
. With Jack Horner's father, Ralph, still sitting as a Senator, four Horners were sitting in the two chambers of Parliament simultaneously. Another brother, Norval Horner
, was elected to the House in 1972.
According to Jack Horner's obituary in the Globe and Mail newspaper:
Representing the rural Alberta
constituency of Acadia
, he developed a reputation as a right winger and outspoken advocate for the rights of farmers and ranchers. He remained one of "Diefenbaker's cowboys" during the 1960s, backing his leader against the ultimately successful attempts to unseat him. At the 1966 Tory convention which changed the rules to allow a challenge to a sitting leader, Horner threw a punch at Dalton Camp
supporter Roy McMurtry
, and accosted Brian Mulroney
in a hallway. He resented the leadership of Diefenbaker's successor, Robert Stanfield
, describing him as "a very, very sad choice". Horner worked to undermine Stanfield's leadership through manoeuvers such as leading a revolt against the party's support for the Official Languages Act
.
He was a candidate for the PC Party leadership at the 1976 convention
. At one point during the convention, he knocked over an eavesdropping reporter. He finished fourth in the contest, and threw his support to Claude Wagner
, who lost on the final ballot to Joe Clark
.
Horner had even less respect for fellow Albertan Clark than he had for Stanfield, regarding him as a city slicker, and once giving him the ultimate rancher's insult by describing him as a "sheep herder".
On April 20, 1977, Horner shocked his constituents and many political observers by crossing the floor
to join the Liberal Party of Canada
, which was at the time deeply unpopular in Alberta. The next day, he joined Pierre Trudeau
's Cabinet as minister without portfolio
, and was promoted in September 1977 to the position of Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce. Diefenbaker described the defection by saying "the sheriff has joined the rustlers."
Despite his Cabinet position, Horner was badly defeated in the 1979 federal election
that defeated the Liberal government. Horner placed second in his riding of Crowfoot
, more than 20,000 votes behind his Tory competitor. Horner attempted a comeback in the 1980 federal election
, but despite the return of a Liberal government nationally, Horner again placed a poor second in Crowfoot, winning only 4,761 votes, 1,000 votes fewer than he'd managed in 1979.
The Liberal government appointed him to the board of Canadian National Railways, where he served as chairman from 1982 to 1984. From 1984 to 1988, he was administrator of the Prairie Grain Agency.
He died at a Calgary
hospital, leaving his wife, Leola, and two sons, Brent and Craig.
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,...
(July 20, 1927 – November 18, 2004) was a rancher and former 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...
politician and Cabinet minister.
Nicknamed "Cactus Jack", Horner was born in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, the fifth child in a family of six boys and three girls. His mother's uncle had been a prisoner of Louis Riel
Louis Riel
Louis David Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first post-Confederation Prime Minister, Sir John A....
's provisional government
Provisional government
A provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a very large government. The early provisional governments were created to prepare for the return of royal rule...
. His father, Ralph Horner
Ralph Horner
Ralph Byron Horner was a Canadian Senator, farmer, businessman and the patriarch of a Western Canadian political family.Born in North Clarendon, Quebec, Horner and his family settled in Blaine Lake, Saskatchewan....
was a failed Conservative candidate who was appointed to the board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of Canadian National Railways by the government of R.B. Bennett in 1931, and then to the Canadian Senate
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
in 1933.
Jack Horner moved to Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
at the age of 18 to manage a ranch purchased by his father and then bought his own ranch in 1947.
He was first elected to the Canadian 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 1958 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1958
The Canadian federal election of 1958 was the 24th general election in Canada's history. It was held to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 24th Parliament of Canada on March 31, 1958, just nine months after the 23rd election...
when the Progressive Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
of which he was a member was swept to power with a huge majority
Majority government
A majority government is when the governing party has an absolute majority of seats in the legislature or parliament in a parliamentary system. This is as opposed to a minority government, where even the largest party wins only a plurality of seats and thus must constantly bargain for support from...
. Horner was an avid supporter of PC leader John Diefenbaker
John Diefenbaker
John George Diefenbaker, PC, CH, QC was the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 21, 1957, to April 22, 1963...
. Also elected to the Parliament of Canada
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
as Tories were his older brother, Hugh Horner
Hugh Horner
Hugh Macarthur Horner was a physician and surgeon. He served as a Canadian federal and provincial politician. Horner was born in Blaine Lake, Saskatchewan...
and cousin Albert Horner
Albert Horner
Albert Ralph Horner was a Saskatchewan politician, retired grain producer and livestock breeder. He was born in Shawville, Quebec...
. With Jack Horner's father, Ralph, still sitting as a Senator, four Horners were sitting in the two chambers of Parliament simultaneously. Another brother, Norval Horner
Norval Horner
Norval Alexander Horner , is a Saskatchewan politician and former member of the Canadian House of Commons.Mr. Horner earned teaching and engineering degrees and worked as a businessman, farmer and school principal....
, was elected to the House in 1972.
According to Jack Horner's obituary in the Globe and Mail newspaper:
- He presented himself as a friend of farmers, a foe of railways, an advocate of capital punishmentCapital punishmentCapital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
, a critic of generous unemployment payments, an opponent of the right to strikeStrike actionStrike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
in essential servicesEssential servicesEssential services may refer to a class of occupations that have been legislated by a government to have special restrictions in regard to labour actions - Such as not being allowed to legally strike....
, and at all times a staunch free enterpriseFree enterprise-Transport:* Free Enterprise I, a ferry in service with European Ferries between 1962 and 1980.* Free Enterprise II, a ferry in service with European Ferries between 1965 and 1982....
r. He railed against any changes to the Crow's Nest Pass rateCrow RateThe "Crow Rate" or "Crow's Nest Freight Rate" was a rail transportation subsidy imposed on the Canadian Pacific Railway by the Canadian government, benefiting farmers on the Canadian Prairies and manufacturers in central Canada.-Origin:...
that might hurt farmers. He was alert to any threat of socialismSocialismSocialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
, whether from the Co-operative Commonwealth FederationCo-operative Commonwealth FederationThe Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
, Opposition LiberalsLiberal Party of CanadaThe 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...
, or the Red Tories in his own party.
Representing the rural Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
constituency of Acadia
Acadia (electoral district)
Acadia was a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1925 to 1968.-History:Acadia was created in 1924 from Battle River and Bow River ridings...
, he developed a reputation as a right winger and outspoken advocate for the rights of farmers and ranchers. He remained one of "Diefenbaker's cowboys" during the 1960s, backing his leader against the ultimately successful attempts to unseat him. At the 1966 Tory convention which changed the rules to allow a challenge to a sitting leader, Horner threw a punch at 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...
supporter Roy McMurtry
Roy McMurtry
Roland "Roy" McMurtry, OC, OOnt is a judge and former politician in Ontario, Canada and the current Chancellor of York University.-Early life:McMurtry was born in Toronto and educated at St. Andrew's College, graduating in 1950...
, and accosted Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
in a hallway. He resented the leadership of Diefenbaker's successor, Robert Stanfield
Robert Stanfield
Robert Lorne Stanfield, PC, QC was the 17th Premier of Nova Scotia and leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. He is sometimes referred to as "the greatest prime minister Canada never had", and earned the nickname "Honest Bob"...
, describing him as "a very, very sad choice". Horner worked to undermine Stanfield's leadership through manoeuvers such as leading a revolt against the party's support for the Official Languages Act
Official Languages Act
Official Language Act or Official Languages Act may refer to:* the Official Languages Act passed in Canada to enshrine official bilingualism* the Official Language Act passed in Quebec to ensure that French retained its primary status...
.
He was a candidate for the PC Party leadership at the 1976 convention
Progressive Conservative leadership convention, 1976
The 1976 leadership election of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was held in Ottawa on February 22, 1976, to elect a leader to replace Robert Stanfield, who had resigned after losing the 1968, 1972, and 1974 elections. It unexpectedly elected a 36-year-old, little-known PC Member of...
. At one point during the convention, he knocked over an eavesdropping reporter. He finished fourth in the contest, and threw his support to Claude Wagner
Claude Wagner
Claude Wagner, PC, QC was a judge and politician in the Province of Quebec, Canada. In his career, Wagner was a Crown prosecutor, professor of criminal law and judge...
, who lost on the final ballot to Joe Clark
Joe Clark
Charles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
.
Horner had even less respect for fellow Albertan Clark than he had for Stanfield, regarding him as a city slicker, and once giving him the ultimate rancher's insult by describing him as a "sheep herder".
On April 20, 1977, Horner shocked his constituents and many political observers by crossing the floor
Crossing the floor
In politics, crossing the floor has two meanings referring to a change of allegiance in a Westminster system parliament.The term originates from the British House of Commons, which is configured with the Government and Opposition facing each other on rows of benches...
to join 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...
, which was at the time deeply unpopular in Alberta. The next day, he joined 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,...
's Cabinet as minister without portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
, and was promoted in September 1977 to the position of Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce. Diefenbaker described the defection by saying "the sheriff has joined the rustlers."
Despite his Cabinet position, Horner was badly defeated in the 1979 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1979
The Canadian federal election of 1979 was held on May 22, 1979 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 31st Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the defeat of Liberal Party of Canada after 11 years in power under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Joe Clark led the Progressive...
that defeated the Liberal government. Horner placed second in his riding of Crowfoot
Crowfoot (electoral district)
Crowfoot is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968.It is in the central part of the province, and is named in honour of Chief Crowfoot, leader of the Blackfoot First Nations in the 19th century.This electoral district...
, more than 20,000 votes behind his Tory competitor. Horner attempted a comeback in the 1980 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1980
The Canadian federal election of 1980 was held on February 18, 1980 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 32nd Parliament of Canada...
, but despite the return of a Liberal government nationally, Horner again placed a poor second in Crowfoot, winning only 4,761 votes, 1,000 votes fewer than he'd managed in 1979.
The Liberal government appointed him to the board of Canadian National Railways, where he served as chairman from 1982 to 1984. From 1984 to 1988, he was administrator of the Prairie Grain Agency.
He died at a Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
hospital, leaving his wife, Leola, and two sons, Brent and Craig.