Robert Stanfield
Encyclopedia
Robert Lorne Stanfield, PC
, QC
(April 11, 1914 – December 16, 2003) 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". As one of Canada's most distinguished and respected statesmen, he was one of several people granted the style "Right Honourable" who were not so entitled by virtue of an office held.
to Frank Stanfield
and S. Emma Thomas, who were members of the family that owned Stanfield's Limited
, a large textile company. He studied economics and political science at Dalhousie University
and was awarded the Governor General's Silver Medal
for achieving the highest standing when he graduated in 1936 with a Bachelor of Arts
degree. He then studied law at Harvard Law School
, where he was an honours student near the top of his class. During his student days, he became a strong socialist
. Although this affiliation faded, he remained very much a Red Tory
.
Stanfield married Joyce Frazee in 1940, but she died in a car accident in 1954. During his term as premier, Stanfield remarried, exchanging vows with Mary Hall in 1957. Mary Stanfield died of cancer in 1977, and the following year, Stanfield married his third wife, Anne Austin.
, Stanfield entered Nova Scotia politics. The Conservative Party of Nova Scotia was in poor shape. The Liberals dominated the province, and the Tories did not have a single seat in the legislature. In 1948, Stanfield was elected leader of the party, and began the long process to revive the party, culminating in a majority victory in 1956, their first in decades.
Stanfield served as Premier of Nova Scotia, ruling as a moderate with a demonstrable social conscience. He led reforms in education, municipal government and health care and also created Industrial Estates Limited, a crown corporation that successfully attracted investment from world companies such as Michelin Tire. He won re-election four times.
"Stanfield became the first Conservative Premier to win four successive majority governments. He modernized the road system, brought in the first form of Medicare
, established the first economic development agency, established the Voluntary Economic Planning Board and helped to start the new Neptune Theatre
. Stanfield’s government invested heavily in education at all levels including the creation of vocational schools (the predecessor of the Nova Scotia Community College
) and provided the first consistent funding to universities."
was racked by disunity between supporters and opponents of the leadership of John Diefenbaker
. Stanfield entered the campaign for the party leadership. With the help of his Nova Scotian advisors and PC Party President Dalton Camp
, he won a hard-fought battle and won on the fifth ballot of the 1967 leadership convention
.
Stanfield brought the Progressive Conservatives high in the polls, prompting many to expect him to defeat the Liberal
government of the aging Lester B. Pearson
. Pearson would soon retire, prompting the Liberals to chose a new leader, Pierre Trudeau
. Trudeau was a charismatic public speaker and a strong performer on television. This helped bring about "Trudeaumania
" and dramatically raised the profile of his party. Stanfield's laconic speaking style and older appearance contrasted poorly with the new Liberal leader. The Liberals were re-elected and increased their support to form a majority government in the 1968 election
.
In the election of 1972
, Stanfield's Tories campaigned on the public's perception that the Liberals were mismanaging the economy with the slogan, "A Progressive Conservative government will do better." Though the Liberals started high in the polls, Trudeau's popularity had worn off and they slumped due to a poor campaign. Ending up, the Tories came within two seats of defeating the Liberal government. The Liberals dropped to a minority government, but nonetheless stayed in power for two years with support from David Lewis
and the New Democratic Party
.
Stanfield faced a variety of problems within the federal PC caucus, most controversially his support of Official Bilingualism
, which threatened a caucus revolt. Implementing bilingualism had hurt the popularity of the Liberals significantly, as English-Canadians were not receptive and viewed it as a waste of money, but Stanfield did not (or would not) capitalize upon that by opposing it, even with the 1974 election approaching after the Liberals had lost a motion of non-confidence. The general election was expected to be close but Stanfield refused to sign the nomination papers of former Moncton mayor Leonard Jones
; Jones had won the party nomination but he refused to support official bilingualism
which was part of PC policy. Stanfield's support of bilingualism did not endear him to the electorate during his political career, though he earned much respect for his stand after he retired.
, Stanfield ran on a policy of wage and price controls to help inhibit the rapid inflation
of the era. Trudeau mocked the idea, saying that one couldn't say, "Zap! You're frozen!" to the economy. Trudeau later wrote in his memoirs that Stanfield's platform allowed him to be sniped at from all directions. The Progressive Conservatives did well in the Atlantic provinces, and in the West, but Liberal support in Ontario and Quebec ensured a majority Liberal government, mostly at the expense of Lewis's NDP rather than Stanfield's Tories. Trudeau would implement the controls in 1975, drawing widespread criticism for the abrupt reversal.
Also during the campaign, on May 30, 1974 a photo by photojournalist Doug Ball
showing Stanfield fumbling a football thrown by Geoffrey Stevens at a stopover, in North Bay, Ontario
, became one of the defining images of his career. To this day, Canadian political commentators still point to this incident as one of Canada's foremost examples of "image politics", because the photo was chosen for the front pages of newspapers across Canada even though many other photos of Stanfield catching the same football were also available.
, who had a much more aggressive approach in his attacks on the Liberals. Stanfield retired from Parliament in the 1979 election which finally brought the Progressive Conservatives to power.
After his retirement, Stanfield stayed out of politics until the constitutional debates, when he endorsed and campaigned for the Meech Lake Accord
and the Charlottetown Accord
. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
wanted to appoint Stanfield as U.N. ambassador
saying, "I tried to engage him further but he was leading a vigorous life and a very active life and he didn't want to change after a while."
In 1996, Stanfield suffered a debilitating stroke that left him severely disabled. He died on December 16, 2003 in Ottawa
, Ontario
, only eight days after the Progressive Conservative Party merged with the Canadian Alliance
to form the new Conservative Party of Canada
. Fellow Nova Scotian and final PC Party Leader Peter MacKay
suggested in an interview on CBC Newsworld
on December 16, 2003, that he had not personally spoken to Stanfield in regard to his opinions on the merger. It is unknown what Stanfield thought of the creation of the new Conservatives.
He was buried in Camp Hill Cemetery
, Halifax
, Nova Scotia
, next to his first wife Joyce Frazee, mother of his four children: Sarah, Max, Judith and Miriam, and with his second wife Mary Hall.
The Halifax Robert L. Stanfield International Airport
is named after him.
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,...
, QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(April 11, 1914 – December 16, 2003) was the 17th Premier
Premier of Nova Scotia
The Premier of Nova Scotia is the first minister for the Canadian province of Nova Scotia who presides over the Executive Council of Nova Scotia. Following the Westminster system, the premier is normally the leader of the political party which has the most seats in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly...
of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
and leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
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....
. He is sometimes referred to as "the greatest prime minister Canada never had", and earned the nickname "Honest Bob". As one of Canada's most distinguished and respected statesmen, he was one of several people granted the style "Right Honourable" who were not so entitled by virtue of an office held.
Biography
Stanfield was born in Truro, Nova ScotiaTruro, Nova Scotia
-Education:Truro has one high school, Cobequid Educational Centre. Post-secondary options include a campus of the Nova Scotia Community College, as well as the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in the neighboring town of Bible Hill.- Sports :...
to Frank Stanfield
Frank Stanfield
Frank Stanfield was an entrepreneur and political figure in Nova Scotia, Canada. He represented Colchester County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1911 to 1920 and from 1925 to 1928 as a Conservative member...
and S. Emma Thomas, who were members of the family that owned Stanfield's Limited
Stanfield's Limited
Stanfield's Limited is a Canadian garment manufacturer based in Truro, Nova Scotia. With approximately 550 employees, the company's products are sold throughout Canada and around the world.-Founding in Prince Edward Island:...
, a large textile company. He studied economics and political science at 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...
and was awarded the Governor General's Silver Medal
Governor General's Academic Medal
The Governor General's Academic Medal is awarded to the student graduating with the highest grade point average from a Canadian high school, college or university program...
for achieving the highest standing when he graduated in 1936 with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree. He then studied law at Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
, where he was an honours student near the top of his class. During his student days, he became a strong socialist
Socialism
Socialism 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,...
. Although this affiliation faded, he remained very much a Red Tory
Red Tory
A red Tory is an adherent of a particular political philosophy, tradition, and disposition in Canada somewhat similar to the High Tory tradition in the United Kingdom; it is contrasted with "blue Tory". In Canada, the phenomenon of "red toryism" has fundamentally, if not exclusively, been found in...
.
Stanfield married Joyce Frazee in 1940, but she died in a car accident in 1954. During his term as premier, Stanfield remarried, exchanging vows with Mary Hall in 1957. Mary Stanfield died of cancer in 1977, and the following year, Stanfield married his third wife, Anne Austin.
Provincial politics
After playing a role managing victory bonds during the Second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Stanfield entered Nova Scotia politics. The Conservative Party of Nova Scotia was in poor shape. The Liberals dominated the province, and the Tories did not have a single seat in the legislature. In 1948, Stanfield was elected leader of the party, and began the long process to revive the party, culminating in a majority victory in 1956, their first in decades.
Stanfield served as Premier of Nova Scotia, ruling as a moderate with a demonstrable social conscience. He led reforms in education, municipal government and health care and also created Industrial Estates Limited, a crown corporation that successfully attracted investment from world companies such as Michelin Tire. He won re-election four times.
"Stanfield became the first Conservative Premier to win four successive majority governments. He modernized the road system, brought in the first form of Medicare
Medicare (Canada)
Medicare is the unofficial name for Canada's publicly funded universal health insurance system. The formal terminology for the insurance system is provided by the Canada Health Act and the health insurance legislation of the individual provinces and territories.Under the terms of the Canada Health...
, established the first economic development agency, established the Voluntary Economic Planning Board and helped to start the new Neptune Theatre
Neptune Theatre (Halifax)
The Neptune Theatre is the largest professional theatre company in Atlantic Canada with a capacity of 497 and is located in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It performs a mixture of new and classical plays....
. Stanfield’s government invested heavily in education at all levels including the creation of vocational schools (the predecessor of the Nova Scotia Community College
Nova Scotia Community College
The Nova Scotia Community College, commonly referred to as the NSCC, is a community college serving the province of Nova Scotia.The college delivers a diverse program of trades, technology, health, human services, applied arts, new media, business administration and adult education through a system...
) and provided the first consistent funding to universities."
Federal leader
In 1967, the federal Progressive Conservative PartyProgressive 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....
was racked by disunity between supporters and opponents of the leadership of 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...
. Stanfield entered the campaign for the party leadership. With the help of his Nova Scotian advisors and PC Party President 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...
, he won a hard-fought battle and won on the fifth ballot of the 1967 leadership convention
Progressive Conservative leadership convention, 1967
The 1967 Progressive Conservative leadership election was held to choose a leader for the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. The convention was held at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, Canada between September 4th and 9th, 1967...
.
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...
government of the aging Lester B. Pearson
Lester B. Pearson
Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson, PC, OM, CC, OBE was a Canadian professor, historian, civil servant, statesman, diplomat, and politician, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis...
. Pearson would soon retire, prompting the Liberals to chose a new leader, 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,...
. Trudeau was a charismatic public speaker and a strong performer on television. This helped bring about "Trudeaumania
Trudeaumania
Trudeaumania was the nickname given in early 1968 to the excitement generated by Pierre Trudeau's entry into the leadership race of the Liberal Party of Canada...
" and dramatically raised the profile of his party. Stanfield's laconic speaking style and older appearance contrasted poorly with the new Liberal leader. The Liberals were re-elected and increased their support to form a majority government in the 1968 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...
.
In the election of 1972
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...
, Stanfield's Tories campaigned on the public's perception that the Liberals were mismanaging the economy with the slogan, "A Progressive Conservative government will do better." Though the Liberals started high in the polls, Trudeau's popularity had worn off and they slumped due to a poor campaign. Ending up, the Tories came within two seats of defeating the Liberal government. The Liberals dropped to a minority government, but nonetheless stayed in power for two years with support from David Lewis
David Lewis (politician)
David Lewis, CC was a Russian-born Canadian labour lawyer and social democratic politician. He was national secretary of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation from 1936 to 1950, and one of the key architects of the New Democratic Party in 1961...
and 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...
.
Stanfield faced a variety of problems within the federal PC caucus, most controversially his support of Official Bilingualism
Bilingualism in Canada
The official languages of Canada are English and French, which "have equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in all institutions of the Parliament and Government of Canada" according to Canada's constitution...
, which threatened a caucus revolt. Implementing bilingualism had hurt the popularity of the Liberals significantly, as English-Canadians were not receptive and viewed it as a waste of money, but Stanfield did not (or would not) capitalize upon that by opposing it, even with the 1974 election approaching after the Liberals had lost a motion of non-confidence. The general election was expected to be close but Stanfield refused to sign the nomination papers of former Moncton mayor Leonard Jones
Leonard Jones
Leonard C. Jones was a Canadian lawyer and politician, who served as mayor of the city of Moncton, New Brunswick between 1963 and 1974, and Member of Parliament for the constituency of Moncton between 1974 and 1979....
; Jones had won the party nomination but he refused to support official bilingualism
Official bilingualism
Official bilingualism refers to the policy adopted by some states of recognizing two languages as official and producing all official documents, and handling all correspondence and official dealings, including Court procedure, in the two said languages...
which was part of PC policy. Stanfield's support of bilingualism did not endear him to the electorate during his political career, though he earned much respect for his stand after he retired.
1974 Election
In the federal election of 1974Canadian federal election, 1974
The Canadian federal election of 1974 was held on July 8, 1974 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 30th Parliament of Canada. The governing Liberal Party won its first majority government since 1968, and gave Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau his third term...
, Stanfield ran on a policy of wage and price controls to help inhibit the rapid inflation
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...
of the era. Trudeau mocked the idea, saying that one couldn't say, "Zap! You're frozen!" to the economy. Trudeau later wrote in his memoirs that Stanfield's platform allowed him to be sniped at from all directions. The Progressive Conservatives did well in the Atlantic provinces, and in the West, but Liberal support in Ontario and Quebec ensured a majority Liberal government, mostly at the expense of Lewis's NDP rather than Stanfield's Tories. Trudeau would implement the controls in 1975, drawing widespread criticism for the abrupt reversal.
Also during the campaign, on May 30, 1974 a photo by photojournalist Doug Ball
Doug Ball
Doug Ball is a Canadian photojournalist. He is the brother of Lynn Ball, another famous Canadian photojournalist.-Career:Doug Ball learned photography from his father Johnny in London, Ontario...
showing Stanfield fumbling a football thrown by Geoffrey Stevens at a stopover, in North Bay, Ontario
North Bay, Ontario
North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...
, became one of the defining images of his career. To this day, Canadian political commentators still point to this incident as one of Canada's foremost examples of "image politics", because the photo was chosen for the front pages of newspapers across Canada even though many other photos of Stanfield catching the same football were also available.
Retirement
Stanfield served as leader of the PCs and leader of the Loyal Opposition until 1976. He became renowned as a gentlemanly and civil man, but after three election defeats, he faced much criticism from inside the party, from members that felt he had continually failed to provide strong leadership against the Liberals. He resigned in 1976 and was succeeded by Joe ClarkJoe Clark
Charles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
, who had a much more aggressive approach in his attacks on the Liberals. Stanfield retired from Parliament in the 1979 election which finally brought the Progressive Conservatives to power.
After his retirement, Stanfield stayed out of politics until the constitutional debates, when he endorsed and campaigned for the Meech Lake Accord
Meech Lake Accord
The Meech Lake Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada negotiated in 1987 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and ten provincial premiers. It was intended to persuade the government of the Province of Quebec to endorse the 1982 Canadian Constitution and increase...
and the Charlottetown Accord
Charlottetown Accord
The Charlottetown Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada, proposed by the Canadian federal and provincial governments in 1992. It was submitted to a public referendum on October 26 of that year, and was defeated.-Background:...
. Prime Minister 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...
wanted to appoint Stanfield as U.N. ambassador
Canadian ambassadors to the United Nations
Canadian ambassadors to the United Nations, full title Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations, with the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative....
saying, "I tried to engage him further but he was leading a vigorous life and a very active life and he didn't want to change after a while."
In 1996, Stanfield suffered a debilitating stroke that left him severely disabled. He died on December 16, 2003 in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, only eight days after the Progressive Conservative Party merged with the Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
to form the new Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
. Fellow Nova Scotian and final PC Party Leader Peter MacKay
Peter MacKay
Peter Gordon MacKay, PC, QC, MP is a lawyer and politician from Nova Scotia, Canada. He is the Member of Parliament for Central Nova and currently serves as Minister of National Defence in the Cabinet of Canada....
suggested in an interview on CBC Newsworld
CBC Newsworld
CBC News Network is a Canadian English language Category C specialty news channel owned and operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . It broadcasts into over 10 million homes in Canada. It is the world's third-oldest television service of this nature, after CNN in the United States and...
on December 16, 2003, that he had not personally spoken to Stanfield in regard to his opinions on the merger. It is unknown what Stanfield thought of the creation of the new Conservatives.
He was buried in Camp Hill Cemetery
Camp Hill Cemetery
In 1844 Camp Hill Cemetery on Robie Street in the heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada replaced the city's first cemetery known as the Old Burying Ground that had been established almost 100 years earlier in 1749...
, Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, next to his first wife Joyce Frazee, mother of his four children: Sarah, Max, Judith and Miriam, and with his second wife Mary Hall.
The Halifax Robert L. Stanfield International Airport
Halifax International Airport
Halifax/Robert L. Stanfield International Airport, or Halifax Stanfield International Airport is an airport in Enfield, Nova Scotia and in Halifax Regional Municipality, Canada...
is named after him.
External links
- The Party that Stanfield Rebuilt Article on Stanfield and the Nova Scotia Tories.