The Essential Trudeau - Tapa dura

tt Trudeau always opposed the dominant ideology and what passed for conventional wisdom. This was true when he spoke out against the oppressive rule of Maurice Duplessis in Quebec. It was true in his years in Ottawa, as justice minister and prime minister, when he introduced controversial measures ranging from wage-and-price controls and restrictions on foreign investments, to expanded rights for homosexuals. It remained true in the years after his retirement, particularly when he has took issue with the more provocative expressions of Quebec nationalism and with federal initiatives such as Meech Lake and the Charlottetown Accord.

Now neo-conservative ideas have taken over. Virtually every level of government in Canada is competing with the others to reduce the role of the state and eliminate constraints on business. Less government has come to mean a smaller role especially for the federal government. And the increased powers taken on by the provinces are being used, increasingly, to sub

Pierre Elliott Trudeau was a politician, writer, constitutional lawyer, and prime minister of Canada (1968-79, 1980-84). It was his forthright approach and candid opposition to the dominant ideology and what passed for conventional wisdom that won him strong support as well as criticism. During his years in Ottawa, as justice minister and prime minister, he introduced controversial measures ranging from wage-and-price controls and restrictions on foreign investment, to expanded rights for homosexuals. Some of his major accomplishments include the 1980 defeat of Québec separatism, official bilingualism, the patriated Constitution, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He is also known for his opposition to the much-publicized Meech Lake and Charlottetown accords. Trudeau was awarded the Albert Einstein Peace