John Diefenbaker

"On 31 March 1958, Diefenbaker led the Progressive Conservatives to a landslide win over the Liberals. They held 208 of 265 seats in the House of Commons (53.7% of the popular vote) including 50 of 75 seats in Québec. Diefenbaker’s victory remains the largest in Canadian history, based on a percentage of the total seats in the House of Commons. Following the election, Diefenbaker wasted no time in moving toward fulfilling his vision of creating a Canada that promoted fundamental rights and freedoms."

John Diefenbaker was a prominent criminal lawyer in Saskatchewan before becoming an MP in 1940. After two losses, Diefenbaker finally won the position of the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party in 1956. With Diefenbaker at the helm, the Progressive Conservatives won the 1957 election and ended the Liberal Party’s 22 year run in office.

In 1960, Diefenbaker implemented a Bill of Rights to protect the fundamental rights of Canadians. While he was exceedingly proud of the accomplishment, it was less effective than it should have been, as the provincial governments did not consent to the Bill. The Bill was therefore not entrenched in the Constitution.

Diefenbaker was also responsible for changing the laws that made it possible for Aboriginal people to vote in federal elections. Prior to 1960, they were not permitted to.

One of the things Diefenbaker is most remembered for is the cancellation of the Avro CF – 105 Arrow fighter jets after high building costs and low sales. In an unusual move, the government ordered that all of the plans and the prototypes be destroyed. Only small models of the aircraft remain as evidence of this significant part of Canadian aeronautical history.

Diefenbaker’s government ran into political trouble in a number of areas. The use of nuclear weapons was a hot topic, but the government decided that nuclear weapons would not be permitted in Canada. (to this day, no nuclear weapons exist in Canada nor does the Canadian military possess nuclear weapons as part of their arsenal.)

John Diefenbaker's oratorical powers have not been seen in Canadian politics for many years and it was not so much what he said but the passion and belief in what he said that made him one of Canada's greatest political figures .

John Diefenbaker remained a Member of Parliament until his death in August 1979.