Editing Joe Clark (section)

==Prime Minister (1979–1980)==
On June 4, 1979, the day before his 40th birthday, Clark was sworn in as Canada's 16th prime minister, steering the first Tory government since the defeat of [[John Diefenbaker]] in the [[1963 Canadian federal election|1963 election]]. He was Canada's youngest prime minister, and the first to be born in Western Canada.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Clippingdale |first=Richard |date=2008-02-21 |title=The Canadian Encyclopedia |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/joe-clark |access-date=2024-05-03}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Lotz |first=Jim |title=Prime Ministers of Canada |publisher=Bison Books |year=1987 |isbn=0-86124-377-3 |location=London |pages=138 |language=en}}</ref>

With a [[minority government]] in the [[House of Commons of Canada|House of Commons]], Clark had to rely on the support of the [[Social Credit Party of Canada|Social Credit Party]], with its six seats, or the [[New Democratic Party (Canada)|New Democratic Party]] (NDP), with its 26 seats. At the time, [[Official Opposition (Canada)|Opposition]] leader Trudeau said that he would allow the Progressive Conservatives a chance to govern, though he warned the Prime Minister against dismantling [[Petro-Canada]], which was unpopular in Clark's home province of Alberta.<ref name="archives.cbc.ca">{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/politics/prime-ministers/the-man-from-high-river-joe-clark/fall-of-a-government.html |title=Fall of a government (Television) |publisher=CBC Digital Archives |date=December 13, 1979  |access-date=July 1, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130102114310/http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/politics/prime-ministers/the-man-from-high-river-joe-clark/fall-of-a-government.html |archive-date=January 2, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Social Credit was below the 12 seats needed for [[official party status]] in the House of Commons. However, the six seats would have been just enough to give Clark's government a majority had the Progressive Conservatives formed a [[coalition government]] with Social Credit, or had the two parties otherwise agreed to work together. Clark managed to lure Socred MP [[Richard Janelle]] to the government caucus, but this still left the Tories five seats short of a majority. Clark however decided that he would govern as if he had a majority,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_zolf/20040916.html |title=Minority government lessons |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |date=September 16, 2004 |access-date=July 1, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100812023759/http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_zolf/20040916.html |archive-date=August 12, 2010}}</ref> and refused to grant the small Socred official party status, form a coalition, or co-operate with the party in any way.

Clark was unable to accomplish much in office because of the tenuous situation of his minority government. However, historians have credited Clark's government with making [[access to information]] legislation a priority.<ref name="infocom.gc.ca">{{cite web|url=http://infocom.gc.ca/publications/pdf_en/ten_y.pdf|title=The Access to Information Act: 10 years on – The Information Commissioner of Canada, 1994|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031020235956/http://infocom.gc.ca/publications/pdf_en/ten_y.pdf|archive-date=October 20, 2003|url-status=bot: unknown|access-date=20 October 2003}}<!-- http://publications.gc.ca/pub?id=48583&sl=0 --></ref> The Clark government introduced Bill C-15, the ''[[Freedom of information in Canada|Freedom of Information Act]]'', which established a broad right of access to government records, an elaborate scheme of exemptions, and a two-stage review process. The legislation was debated at [[second reading]] at the end of November 1979 and was referred to the Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs. Within days the minority Conservative government was unseated; the legislation died on the order paper.<ref name="infocom.gc.ca"/> The re-elected Trudeau government subsequently based its ''[[Access to Information Act]]'' on the Clark government's Bill C-15. The ''Access to Information Act'' received royal assent in July 1982 and came into force in July 1983.<ref name="infocom.gc.ca"/> The public now has the legal right of access to government records in some 150 federal departments and agencies.<ref name="infocom.gc.ca"/>

Though the election had been held in May, Parliament did not resume sitting until October, one of the longest break periods in Confederation.<ref name="archives.cbc.ca"/> The gas tax in the budget soured Clark's relationship with Ontario Premier [[Bill Davis]],{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} even though both were Red Tories. 

During the campaign, Clark committed to move Canada's embassy in [[Israel]] from [[Tel Aviv]] to [[Jerusalem]], and re-affirmed this promise shortly after taking office.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Flicker |first=Charles |date=2002 |title=Next Year in Jerusalem: Joe Clark and the Jerusalem Embassy Affair |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/40203815 |journal=International Journal |volume=58 |issue=1 |pages=115–138 |doi=10.2307/40203815 |jstor=40203815 |issn=0020-7020}}</ref> The move proved somewhat contentious within the cabinet, in part due to economic concerns that might have come about from the move.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thompson |first=Elizabeth |date=2017-12-10 |title=Secret 1979 documents shed new light on why Joe Clark broke Jerusalem embassy promise - Politics - CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/jerusalem-embassy-tel-aviv-clark-1.4436795 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210052240/https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/jerusalem-embassy-tel-aviv-clark-1.4436795 |archive-date=2017-12-10 |access-date=2023-12-10 }}</ref> Moreover, it proved a perilous situation as moving the embassy risked a negative economic response, or a violent one from terrorists, and not doing so would make Clark look indecisive.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Troyer |first=Warner |title=200 days : Joe Clark in power : the anatomy of the rise and fall of the 21st government |publisher=Personal Library Publisher |year=1980 |isbn=0920510051 |location=Toronto |pages=59 |language=en}}</ref> Ultimately, the Clark government backed off from doing so on October 29, 1979, until Jerusalem's status could be clarified with Israel's neighbors.<ref name=":0" /> 

Internationally, Clark represented Canada in June 1979 at the [[5th G7 summit]] in Tokyo.<ref name="eu">MOFA: [http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/economy/summit/2000/past_summit/table_e/index.html Summit (8)]; [[European Union]]: [http://www.deljpn.ec.europa.eu/union/showpage_en_union.external.g8.php "EU and the G8"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070226165606/http://www.deljpn.ec.europa.eu/union/showpage_en_union.external.g8.php |date=February 26, 2007 }}</ref> Clark reportedly had a good relationship with US President [[Jimmy Carter]], who phoned Clark to thank him personally for his role in the [[Canadian Caper]].<ref name="Caper">{{cite news |title=Nation: Canada to the Rescue |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,950226,00.html |access-date=13 March 2023 |work=Time Magazine |date=11 February 1980}}</ref>

===Fall of government===
During the 1979 election campaign, Clark had promised to cut taxes to stimulate the economy. However, once in office, the [[1979 Canadian federal budget|1979 budget]] he proposed was designed to curb inflation by slowing economic activity. The budget also proposed a 4-cent per litre (18-cent per [[gallon]]) tax on gasoline in order to reduce the budgetary deficit.<ref>MacEachen, Allan J. (December 11, 2009). [https://www.thestar.com/opinion/2009/12/11/behind_the_fall_of_joe_clark.html "Behind the fall of Joe Clark"]. ''Toronto Star''.<!-- https://web.archive.org/web/20130601045655/http://www.thestar.com/opinion/2009/12/11/behind_the_fall_of_joe_clark.html --></ref> Finance Minister [[John Crosbie]] touted the budget as "short term pain for long term gain".<ref>{{cite news |last=MacCharles |first=Tonda |date=2020-01-10 |title=John Crosbie was a politician unafraid of matching action to words
 |url=https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2020/01/10/john-crosbie-was-a-politician-unafraid-of-matching-action-to-words.html |work=Toronto Star |location=Toronto |access-date=2022-03-04}}
</ref> Though Clark had hoped this change in policy would work to his advantage, it actually earned him widespread animosity as a politician who could not keep his promises, even in such a short period.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

Clark's refusal to work with the Socreds, combined with the gasoline tax, came back to haunt him when the budget came before the House of Commons in December 1979.  On December 12, NDP Finance Critic [[Bob Rae]] proposed a subamendment to the budget motion, stating that the House of Commons did not approve of the budget.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://parl.canadiana.ca/view/oop.proc_HOC_3101_1/901 |title=House of Commons Journals, 31st Parliament, 1st Session |author=<!--Government Journal; no by-line.--> |date=December 12, 1979 |website=Canadian Parliamentary Historical Resources |publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada |access-date=9 July 2016 |quote=Debate was resumed on the motion of Mr. Crosbie (St John's West), seconded by Mr. MacDonald (Egmont),-That this House approves in general the budgetary policy of the Government.  And on the motion of Mr. Gray, seconded by Mr. Lalonde, in amendment thereto,-That all the words after the word 'That' be deleted and the following substituted therefor: 'this House condemns the Government for its budget which will place and unfair and unnecessary burden of higher gasoline prices, higher fuel oil prices, and higher taxes on middle and lower income Canadians.' And on the motion of Mr. Rae, seconded by Mr. Knowles, in amendment to the amendment, That the amendment be amended by changing the period at the end thereof to a comma, and by adding immediately after the words: 'and this House unreservedly condemns the Government for its outright betrayal of election promises to lower interest rates, to cut taxes, and to stimulate the growth of the Canadian economy, without a mandate from the Canadian people for such a reversal.'}}</ref> The Liberals supported the NDP subamendment. The five Socred MPs had demanded the gas tax revenues be allocated to Quebec and abstained when Clark turned them down. On December 13, the subamendment passed on a 139–133 vote.<ref name="archives.cbc.ca"/>

Clark was criticized for his "inability to do math" in failing to predict the outcome, not only because he was in a minority situation, but also because three members of his caucus would be absent for the crucial budget vote. One was ill and two were stuck abroad on official business. The Liberals by contrast had assembled their entire caucus, save one, for the occasion.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/election-probably-in-february-tories-fall-139-to-133-status-of-budget-is-still-unclear/article1147235/ |title=Tories Fall, 139 to 133 |author1=Simpson, Jeffrey  |author2=Sheppard, Robert |work=The Globe and Mail |date=December 14, 1979 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051205033911/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.19791214.w1979budget1214a/BNStory/specialBudget2005/  |archive-date=December 5, 2005 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===1980 federal election===
When a new election was called, Clark expected his party would be able to defeat the demoralized and leaderless Liberals easily, since Trudeau had announced his intention to step aside and the Liberals had yet to hold a leadership convention. However, the Progressive Conservatives had misjudged the electorate, since they had not commissioned any polls since August. A November Gallup poll published eight days before the December 11 budget reported that their popularity was down from 36% during the summer to 28%, with the party 19 points behind the Liberals, giving the latter the popular support to initiate the non-confidence motion.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://issuu.com/theindependentdotca/docs/2006-06-11 |title=Terrorism and Multiculturalism in the West |author=Crosbie, John | page=12 |date=June 11, 2006 |work=The Independent |location=Newfoundland and Labrador}}<!-- old link → http://www.torontosun.com/News/Columnists/Crosbie_John/2006/02/05/1426394.html --></ref> After the government fell, Clark's party was caught off guard when Pierre Trudeau quickly rescinded his resignation from the Liberal leadership to lead his party into the subsequent election.

Clark's Tories campaigned under the slogan, "Real change deserves a fair chance."<ref>{{Cite news |title=It's still uphill for Joe Clark -- even after 'Canadian caper' |work=Christian Science Monitor |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1980/0206/020644.html |access-date=2023-03-03 |issn=0882-7729}}</ref> Trudeau swept the Liberals back into power in the February [[1980 Canadian federal election|1980 election]] with 147 seats, against 103 for the Progressive Conservatives. Davis' criticism of the gas tax was used in the Liberals' [[Ontario]] television ads.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} The Tories lost 19 seats in that province, which ultimately proved to be decisive in the campaign.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

Clark's government would last a total of nine months less a day.  As Clark's Finance Minister, John Crosbie, famously described it in his own inimitable way: "Long enough to conceive, just not long enough to deliver."<ref>{{cite news | date=2020-01-10 |title=Outspoken former federal cabinet minister John Crosbie dead at 88 |url=https://www.cp24.com/news/outspoken-former-federal-cabinet-minister-john-crosbie-dead-at-88-1.4761458 |work=CP24 |access-date=2022-03-04}}</ref>

===Supreme Court appointments===
Clark chose [[Julien Chouinard]] to be appointed as a justice of the [[Supreme Court of Canada]] by the [[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]],<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/joe-clark-paul-martin-criticize-pm-s-attack-on-chief-justice/article_4e97f55b-6d80-547a-be71-200786d23829.html |title=Joe Clark, Paul Martin criticize PM’s attack on chief justice  |last=MacCharles |first=Tonda |newspaper=Toronto Star |date=May 20, 2014 |accessdate=April 29, 2025}}</ref> who served from September 24, 1979, to February 6, 1987.

===Relationship between Trudeau and Clark===
Trudeau commented in his memoirs, published in 1993, that Clark was much more tough and aggressive than past Tory leader [[Robert Stanfield]], noting that those qualities served Clark well in his party winning the 1979 election victory. Trudeau also complimented Clark as a respectable leader and a better choice over [[Brian Mulroney]], who had defeated Clark at the [[1983 Progressive Conservative leadership election|leadership convention]] in 1983. Trudeau told his friends that the Tories had chosen the wrong man.<ref>''Memoirs'', by Pierre Elliott Trudeau, [[McClelland & Stewart]], 1993, [[Toronto]], pp. 251–252.</ref>