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Hub Dialogues: John Ibbitson on John Diefenbaker & Lester B. Pearson
Oct 9, 2023
John Ibbitson, Globe & Mail columnist and best-selling author, discusses his new book on John Diefenbaker and Lester B. Pearson. Topics include Diefenbaker's unfairly negative portrayal, Pearson's academic influence on his politics, Pearson's journey to Prime Minister, his role in shaping the modern welfare state, surprising insights about Diefenbaker's personal life, and hidden decisions behind the Avro Arrow program termination.
36:50
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Quick takeaways
- John Diefenbaker's government achieved significant reforms in immigration, healthcare, human rights, and justice legislation, which have been underappreciated in history due to biased assumptions.
- Stephen Baker, Canada's first populist prime minister, championed the struggles of ordinary individuals, shifted the conservative party's center of gravity to the West, and left a positive legacy in various policy areas.
Deep dives
The Misconceptions of John Diefenbaker's Legacy
John Diefenbaker, the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, has been unfairly treated by history. The conventional wisdom is that his inner demons, paranoia, and indecisiveness contaminated his governments, leading to disintegration and chaos. However, a closer look reveals that Diefenbaker's government achieved significant reforms, including immigration, healthcare, human rights, and justice legislation. There was a continuity of progress between Diefenbaker and his successor, Lester Pearson, who implemented and advanced many of the reforms initiated by Diefenbaker. The underappreciation of Diefenbaker's contributions can be attributed to a progressive assumption that hampers fair understanding and recognition of conservative politicians in Canadian history.
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