Best Canadian PMs? (live in, place, party)

[Acajack]

Like BIMBAM, I like what I know of Lester B. Pearson. He was only PM for five years which was very short, and I wish he could have stayed longer. Had he done so, he might have put the Quebec issue to rest once and for all - he had good momentum on this front and unlike Trudeau it wasn't a personal thing for him. He looked at it very pragmatically.

If you did a poll of Canadians today, Trudeau would probably win a plurality as the best PM in history. He may not be popular with everyone but as has been said on other threads, today in 2012 we are definitely living in Trudeau's Canada more than anybody else's. He truly changed the face of the country.

Second place would go to Macdonald since many Canadians look for a Washingtonesque figure in their history and he would be it.

Personally, I was not a big fan of his but I think Mulroney gets a bum rap and was a better PM than people give him credit for. History will likely be kinder to him than his contemporaries have been.

[Acajack]

Mackenzie King has a few rather large sketelons in his closet, including sending back boatloads of Jewish refugees (presumably to their deaths) during WW2 and some weird mysticism also...

[squarian]

Originally Posted by Acajack

some weird mysticism also...

Just because your late mother doesn't feel up to reminding you to change your underwear by speaking through the medium of the family dog is no reason to mock.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by squarian

Just because your late mother doesn't feel up to reminding you to change your underwear by speaking through the medium of the family dog is no reason to mock.

I love it!

[Stubblejumper]

Originally Posted by netwit

I don't think Harper is the anti-christ but there seem to be a lot of funny things going on below the radar, and in particular we have Vic Toews popping up with his really bad ideas. I agree with stubblejumper on Harper. And I agree with bimbam that he is prime minister by default - there just wasn't anyone else people really liked.

I liked Trudeau. I think he was a great prime minister for the times. I don't know that I have a 'greatest' prime minister though.

I'm not defending all the policy decisions this government's making, nor was I intending to lump his entire opposition into that category. There's just a (sizeable) crowd that gets drawn into this sort of character assassination mindset and rails against his very existence.

Vic Toews probably ranks among the worst cabinet ministers in Canadian history. Terrible policy and even worse delivery. I'd have a grudging respect if he could play the government's bogeyman with some degree of competency, but every time he tries to be a hardliner, he looks like a buffoon.

I think Trudeau's fiscal policy nearly ruined the country. It wasn't until the late Chretien years that we really fixed all the damage. I tend to think, as well, that even the ideas he had that weren't bad were badly delivered (the Charter, for example). Also, the National Energy Program and being an arrogant *******.

[callmemaybe]

Originally Posted by Zoisite

And he likes cats very much.

.

I knew Stephen Harper couldn't be ALL bad.

[netwit]

Originally Posted by Stubblejumper

I'm not defending all the policy decisions this government's making, nor was I intending to lump his entire opposition into that category. There's just a (sizeable) crowd that gets drawn into this sort of character assassination mindset and rails against his very existence.

Vic Toews probably ranks among the worst cabinet ministers in Canadian history. Terrible policy and even worse delivery. I'd have a grudging respect if he could play the government's bogeyman with some degree of competency, but every time he tries to be a hardliner, he looks like a buffoon.

I think Trudeau's fiscal policy nearly ruined the country. It wasn't until the late Chretien years that we really fixed all the damage. I tend to think, as well, that even the ideas he had that weren't bad were badly delivered (the Charter, for example). Also, the National Energy Program and being an arrogant *******.

I got that and don't disagree with you. I also agree about Vic Toews. He's an opportunist. He jumped from provincial politics into federal, and then into the Reform movement because he thought it would go somewhere, and it went nowhere, and then he sidled his way back into the new Conservative Party. I could respect him if I believed he had any beliefs even if I disagreed with them. And it looks like they might make him a judge to get rid of him.

[netwit]

Originally Posted by Zoisite

I don't have any personal favourites for PM's. I do like Harper, I think he's more shrewd and more of a steady go-getter in achieving global position and recognition for Canada as an up and coming world power and decision maker than his opposition gives him credit for.

And he likes cats very much. Not that I'm a rabid cat-lover or anything like that, but the fact that he's acknowledged as being fond of animals is still a point in his favour as far as I'm concerned.

.

That explains it. I'm a dog person.

[ExtremeMan8]

Favorite Leader/Politician: Jack Layton
Favorite Prime Minister: Pierre Trudeau

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

Originally Posted by ExtremeMan8

Favorite Leader/Politician: Jack Layton
Favorite Prime Minister: Pierre Trudeau

Has the Liberal Party moved "right" since Trudeau's days?