Pierre Elliott Trudeau in Brief

Essay by dhsiaocaHigh School, 10th grade February 2007

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Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, one of the most prominent Liberals of all time, was born on October 18, 1919 in Montreal, Québec. Trudeau was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada and held office for a total of two terms. His first term was from April 20, 1968 to June 3, 1979, the second term lasted from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.

Trudeau, a graduate of the Université de Montreal and Harvard University, was a strong supporter of the Asbestos Strike of 1949, during which he held speeches, participated in demonstrations and most significantly, acted as a legal adviser for the unions of miners. Later, he edited a crucial book on the subject titled La Gréve de l'amiante.

In the 1950s, Trudeau was a key factor in the resistance towards Maurice Duplesses, the dictatorial Premier of Québec. He was the initiator and editor of Citié Libre, a rebellious publication which helped to supply an academic basis for the Quiet Revolution.

Trudeau was also banned from, and blacklisted by the United States because of a visit to a meeting in Moscow and also because he subscribed to many leftist publications. Trudeau, however, appealed the ban and it was repealed.

Trudeau, who had been a follower of Marxist ideas and afterward a supporter Co-operative Commonwealth Federation party, gradually evolved towards Liberalism during the early 1960s. He joined the party in 1965 and was elected during the 1965 election. Two years later, Trudeau was appointed to Lester Pearson's cabinet as Minister of Justice.

During his time as justice minister, Trudeau removed laws in opposition to homosexuality from the Criminal Code of Canada..

In 1967, Prime Minister Pearson announced that he planned to step down. Trudeau decided to run for Liberal headship and in April 1968 at the Liberal leadership...