Story: Prime Ministers Are People Too

By Shawna Audet

Prime Ministers are People Too The "P" in P.M. does not stand for perfect. Prime Ministers are people too, and they are just as prone to making mistakes as the rest of us. Here are some short anecdotes about people who have led our country.

Sir John A. Macdonald (1867-1873 and 1878-1891)

Macdonald has the honour of being the first Prime Minister of Canada. He was the driving force that made Confederation a reality in 1867. He has also been called the alcoholic father of our country. Macdonald's drinking binges were legendary. Even worse, he frequently drank while working. Once, while at a political debate, he was so drunk that he threw up right on stage. The audience gasped in horror at the reeling Macdonald. Without missing a beat, Macdonald blurted out that he had thrown up because the words of his opponent were sickening. Laughter erupted in the room and all was forgiven. Macdonald's charisma and sense of humour had once again pulled him out of a tricky situation.

Sir Wilfred Laurier (1896-1911)

Laurier is known as a Prime Minister who always searched for a "middle road." He always looked for compromises. This tactic was very successful and he has gone down in history as one of our most popular and effective Prime Ministers. In his personal life, Lauier was not always so well balanced. Lauier's love of nature was one area in which he did not seek the middle ground. He was so fond of trees that he did everything in his power to protect them. Laurier paid close attention to the actions of the electrical companies. If the companies marked trees to cut down so that they could put up wires, Laurier would assault them with calls. He could not stand to see trees cut down or vandalized.

Arthur Meighen (1920-1921 1926)

Meighen had an extraordinary memory for facts. Ironically, he was very absentminded when it came to affairs of everyday life. For example, Meighen paid little attention to his personal appearance. Before Meighen became Prime Minister, he always bought his suits from a tailor who cut the legs of his trousers so that they fell above his ankles. Meighen must have been the victim of countless "waiting for the flood" jokes, but he didn't even notice. Having little regard for fashion, he always wore the same long green overcoat. The old coat was completely worn out and Meighen's co-workers considered it a fashion crime.

While traveling on a train, Meighen left his coat unattended. An M.P. named William Sharpe seized the opportunity to rid the world of the unsightly garment. In one swift movement, Sharpe threw the coat out of the window. In true Meighen fashion, Meighen did not even realize that the coat was gone. He was very surprised when the coat arrived in the mail. Someone had found the coat, read the label on the inside, and sent it back to its owner. Sharpe was astonished when Meighen came to work wearing the wretched coat.

William Lyon Mackenzie King (1921-1926, 1926-1930, and 1935-1948)

King goes down in Canadian history as the longest reigning Prime Minister. Many critics suggest that his secret to success was his ambiguity. People did not turn against him because they were not even sure where he stood on any given issue. In short, he was a walking contradiction. King was dull, yet bizarre. He was a master in the political ring, but he was a searching soul in his private life.

King was a lonely man who had a deep need for affection, but he lacked social skills. As a result, he had few close friends. He looked to the world of spirits for comfort and guidance. King often consulted with the spirits of his mother, William Lyon Mackenzie (leader of Upper Canada Rebellion) and Laurier. He even talked to the ghost of his dog, Pat.

King's favourite method of talking to spirits was table rapping. He would ask questions and the table would tap out answers with its legs. One tap meant the letter "A" and two taps meant "B." As you may have guessed, this method of communication could take a long time. King spent countless nights with Joan Patterson (one of his few friends) at the table. Not surprisingly, the table always confirmed King's thoughts.

On one night, Laurier sent a message to King through the table. Through the rapping, he told King that he should learn more French. His mother also send him a message from "the other side." She told him that he was a good person. One night, a rogue spirit came to the table and told King that he and Joan should love each other. Considering the time that it took to rap out the words, "Hail God who has ordained that you should love each other," this might be the longest come-on line ever. Joan was very upset by the message. Luckily, the rogue spirit never came back to the table. (Nice try, King.)

R. B. Bennett (1930-1935)

Bennett's personal habits did not help the average Canadian to feel any connection to him. His lifestyle was incomprehensible to the poverty stricken citizens of the "Dirty Thirties." For example, Bennett never owned a home. Instead, he chose to live in the luxurious Chateau Laurier hotel. Bennett detested alcohol at a time in history when people needed a good strong drink to drown their sorrows. Bennett maintained that he did not drink. This was not quite true because he would indulge in a creme de menthe every now and then (he claimed it wasn't really drinking). He would also add Sherry to soups because he thought that cooking evaporated the alcohol. Another unusual fact is that Bennett never exercised. He thought that regular expert massages were a good substitute for exercise. He topped off his healthy lifestyle by eating one pound of chocolate every night. His rotund figure proved that his exercise regime and eating habits made as much sense as beliefs on drinking.

Louis St. Laurent (1948-1957)

St. Laurent was a successful lawyer who entered politics with great reluctance. He reigned at a time when Canada enjoyed economic prosperity. He helped to created NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and tried to create the image of Canada as a "middle power." While he was capable of running a country, St. Laurent had great difficulty running a car. He was such a horrible driver that he could inspire teenagers to actually walk instead of accepting a ride. His family begged him not to drive them places.

Every ride with St. Laurent started off with a huge jerk as he would accelerate and then jump on the brakes. St. Laurent sat absolutely stiff in his seat, his hands gripping the wheel tightly. He got the sitting with two hands on the wheel part of driving down pat, but he never mastered the trick of changing speeds or turning. If something happened to be in his path, then he had no choice but to hit it. Many a gatepost met an unfortunate end after daring to stand in the way of St. Laurent. A streetcar also got hit when it foolishly passed by St. Laurent's house as he was leaving his driveway.

To appease his frightened family, St. Laurent finally broke down and got a chauffeur. He still drove occasionally (just to keep up his skills).

Lester Bowles Pearson (1963-1968)

Pearson was Prime Minister of Canada during a boom period. Not only was the economy booming, but the F.L.Q. terrorists were setting off booming sounds of their own special variety in Montreal. In spite of the Pearson is remembered as the Prime Minister who brought us bilingualism and our flag and song. Pearson is remembered as a "nice" man of simple tastes. If he hadn't been so darn nice, we might remember him as being hopelessly average.

He was average height (5'9) with hazel eyes with a pleasant but not beautiful face. Even his pastimes were common. To relax, he liked to watch westerns and sports on television. He loved baseball, hockey and football. He played a little piano, but was not an accomplished musician.

Fortunately, Pearson could go well beyond average expectations when called upon to do so. When he was External Affairs Minister in 1955, he became the first Canadian Minister to visit the Soviet Union. When dining with some other delegates and his host, Nikita Khrushchev, it soon became apparent that Pearson had unknowingly signed up for a vodka drinking marathon. Khrushchev was intent on drinking his guests under the table. After eighteen toasts (they had to down the entire drink each time) it was time to call it a day. Pearson proudly left the table unaided. He was even prouder that the Russians were in worse shape than the Canadians.

Pierre Elliot Trudeau (1968-1979 and 1980-1984)

Trudeau was Canada's first rock star status Prime Minister. For the first time in Canadian history, it was cool to be Prime Minister. Trudeau had an extraordinary abundance of that magic that we call charisma. With his broad smile, athletic build, and electric blue eyes, he drew people to him: Trudeaumania hit Canada. Crowds formed wherever Trudeau appeared.

Astonishingly, adolescent girls took an interest in politics. They came out to rallies to scream Trudeau's name and pretend that they were at a rock concert. Young girls threw themselves upon him and begged for kisses (he was happy to oblige). Wives lined up as well (most were content with a peck on the cheek). Parents held their children up high so that they could catch a glimpse and said things like, "Remember this day, Little Johnny."

Trudeau was more than just another pretty face. He was a man of superior intelligence and a master debater. Trudeau has been dubbed the "Father of Bilingualism." He was also responsible for the Constitutional Act and Charter of Rights and Freedoms of 1982. Trudeau appointed the first female Speaker of the Senate. He dealt with the F.L.Q. crisis with a firm hand. Some of his unfortunate accomplishments include starting a serious deficit problem and allowing the United States to test missiles in Canada. It just goes to show you that nobody's perfect, not even a rock star Prime Minister.