John Napier Wyndham Turner, a lawyer by training, served as justice and then finance minister from 1968-1975 under the cabinet of the 15th Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, father of Justin Pierre James Trudeau, the 23rd Prime Minister of Canada. He resigned after arguments with the Prime Minister who was the Liberal Party leader and resumed his legal work and nine years later won the party leadership.
Turner served as the country's 17th prime minister and, despite his short tenure of 79 ... moreJohn Napier Wyndham Turner, a lawyer by training, served as justice and then finance minister from 1968-1975 under the cabinet of the 15th Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, father of Justin Pierre James Trudeau, the 23rd Prime Minister of Canada. He resigned after arguments with the Prime Minister who was the Liberal Party leader and resumed his legal work and nine years later won the party leadership.
Turner served as the country's 17th prime minister and, despite his short tenure of 79 days, the second shortest in Canadian history, at the helm of a Liberal Party government in 1984, he spent decades in Canadian federal politics. His gaffes combined with growing public fatigue with the Liberals, who had been in power for 20 of the previous 21 years, resulted in his party falling from 135 seats in the 282-member House of Commons to just 40. The Conservatives, under the leadership of Brian Mulroney, swept to power with 211 seats. Despite the result, Turner hung onto his post. In the 1988 election, Turner was a strong opponent of a proposed free trade agreement with the US but lost again to Mr Mulroney, but not as badly. He resigned as Liberal leader in 1990 and was replaced by Jean Chretien, who led the party to victory in 1993.
A track athletics star, Turner graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1949, winning a Rhodes scholarship to Oxford University. After studying law, he went to Paris to work on a doctorate at the Sorbonne. The young lawyer caused a stir when he danced with Princess Margaret at a party in 1959, giving rise to speculation that the two would become a couple. The two remained friends for life.
Turner's time in federal politics was perhaps best remembered for his battles with former Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, especially over free trade with the United States. As justice minister, he defended reforms to Canada's Criminal Code that paved the way for LGBTQ rights and legal abortions and in the finance ministry he faced economic pressures due to the global oil crisis.
Turner died at home in Toronto, and was survived by his wife Geills and four children. Turner was Canada's first Prime Minister born in the United Kingdom since Mackenzie Bowell in 1896. He was the fourth longest-lived Prime Minister, living to the age of 91. Legislators from across the Canadian political spectrum described him as being deeply devoted to the public service.
