SASKATOON — For his supporters, former Prime Minister John G. Diefenbaker was their voice in Parliament, connecting with Western Canada, especially those in rural areas. For his critics, the Ontario-born politician had an inconsistent populist view, with his policies lacking coherence.
Best-selling author Bob Plamondon presents the contributions and legacy of Diefenbaker in his latest political biography, Freedom Fighter: John Diefenbaker’s Battle for Canadian Liberties and Independence.
Plamondon said Diefenbaker had been a punching bag, a cartoon character, and portrayed as someone out of step with his time for six decades, things that he believes the former prime minister does not deserve after more than 10 years of thorough research about his life and work.
“This is my sixth book about Canada. In each book, I examine how we transformed an improbable nation into a great country and where we have fallen short of our mark. In my book Blue Thunder (2009), I had two chapters on John Diefenbaker,” Plamondon told SaskToday.
“Every generation needs to reexamine our past leaders to assess better if they are on the right side of history, were prescient or not, and to better learn about Canada and the challenges we face today.”
In his latest political biography, he noted that he aimed to correct the perception of some academics and historians regarding Diefenbaker's decisions and views during his tenure as Canada’s 13th prime minister from 1957 to 1963.
“I wanted to correct the myths that Diefenbaker was a madman who gave in to the Americans when he cancelled the Avro Arrow [project], that he was erratic in sacking [James Coyne] as Governor of the Bank of Canada, that he was reckless with the economy and an inconsequential prime minister,” said Plamondon
“I set out to provide Canadians with an evidence-based review and analysis of the Diefenbaker legacy—what he accomplished, his successes and failures, and what has endured. Too many, Diefenbaker was a cartoon character, but the reality is he leaves a legacy as a great prime minister.”
Plamondon said Diefenbaker’s downward reputation began when Peter C. Newman released his “muckraking” book, Renegade in Power: The Diefenbaker Years, then Dalton Camp, one of the Conservative Party insiders, made unflattering portraits. The last sweeping political biography of Diefenbaker was released in 1995, titled Rogue Tory by Denis Smith. However, his book is less about Diefenbaker’s personality or temperament.
“My book is more about his vision, his decisions, and the results. I assess where Diefenbaker was on the right or wrong side of history with a fair-minded and evidence-based analysis of the Diefenbaker legacy. Conclude he was one of our great prime ministers,” said Plamondon.
“Since then, many documents have been declassified to help us understand national security issues and US-Canada relations better. In Smith’s book, there are only a few minor references to Indigenous issues, so that was uncovered in the literature until Freedom Fighter.”
He added that the former small-town lawyer is committed to individual rights, including his Bill of Rights, on determined efforts to end discrimination and “hyphenated-Canadians” that extended to apartheid 小蓝视频 Africa, causing its expulsion from the Commonwealth in 1961. 小蓝视频 Africa was reinstated in 1994 after the democratic elections.
“He also gave Indigenous people the vote without any surrender of treaty or other rights, appointed the first Indigenous person to the Senate, and gave Indigenous people only respect and admiration. Second, standing up for Canadian independence and security inspired his "roads to resources" projects that put in place the infrastructure that opened up the North and laid the foundation for the prosperity that we enjoy today,” added Plamondon.
“He showed you could stand up to an American administration and not be bullied or made to be submissive to American whims. He opposed nuclear weapons on Canadian soil. Except for a brief period under Pearson, when he gave the green light to the weapons policy Pierre Trudeau reversed, the position held by Diefenbaker remains the federal government's policy today. Third, what he did to lift people out of poverty and a not-so-widely known breakthrough on health care, effectively paving the way for a national hospital care system, including for those with mental health illnesses.”
He believes that most Canadians would view Diefenbaker and his contributions to the country differently after reading his well-researched book, which includes his legacy and commitment to a free and independent Canada.
“The challenge is that Canadians have not been given an evidence-based and fair-minded review of where he succeeded and where he fell short of the mark. I certainly deal in some depth with the myths surrounding Diefenbaker on the Avro Arrow, the Bank of Canada, and the Cold War, how he addressed relations with Indigenous Canadians, and much more,” he said.
He has other books in mind, including one on the leadership qualities that transcend politics, as exemplified by Jean Chrétien, who made him one of Canada’s most successful prime ministers.
