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Reuters
John Turner’s term as Prime Minister is the second shortest in Canadian history
Former Canadian Prime Minister John Turner, who was in office for only a few days and led his Liberal Party to a landslide defeat in 1984, has died at the age of 91.
A lawyer by training, he served as Minister of Justice and then Minister of Finance during 1968-1975. He resigned after arguments with party leader Pierre Trudeau.
Turner resumed his legal work and won the party leadership nine years later.
He called an election and then presided over what was said to be the worst campaign in Nedian history at the behest of observers.
With the Liberals, who have been in power for 20 of the previous 21 years, with increasing public fatigue, their party was reduced to just 40 from 135 seats in the 282-member House of Commons.
The Conservatives, led by Brian Mulroney, came to power with 211 seats.
Despite the result, Turner stuck to his post. In the 1988 election, Turner won the U.S. Open. Was a strong opponent of the proposed free trade agreement with, but again lost to Mr Muro, but not so badly.
He resigned as Liberal leader in 1990.
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Boris Spremo by Getty
Turner spent years as a cabinet minister and leader of the Liberal Party
As Minister of Justice, he defended amendments to Canada’s Criminal Code that paved the way for LGBTQ rights and legal abortion. But in the finance ministry it faced economic pressure due to the global oil crisis.
His 79-day tenure as prime minister is the second shortest in the country’s history.
Turner died at Turn Ranto’s home Friday night, former assistant Mark Kelly, speaking on behalf of his relatives, told the Montreal Gazette. He is survived by his wife Giles and four children.
