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Political Science History & Theory

Ernest Lapointe and Quebec's Influence on Canada's Foreign Policy

by (author) John MacFarlane

Publisher
University of Toronto Press
Initial publish date
Aug 1999
Category
History & Theory, General
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780802044877
    Publish Date
    Aug 1999
    List Price
    $76.00
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781442674585
    Publish Date
    Jul 1999
    List Price
    $77.00

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Description

Currently the stakes are higher than ever for anglophone Canada to recognize and understand the extent and nature of Quebec's role in the shaping of the nation. John MacFarlane's revision of anglophone history is a compelling step in that process.

Historians often emphasize how, during both the difficult inter-war years and the Second World War, the Liberal government of Mackenzie King successfully reconciled the needs of majority rule with the recognition of minority voice, particularly in foreign affairs. How did a consummate anti-Catholic, who did not even speak French, manage to acknowledge and accommodate the vastly different demands of the French-speaking population? Issues such as conscription, relations with Great Britain, and Canadian policy at the League of Nations threatened to divide Canada when the instability of the international scene urgently required a unified voice. Ernest Lapointe, officially the minister of justice (1924-5, 1926-30, 1935-41) and minister of fisheries (1921-4), represented francophone Quebeckers in the federal cabinet. His ability to influence and reflect the views of the Quebec population, his loyalty to Mackenzie King, and in some cases, his threats of resignation, awarded him considerable weight in many external affairs questions. Yet his influence, as a major figure of twentieth century Canadian political history, is one of the least understood. Analysing seventeen foreign policy decisions, the author uncovers Ernest Lapointe's relationship with King, and the voice of Quebec represented by his skilful interceptions.

About the author

John MacFarlane is the curator emeritus of the Maritime Museum of British Columbia, curator of the Nauticapedia Project and author of a number of books and articles on nautical history. He was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy (Reserve). He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (London), recipient of the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers and the SS Beaver Medal for Maritime Excellence. He lives in Qualicum Beach, BC.

John MacFarlane's profile page