Clifford Lincoln
Encyclopedia
Clifford Albert Lincoln is a retired Canadian
politician who served as a Quebec
cabinet
minister prior to serving in the Canadian House of Commons
.
Lincoln was the son of Francis Lincoln and Régina De Baize, a British colonial civil servant and his francophone
wife, on the Indian Ocean
colony of Mauritius. After studying insurance
on the island and in Cape Town
, South Africa
, he immigrated to Canada
in 1958 settling in Vancouver
and then Montreal
where he eventually became an insurance company executive.
He entered politics and was elected to the Quebec National Assembly in 1981
as a member of the Quebec Liberal Party. The Liberals took power as a result of the 1985 election
and Lincoln was appointed to Robert Bourassa
's cabinet as Minister of the Environment.
Lincoln resigned from cabinet in 1989, along with two other anglophone ministers, to protest the Bourassa government's language policy and its adoption of Bill 178 which invoked the notwithstanding clause
of the Canadian Constitution in order to require French to be the dominant language on commercial signs.
He entered federal politics as a candidate in the 1990 Liberal leadership election but withdrew from the race when he was soundly defeated by a 3 to 1 margin in the February 12, 1990 Chambly federal by-election
by Phil Edmonston
of the New Democratic Party
.
He won a seat in parliament in the 1993 federal election
for Lachine—Lac-Saint-Louis
and was re-elected as the MP for Lac-Saint-Louis
in 1997
and 2000
but was not appointed to Jean Chrétien
's federal Cabinet despite initial expectations that he would become environment minister. He served as parliamentary secretary
to the Deputy Prime Minister
and the Minister of the Environment
from 1993 until 1996. and as Chairman of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage from 1997 until 2004. In the latter role he authored a report on Canadian broadcasting, Our Cultural Sovereignty: The Second Century of Canadian Broadcasting but its recommendations were largely ignored by the government.
Lincoln retired from politics at the 2004 federal election and was subsequently appointed Chairman of the Panel on Access to Third-language Public Television Services by the federal government.
As of 2007, Lincoln is President of the Board of Directors of the English Speaking Catholic Council of Quebec
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician who served as a Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
minister prior to serving in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
.
Lincoln was the son of Francis Lincoln and Régina De Baize, a British colonial civil servant and his francophone
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
wife, on the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
colony of Mauritius. After studying insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
on the island and in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, he immigrated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1958 settling in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and then Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
where he eventually became an insurance company executive.
He entered politics and was elected to the Quebec National Assembly in 1981
Quebec general election, 1981
The Quebec general election of 1981 was held on April 13, 1981, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Parti Québécois, led by René Lévesque, won re-election, defeating the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Claude Ryan.The PQ won re-election despite...
as a member of the Quebec Liberal Party. The Liberals took power as a result of the 1985 election
Quebec general election, 1985
The Quebec general election of 1985 was held on December 2, 1985, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The Quebec Liberal Party, led by former premier Robert Bourassa, defeated the incumbent Parti Québécois, led by premier Pierre-Marc Johnson.This election...
and Lincoln was appointed to Robert Bourassa
Robert Bourassa
Jean-Robert Bourassa, was a politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 22nd Premier of Quebec in two different mandates, first from May 12, 1970, to November 25, 1976, and then from December 12, 1985, to January 11, 1994, serving a total of just under 15 years as Provincial Premier.-Early...
's cabinet as Minister of the Environment.
Lincoln resigned from cabinet in 1989, along with two other anglophone ministers, to protest the Bourassa government's language policy and its adoption of Bill 178 which invoked the notwithstanding clause
Section Thirty-three of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Section Thirty-three of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is part of the Constitution of Canada. It is commonly known as the notwithstanding clause , or as the override power, and it allows Parliament or provincial legislatures to override certain portions of the Charter...
of the Canadian Constitution in order to require French to be the dominant language on commercial signs.
He entered federal politics as a candidate in the 1990 Liberal leadership election but withdrew from the race when he was soundly defeated by a 3 to 1 margin in the February 12, 1990 Chambly federal by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
by Phil Edmonston
Phil Edmonston
Louis-Phillip Edmonston is a Canadian consumer advocate, writer and former politician. He is one of the few politicians with dual American/Canadian citizenship to be elected to Canadian Parliament....
of the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
.
He won a seat in parliament in the 1993 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
for Lachine—Lac-Saint-Louis
Lachine—Lac-Saint-Louis
Lachine—Lac-Saint-Louis was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 1997.This riding was created in 1987 from Lachine and Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine East ridings...
and was re-elected as the MP for Lac-Saint-Louis
Lac-Saint-Louis (electoral district)
Lac-Saint-Louis is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997. Its population in 2001 was 101,919.-Geography:...
in 1997
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
and 2000
Canadian federal election, 2000
The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....
but was not appointed to Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
's federal Cabinet despite initial expectations that he would become environment minister. He served as parliamentary secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
to the Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of Canada
The Deputy Prime Minister of Canada is an honorary position in the cabinet, conferred at the discretion of the prime minister. There is currently, , no deputy prime minister....
and the Minister of the Environment
Minister of the Environment (Canada)
The Minister of the Environment is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's environment department, Environment Canada...
from 1993 until 1996. and as Chairman of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage from 1997 until 2004. In the latter role he authored a report on Canadian broadcasting, Our Cultural Sovereignty: The Second Century of Canadian Broadcasting but its recommendations were largely ignored by the government.
Lincoln retired from politics at the 2004 federal election and was subsequently appointed Chairman of the Panel on Access to Third-language Public Television Services by the federal government.
As of 2007, Lincoln is President of the Board of Directors of the English Speaking Catholic Council of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
.
Sources
- Clifford Lincoln National Assembly biography, accessed December 26, 2005.
- Documents on the Controversy Surrounding the Language of Commercial Signs in Quebec (Bill 178) December 1988 Clifford Lincoln's resignation speech, accessed December 26, 2005.
- Text of Bill 178, accessed December 26, 2005.
- Remember the Lincoln Report accessed December 26, 2005.