Jack Austin
Encyclopedia
Jacob "Jack" Austin, PC
, OBC
(born March 2, 1932) is a Canadian
former politician
and former member of the Canadian Senate
. He was appointed to the upper house
by Prime Minister
Pierre Trudeau
on August 8, 1975 and represented British Columbia
. At the time of his retirement he was the longest serving Senator.
, Alberta. Prior to entering the Senate, Austin had careers as a lawyer and then as a senior civil servant. In the 1950s, Austin was a legal partner of Nathan Nemetz who later served as Chief Justice of British Columbia. Nemetz recruited Austin to join the Liberal Party.
In the early 1960s, Austin's political career began when he served as executive assistant to Arthur Laing
while he was Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources. While in Ottawa he was asked by Paul Martin, Sr. to serve on the legal team that negotiated the Columbia River Treaty
on behalf of the government.
Austin's only attempt to win an election was as the Liberal candidate in Vancouver—Kingsway in the 1965 federal election
but was defeated by Grace MacInnis
of the New Democratic Party
.
In 1970, he was appointed deputy minister of Energy, Mines and Resources and was part of the first Canadian trade mission sent to the People's Republic of China
. He also played a key role in the establishment of Petro-Canada
and Expo 86 in Vancouver.
He was appointed chief of staff to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
in 1974 and was appointed to the Senate by Trudeau in 1975. He served as a Minister of State
in the cabinet
of Prime Minister
Pierre Trudeau
from 1981 to 1982 and then Minister of State for Social Development until Trudeau's retirement in 1984. He returned to the Canadian Cabinet in 2003 when Prime Minister Paul Martin
appointed him Leader of the Government in the Senate
, where he served until the Liberal
defeat in the 2006 election
. He reached the age of 75 on March 2, 2007, and is retired from the senate.
He was given the Order of the Aztec Eagle
by the Mexican Government in 2000. He also received the Order of British Columbia in 2010.
He has three daughters: Barbara, Edith and Sharon.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
, OBC
Order of British Columbia
The Order of British Columbia is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Instituted in 1989 by Lieutenant Governor David Lam, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Bill Vander Zalm, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to honour...
(born March 2, 1932) is a Canadian
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...
former politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and former member of the Canadian Senate
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
. He was appointed to the upper house
Upper house
An upper house, often called a senate, is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house; a legislature composed of only one house is described as unicameral.- Possible specific characteristics :...
by Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
on August 8, 1975 and represented British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. At the time of his retirement he was the longest serving Senator.
Life and career
Austin was born in CalgaryCalgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta. Prior to entering the Senate, Austin had careers as a lawyer and then as a senior civil servant. In the 1950s, Austin was a legal partner of Nathan Nemetz who later served as Chief Justice of British Columbia. Nemetz recruited Austin to join the Liberal Party.
In the early 1960s, Austin's political career began when he served as executive assistant to Arthur Laing
Arthur Laing
Arthur Laing, PC was a Canadian politician. He was a Liberal Member of the Canadian House of Commons from Vancouver, British Columbia....
while he was Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources. While in Ottawa he was asked by Paul Martin, Sr. to serve on the legal team that negotiated the Columbia River Treaty
Columbia River Treaty
The Columbia River Treaty is an agreement between Canada and the United States of America on the development and operation of dams in the upper Columbia River basin for power and flood control benefits in both countries. For more information about the Columbia River Treaty, visit Columbia Basin...
on behalf of the government.
Austin's only attempt to win an election was as the Liberal candidate in Vancouver—Kingsway in the 1965 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1965
The Canadian federal election of 1965 was held on November 8 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 27th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal Party of Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson was re-elected with a larger number of seats in the House...
but was defeated by Grace MacInnis
Grace MacInnis
Winona Grace MacInnis, OC, OBC was a Canadian politician and feminist. She was the first woman from British Columbia elected to the Canadian House of Commons, as well as the first wife of a former Canadian Member of Parliament to be elected to the House of Commons in her own right, rather than by...
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...
.
In 1970, he was appointed deputy minister of Energy, Mines and Resources and was part of the first Canadian trade mission sent to the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. He also played a key role in the establishment of Petro-Canada
Petro-Canada
Petro-Canada was a crown corporation of Canada in the field of oil and natural gas. It was headquartered in the Petro-Canada Centre in Calgary, Alberta. In August, 2009, Petro-Canada merged with Suncor Energy, a deal in which Suncor investors received approximately 60 per cent ownership of the...
and Expo 86 in Vancouver.
He was appointed chief of staff to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
in 1974 and was appointed to the Senate by Trudeau in 1975. He served as a Minister of State
Minister of state (Canada)
A Minister of State is a junior cabinet minister in the Canadian Cabinet, usually given specific responsibilities to assist a senior cabinet minister in a specific area....
in the 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 :...
of Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
from 1981 to 1982 and then Minister of State for Social Development until Trudeau's retirement in 1984. He returned to the Canadian Cabinet in 2003 when Prime Minister Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
appointed him Leader of the Government in the Senate
Leader of the Government in the Senate (Canada)
The Leader of the Government in the Senate is a Canadian cabinet minister who leads the government side in the Canadian Senate and is chiefly responsible for promoting and defending the government's program in the Upper House. The government leader's counterpart on the Opposition benches is the...
, where he served until the Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
defeat in the 2006 election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
. He reached the age of 75 on March 2, 2007, and is retired from the senate.
He was given the Order of the Aztec Eagle
Order of the Aztec Eagle
The Order of the Aztec Eagle is a Mexican order and is the highest decoration awarded to foreigners in the country.It was created by decree on December 29, 1933 by President Abelardo L. Rodríguez as a reward to services given to Mexico or humankind by foreigners...
by the Mexican Government in 2000. He also received the Order of British Columbia in 2010.
He has three daughters: Barbara, Edith and Sharon.