Marcel Lambert
Encyclopedia
Marcel Joseph Aimé Lambert, (August 21, 1919 – September 24, 2000) was a Canadian
politician and Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons
(1962–1963).
Lambert was born in Edmonton to a French-Canadian father and a Belgian
mother. He served in the King's Own Calgary Regiment during World War II
, and saw action at Dieppe, France.
After returning to Alberta, he was named a Rhodes Scholar
in 1946 and in 1947 he entered Hertford College, Oxford
(University of Oxford
) to study law.
Lambert was a candidate for the Alberta Progressive Conservatives in the 1952 provincial election
, but failed to win a seat in the provincial legislature.
He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons
as Progressive Conservative
Member of Parliament
(MP) from the riding
of Edmonton West
in the 1957 election
. He was returned in the nine following elections, and remained an MP until his retirement prior to the 1984 election
.
Lambert served as Parliamentary Secretary
to the Minister of National Defence
from 1957 to 1958, and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue
until 1962.
Following the defeat of Speaker Roland Michener
in the 1962 election
, Lambert was nominated to the position of Speaker of the House of Commons by Prime Minister John George Diefenbaker.
Lambert presided over the House of Commons during a tenuous minority government
situation. As Speaker, Lambert strived to be very correct in his interpretation of standing orders, ruling opposition questions out of order during Question Period
if they were not strict inquiries and strayed at all into argumentation. This displeased the Opposition and led to his rulings being appealed unsuccessfully.
Lambert refused to allow an emergency debate on the issue of Bomarc missiles that the opposition demanded when an American State Department press release was issued contradicting arguments made by the Diefenbaker government against accepting the missiles. Lambert asserted that the matter was not of sufficient urgency to warrant a special debate. Liberal
leader Lester Pearson challenged Lambert's decision, and the House overturned Lambert's decision by a vote of 122 to 104.
This incident indicated that the government had lost control of the house. Soon after, the government was defeated on a motion of no confidence
on the Bomarc issue. Diefenbaker called an election, and appointed Lambert to Cabinet as Minister of Veterans Affairs
. While Lambert was re-elected in Edmonton, the Progressive Conservative government lost the election, and Lambert's two month career as a cabinet minister came to an end.
With the Conservatives in Opposition, Lambert sided with Diefenbaker's critics, and refused to sign a petition declaring loyalty to the Conservative leader in 1966 when Dalton Camp
attempted to force a leadership review.
In Opposition, Lambert was a leading Critic
in the areas of National Defence and Finance. During the short lived government of Joe Clark
, he was Chairman of the Miscellaneous Estimates Committee, and led it through a flurry of activity.
Lambert retired from the House of Commons at the 1984 election
. He was appointed to the Canadian Transportation Commission by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
following the election.
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 and Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons
Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada is the presiding officer of the lower house of the Parliament of Canada and is elected at the beginning of each new parliament by fellow Members of Parliament...
(1962–1963).
Lambert was born in Edmonton to a French-Canadian father and a Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
mother. He served in the King's Own Calgary Regiment during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and saw action at Dieppe, France.
After returning to Alberta, he was named a Rhodes Scholar
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
in 1946 and in 1947 he entered Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is located in Catte Street, directly opposite the main entrance of the original Bodleian Library. As of 2006, the college had a financial endowment of £52m. There are 612 students , plus various visiting...
(University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
) to study law.
Lambert was a candidate for the Alberta Progressive Conservatives in the 1952 provincial election
Alberta general election, 1952
The Alberta general election of 1952 was the twelfth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on August 5, 1952 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.Ernest C...
, but failed to win a seat in the provincial legislature.
He was first elected to 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...
as Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) from the riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Edmonton West
Edmonton West
Edmonton West was a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1988 and from 1997 to 2004.-Demographics:-History and geography:...
in the 1957 election
Canadian federal election, 1957
The Canadian federal election of 1957 was held June 10, 1957, to select the 265 members of the House of Commons of Canada. In one of the great upsets in Canadian political history, the Progressive Conservative Party , led by John Diefenbaker, brought an end to 22 years of Liberal rule, as the...
. He was returned in the nine following elections, and remained an MP until his retirement prior to the 1984 election
Canadian federal election, 1984
The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...
.
Lambert 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 Minister of National Defence
Minister of National Defence (Canada)
The Minister of National Defence is a Minister of the Crown; the Canadian politician within the Cabinet of Canada responsible for the Department of National Defence which oversees the Canadian Forces....
from 1957 to 1958, and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue
Minister of National Revenue (Canada)
The Minister of National Revenue is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for the Canada Revenue Agency and the administration of taxation law and collection....
until 1962.
Following the defeat of Speaker Roland Michener
Roland Michener
Daniel Roland Michener , commonly known as Roland Michener, was a Canadian lawyer, politician, and diplomat who served as Governor General of Canada, the 20th since Canadian Confederation....
in the 1962 election
Canadian federal election, 1962
The Canadian federal election of 1962 was held on June 18, 1962 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 25th Parliament of Canada...
, Lambert was nominated to the position of Speaker of the House of Commons by Prime Minister John George Diefenbaker.
Lambert presided over the House of Commons during a tenuous minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
situation. As Speaker, Lambert strived to be very correct in his interpretation of standing orders, ruling opposition questions out of order during Question Period
Question Period
Question Period, known officially as Oral Questions occurs each sitting day in the Canadian House of Commons. According to the House of Commons Compendium, “The primary purpose of Question Period is to seek information from the Government and to call it to account for its actions.”-History:The...
if they were not strict inquiries and strayed at all into argumentation. This displeased the Opposition and led to his rulings being appealed unsuccessfully.
Lambert refused to allow an emergency debate on the issue of Bomarc missiles that the opposition demanded when an American State Department press release was issued contradicting arguments made by the Diefenbaker government against accepting the missiles. Lambert asserted that the matter was not of sufficient urgency to warrant a special debate. 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...
leader Lester Pearson challenged Lambert's decision, and the House overturned Lambert's decision by a vote of 122 to 104.
This incident indicated that the government had lost control of the house. Soon after, the government was defeated on a motion of no confidence
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
on the Bomarc issue. Diefenbaker called an election, and appointed Lambert to Cabinet as Minister of Veterans Affairs
Minister of Veterans Affairs (Canada)
The Minister of Veterans Affairs is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet whose position was created in 1944. The Department of Veterans Affairs Canada was split from the Department of Pensions and National Health and was given the responsibility of administering benefits and pensions...
. While Lambert was re-elected in Edmonton, the Progressive Conservative government lost the election, and Lambert's two month career as a cabinet minister came to an end.
With the Conservatives in Opposition, Lambert sided with Diefenbaker's critics, and refused to sign a petition declaring loyalty to the Conservative leader in 1966 when Dalton Camp
Dalton Camp
Dalton Kingsley Camp, PC, OC was a Canadian journalist, politician, political strategist and commentator and supporter of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. Despite having never been elected to a seat in the House of Commons, he was a prominent and influential politician and a popular...
attempted to force a leadership review.
In Opposition, Lambert was a leading Critic
Shadow Cabinet
The Shadow Cabinet is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the government...
in the areas of National Defence and Finance. During the short lived government of Joe Clark
Joe Clark
Charles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
, he was Chairman of the Miscellaneous Estimates Committee, and led it through a flurry of activity.
Lambert retired from the House of Commons at the 1984 election
Canadian federal election, 1984
The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...
. He was appointed to the Canadian Transportation Commission by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
following the election.