Munsinger Affair
Encyclopedia
The Munsinger Affair was Canada
's first national political sex scandal
. It focused on Gerda Munsinger
, an alleged East German prostitute and Soviet
spy living in Ottawa who had slept with a number of cabinet ministers in John Diefenbaker
's government.
Most noted amongst these was the Associate Minister of National Defence, Pierre Sévigny
, who had seen her since 1958 and had even signed Munsinger's application for Canadian citizenship. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police
(RCMP) discovered her background, however, and informed Justice Minister
E. Davie Fulton of her activities. She was deported to East Germany in 1961. The matter was dealt with behind closed doors and Sévigny resigned in 1963.
, matters of Canadian national security were not usually made subject of public debate. In 1966, however, the Liberal
government came under attack for a security breach involving two Soviet diplomats and George Victor Spencer, a Vancouver mail clerk, who had been caught collecting information for the Soviet Embassy.RMCP, Canadian Encyclopedia On March 4, John Diefenbaker called Liberal Justice Minister
Lucien Cardin
"a dwarf in giant's clothing" for his handling of the Spencer case. Cardin rebutted the Tories by bringing up Munsinger's name in the House of Commons. Cardin believed Munsinger was dead, but aimed to criticize Diefenbaker's handling of the case five years earlier.
Munsinger was not dead, however, and was tracked down and interviewed in Munich
by Toronto Daily Star reporter Robert Reguly
. She freely admitted her numerous affairs with government officials to the Canadian media. The story dominated the media for weeks and was followed with rapt attention across the country. It became a massive distraction and all but shut down all other parliamentary activity for some weeks.
A Royal Commission
was eventually held, and in his report, Supreme Court
Justice Wishart Spence
criticized the Diefenbaker government's handling of the case but found no criminal wrongdoing or security breach.
, which would be formally abolished in Canada a decade later.
The newsmagazine series This Hour Has Seven Days
was one of the major news organizations involved in covering the scandal, and when that series was cancelled by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
(CBC) just weeks after the Munsinger Affair broke, it was believed by some observers that the show's dogged pursuit of the story had been one of the real reasons for its cancellation.
Charles Lynch
, bureau chief of Southam News, suggested the Munsinger affair might change Canada's "dull and unexciting" image, and promote the upcoming Expo '67.
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...
's first national political sex scandal
Sex scandal
A sex scandal is a scandal involving allegations or information about possibly-immoral sexual activities being made public. Sex scandals are often associated with movie stars, politicians, famous athletes or others in the public eye, and become scandals largely because of the prominence of the...
. It focused on Gerda Munsinger
Gerda Munsinger
Gerda Munsinger was an East German prostitute and alleged Soviet spy who was the centre of the Munsinger Affair political scandal in Canada....
, an alleged East German prostitute and Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
spy living in Ottawa who had slept with a number of cabinet ministers in John Diefenbaker
John Diefenbaker
John George Diefenbaker, PC, CH, QC was the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 21, 1957, to April 22, 1963...
's government.
Most noted amongst these was the Associate Minister of National Defence, Pierre Sévigny
Pierre Sévigny
Joseph Pierre Albert Sévigny, PC, OC, CD, VM, ED was a Canadian soldier, author, politician, and academic. He is best known for his involvement in the Munsinger Affair....
, who had seen her since 1958 and had even signed Munsinger's application for Canadian citizenship. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
(RCMP) discovered her background, however, and informed Justice Minister
Minister of Justice (Canada)
The Minister of Justice is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for the Department of Justice and is also Attorney General of Canada .This cabinet position is usually reserved for someone with formal legal training...
E. Davie Fulton of her activities. She was deported to East Germany in 1961. The matter was dealt with behind closed doors and Sévigny resigned in 1963.
Possible security breach
After the Gouzenko affairIgor Gouzenko
Igor Sergeyevich Gouzenko was a cipher clerk for the Soviet Embassy to Canada in Ottawa, Ontario. He defected on September 5, 1945, with 109 documents on Soviet espionage activities in the West...
, matters of Canadian national security were not usually made subject of public debate. In 1966, however, 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...
government came under attack for a security breach involving two Soviet diplomats and George Victor Spencer, a Vancouver mail clerk, who had been caught collecting information for the Soviet Embassy.RMCP, Canadian Encyclopedia On March 4, John Diefenbaker called Liberal Justice Minister
Minister of Justice (Canada)
The Minister of Justice is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for the Department of Justice and is also Attorney General of Canada .This cabinet position is usually reserved for someone with formal legal training...
Lucien Cardin
Lucien Cardin
Louis Joseph Lucien Cardin, was a Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician.- Biography :Born in Providence, Rhode Island, the son of Octave Cardin and Eldora Pagé, he studied at Loyola College and at the Université de Montréal. During World War II, he served in the Royal Canadian Navy and was...
"a dwarf in giant's clothing" for his handling of the Spencer case. Cardin rebutted the Tories by bringing up Munsinger's name in the House of Commons. Cardin believed Munsinger was dead, but aimed to criticize Diefenbaker's handling of the case five years earlier.
Munsinger was not dead, however, and was tracked down and interviewed in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
by Toronto Daily Star reporter Robert Reguly
Robert Reguly
Robert Joseph Reguly was a three-time National Newspaper Award-winning journalist.Robert Reguly was born in Fort William, Ontario. He was one of Canada's top news reporters in the 1950s and 1960s...
. She freely admitted her numerous affairs with government officials to the Canadian media. The story dominated the media for weeks and was followed with rapt attention across the country. It became a massive distraction and all but shut down all other parliamentary activity for some weeks.
A Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
was eventually held, and in his report, Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
Justice Wishart Spence
Wishart Spence
Wishart Flett Spence, was a Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.Born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of James Houston Spence and Margaret Hackland, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Toronto in 1925. He received his Bachelor of Law degree from...
criticized the Diefenbaker government's handling of the case but found no criminal wrongdoing or security breach.
Legacy
Possibly in a move to divert attention from the Munsinger affair, Prime Minister Lester Pearson started a public debate on capital punishmentCapital punishment in Canada
Capital punishment in Canada dates back to 1749. Before Canada eliminated the death penalty for murder on July 14, 1976, 1,481 people were sentenced to death, with 710 executed. Of those executed, 697 were men and 13 were women. The only method used in Canada for capital punishment in nonmilitary...
, which would be formally abolished in Canada a decade later.
The newsmagazine series This Hour Has Seven Days
This Hour Has Seven Days
This Hour Has Seven Days is a controversial CBC Television newsmagazine which ran from 1964 to 1966. The show, inspired by the BBC-TV and NBC-TV satire series That Was The Week That Was, was created by Patrick Watson and Douglas Leiterman as an avenue for a more stimulating and boundary-pushing...
was one of the major news organizations involved in covering the scandal, and when that series was cancelled by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
(CBC) just weeks after the Munsinger Affair broke, it was believed by some observers that the show's dogged pursuit of the story had been one of the real reasons for its cancellation.
Charles Lynch
Charles Lynch
Charles Lynch was a Virginia planter and American Revolutionary who headed an irregular court in Virginia to punish Loyalist supporters of the British during the American Revolutionary War. The terms "lynching" and "lynch law" apparently derive from his name.Lynch was born in Virginia to Quaker...
, bureau chief of Southam News, suggested the Munsinger affair might change Canada's "dull and unexciting" image, and promote the upcoming Expo '67.