For most in Prince Albert little introduction is needed as to who John G. Diefenbaker was. He was our Member of Parliament for many years (1953 – 1979). He was known as ‘The Man From Prince Albert.’ He was one of three Prime Ministers elected in Prince Albert (Laurier,  Mackenzie King, John G. Diefenbaker).

Many of our citizens can also recall meeting and shaking the hand of Prime Minister Diefenbaker. His ‘walks on Central Avenue’ were renowned and well remembered – especially for his uncanny ability to call a person by name. He truly was ‘The Man From P.A.’

I too had the honour of meeting our famed Member of Parliament. It was during a Model United Nations Assembly held back in the 1970’s. In fact, during the lunch break, I had the remarkable chance to sit with this ex Prime Minister and talk one to one about foreign affairs – Canada’s. It is a memory I will not forget.

But back to the title of this Whale of a Tale – Dief and Canadian Democracy.

Recently my wife and I made a road trip to Winnipeg. As we drove we listened to a ‘Podcast.’ It was very intriguing. The podcast made a striking claim: “John George Diefenbaker was Canada’s first real prime minister.” That claim certainly caught my attention. Did the creator of the podcast, Craig Baird, not know that Diefenbaker was actually Canada’s 13th prime minister. What was this all about?

I will try to summarize the essence of Baird’s argument in a short sentence.

(Can you really call yourself the Prime Minister of Canada if you do not represent all Canadians?)

 Baird was alluding to the fact that prior to Diefenbaker not all adult Canadians had the right to vote.

Baird had a point. A quick, and certainly not a comprehensive review, of Canada’s voting rights supports the argument. 

Initially, 1867, only men were allowed to vote in Canadian elections – and then only a select group of males: men over 21, men who owned property, men who were non aboriginals, men who were not incarcerated, men of specific religious backgrounds, and only men of specific racial backgrounds. Non Anglo Saxons such as Japanese, Chinese, and East Indians were denied the right to vote. 

Further, in 1917, during W.W.I, the Wartime Election Act denied the vote to possible opponents from certain non English speaking countries, and to conscientious objectors.

It was not until 1918 that women, and then not all women, were given the franchise in federal elections.

 By 1921 only about 50% of adult Canadians could vote.

It was not until 1948 that the property qualification re: voting in a Canadian election was removed.

It was not until 1948 that Canadians of Asian origin gained the right to vote in Canadian elections.

Then in the early 1960’s, and this is the major reason why Craig Baird has a salient point about Diefenbaker’s place  as Prime Minister of Canada, Diefenbaker’s government granted the right to vote to all First Nations and Inuit peoples, a move that led to him  being named an ‘Honorary Chief’ - hence the title of ‘Dief the Chief.’  As well, Diefenbaker eliminated racial discrimination, with all its roadblocks to full citizenship, from Canada’s immigration policy. Diefenbaker wanted ‘One Canada’ for all its citizens! 

So, we can debate the podcast’s claim that Diefenbaker was Canada’s first real Prime Minister, but that debate needs to bear in mind Prime Minister Joe Clark’s (Canada’s 16th Prime Minister) eulogy to Diefenbaker:

“John Diefenbaker opened the politics of our country to those for whom it had always been closed.”