Ranking Canada's Prime Ministers, Worst to Best

It's been a long time since I tried my hand at a historical article. This'll be fun.

So one month ago the United States celebrated President's Day and as usual the New York Times put out its rankings of all US presidents. Donald Trump was ranked last. While ridiculous (he's only been in office one year!), this hardly comes as a surprise. You know, mainstream media and all. This got me thinking what my own rankings would be if I were to undertake it myself. And that's exactly what I did.

But what kind of patriot would I be if I didn't include my own country in this fun little exercise? That's why this week I'm presenting my rankings of all 23 of Canada's Prime Ministers from worst to best. Here's the guidelines. Each person on this list is judged only on the actions they undertook during their premiership. (For example, Lester Pearson's Nobel Peace Prize won't be taken into consideration because he was only Secretary of State for External Affairs at the time.) For each PM I'll present the reasons why I gave them the rank I did. As you might expect, the short term PM's all ended up at the end of the list, from the 15-23 range.

As one might expect, a list like this is going to be very political and so of course this is all just a matter of opinion. (Having said that, I did study Canadian history in university so I think I know what I'm talking about.) Anyways, disagree if you like.

23. John Turner (1984, Liberal)

• Pros: ???
• Cons: his 79 day-long term was characterized by patronage appointments which he was called out on. His leadership was weak and indecisive.

    22. Joe Clark (1979-80, Progressive Conservative)

• Pros: ???
• Cons: served 9 months. Defeated in motion of no confidence on his first budget.

    21. John Abbott (1891-92, Conservative)

• Pros: Revised the criminal code
• Cons: served for 17 months. Only took office because John A. MacDonald died and somebody had to take his place. Hated his job. Retired due to ill health.

    20. Mackenzie Bowell (1894-96, Conservative)

• Pros: ???
• Cons: served for 17 months. Couldn't handle Manitoba Schools Question, which led to a cabinet revolt. Indecisive.

19. Justin Trudeau (2015-present, Liberal)

• Pros: ???
• Cons: no budget plan whatsoever, pro-multiculturalism, political correctness ad nauseam, openly praised dictatorships of China and Cuba, sees former ISIS combatants as citizens

18. Kim Campbell (1993, Progressive Conservative)

• Pros: first and only female PM of Canada; reduced size of cabinet and parliament committees
• Cons: only served for 4 months, quickly squandered her early popularity

17. Charles Tupper (1896, Conservative)

• Pros: ???
• Cons: his 68-day term is shortest in Canadian history. Took office after parliament had already dissolved, which didn't give him much of a chance. Failed to offer a solution to the Manitoba schools question

16. Arthur Meighen (1920-21, 1926, Conservative)

• Pros: ???
• Cons: served a total of 21 months

15. John Thompson (1892-1894, Conservative)

• Pros: helped settle the Bering Sea seal dispute, reformed the criminal code, was anti-annexationist (as all good Canadians should be)
• Cons: failed to resolve the Manitoba Schools Question, failed to bring Newfoundland into Confederation

14. Paul Martin (2003-06, Liberal)

• Pros: heavily involved in the G20
• Cons: also involved in the Sponsorship Scandal

13. Richard Bennett (1930-35, Conservative)

• Pros: workaholic, created CRBC (precursor to CBC), founded the Bank of Canada, donated millions of dollars of his own personal wealth to starving families
• Cons: had the misfortune of taking office at the beginning of the Great Depression. He dealt with it through ineffective and unpopular half-measures, such as the Relief Camps (which resulted in strikes and riots). His half-hearted attempt at replicating FDR's New Deal was seen as too little too late

12. Pierre Trudeau (1968-79, 1980-84, Liberal)

• Pros: tenacious nationalist, repatriated the constitution, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Handled the October Crisis well, effectively dissolving the FLQ
• Cons: cult of personality? Multiculturalism, massively grew the national debt, doled out lots of patronage positions, was never able to get a handle on unemployment and inflation. National Energy Program and other policies alienate Western Canadians. Constitutional disputes alienate Quebecois

11. Alexander Mackenzie (1873-78, Liberal)

• Pros: established the Supreme Court, introduced the secret ballot, created the office of Auditor General, promoted honesty/integrity within government
• Cons: made little progress on the national railway, didn't handle 1873 Depression well, free trade deal with USA was unpopular

10. William Lyon Mackenzie King (1921-26, 1926-30, 1935-48, Liberal)

• Pros: longest-serving prime minister, garnered broad support, workaholic, Chanak Crisis. Conducted Second World War, Canada becomes “arsenal of democracy”, ends war as a “middle power”, joins UN
• Cons: nationalized Bank of Canada, big-government interventionism, beginnings of welfare state, refused to accept Jewish refugees from Europe. Improper use of War Measures Act, Japanese internment/disenfranchisement, Conscription crisis. Occultist who communed with spirits on policy issues

9. Lester Pearson (1963-68, Liberal)

• Pros: new national flag, abolished capital punishment, Autopact with the USA, kept Canada out of the Vietnam War
• Cons: established the Canada Pension Plan, universal healthcare, expanded immigration from 3^rd world

8. Jean Cretien (1993-2003, Liberal)

• Pros: privatized the CNR, eliminated budget deficits, lowered the national debt, cut taxes, reformed national bureaucracy. Handled the 1995 Quebec Referendum well. Committed Canada to the Afghanistan War but kept it out of the Iraq War
• Cons: opened floodgates to 3^rd world immigration and multiculturalism, “Shawinigan Handshake”, Sponsorship Scandal. Broken election promises

7. John Diefenbaker (1957-63, Progressive Conservative)

• Pros: Bill of Rights, restored the vote to status Indians, commitment to NORAD, opposed apartheid in South Africa
• Cons: Bomarc Missiles Question, mishandled the Cuban Missile Crisis, Coyne Affair

6. Brian Mulroney (1984-93, Progressive Conservative)

• Pros: cancelled National Energy Program, privatized crown corporations, reduced government spending, free trade with USA, opposed US intervention in Central America, enacted environmental protection laws, added national parks
• Cons: under-funded the armed forces, added to the national debt, Airbus Affair. Finances were complicated by early 1990's recession. Alienated Quebec with clumsy attempts at constitutional reform during Meech Lake and Charlottetown Accords

5. Stephen Harper (2006-15, Conservative)

• Pros: Federal Accountability Act, Softwood Lumber Agreement, increased funding to veterans affairs. Helped Canada weather the late-2000's recession better than most Western nations with such policies as the Economic Action Plan
• Cons: Quebecois Nation Motion, decreased government transparency, sold arms to Saudi Arabia, made a mountain out of a molehill with the Niqab issue

4. Robert Borden (1911-20, Conservative, Unionist)

• Pros: conducted the First World War, leading Canada to greater nationhood in the process with Canada's delegation to the Treaty of Versailles and membership in the League of Nations. Granted women the right to vote
• Cons: introduced income tax, Wartime Elections Act disenfranchised many. Created the War Measures Act and used it to intern/disenfranchise Ukranian-Canadians. Conscription crisis alienated Quebec. Used violence to put down Winnipeg General Strike

3. Louis St. Laurent (1948-57, Liberal)

• Pro: with its “middle power” status Canada maintains active foreign policy with joining NATO, participating in Korean War, helping resolve Suez Crisis. Massive public works projects such as Trans-Canada Highway, Trans-Canada Pipeline, St. Lawrence Seaway. Added Newfoundland & Labrador to confederation. Anti-communist without infringing on liberty. Fiscally conservative (at least in the short-term), decreased the government debt
• Cons: introduced equalization payments, expanded social welfare programs

2. Wilfrid Laurier (1896-1911, Liberal)

• Pros: winner of 4 majority governments, made reciprocity with USA work, upholder of individual liberty. Added Alberta and Saskatchewan to confederation. Came up with peaceful compromises on contentious issues like the Manitoba Schools Question and Canada's involvement in the Boer War. Founded the Royal Canadian Navy. Maintained national unity during period of great changes
• Cons: naval compromise was unpopular, took away suffrage for status Indians

1. John A. MacDonald (1867-73, 1878-91, Conservative)

• Pros: Country's first prime minister. Winner of 6 majority governments, popular with both English- and French-speaking Canadians. Incorporated Rupert's Land into Canadian territory. Added Northwest Territories, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, and British Columbia to confederation. Put down Red River Rebellion and Northwest Rebellion. Established Northwest Mounted Police (now RCMP), built national railway, fostered a national identity. Nation-building with National Policy
• Cons: alcoholic, Pacific Scandal. Execution of Louis Riel in 1885 alienated French-Canadians

That about does it. Check back again soon when I rank all US presidents.