Walter L. Gordon
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Walter Lockhart Gordon, PC, CC, FCA, LL.D (January 27, 1906 – March 25, 1987) was a Canadian politician and businessman.
Born in Toronto, he was educated at Upper Canada College and the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario. Upon graduation, he joined the family accounting firm of Clarkson, Gordon and Company.
During World War II, Gordon served in the Bank of Canada and the federal Ministry of Finance. In 1946, he chaired the Royal Commission on Administrative Classifications in the Public Service.
From 1955 to 1957, Gordon chaired the Royal Commission on Canada's Economic Prospects. The Commission's reports, issued in 1956 and 1957, expressed concern about growing foreign ownership in the Canadian economy, particularly in the resource sector, and made recommendations to redress the problem. The themes raised in the reports were revisited by Gordon in his government career.
In the 1962 federal election, he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal. He was Minister of Finance from 1963 to 1965 and President of the Privy Council from 1967 to 1968 in the government of Prime Minister Lester Pearson. He was noted for his economic nationalism and his support for new social programs.
After leaving politics in 1968, he returned to business. He continued to argue for economic nationalist causes and in 1968, along with Peter C. Newman of the Toronto Star; economist Abraham Rotstein; and University of Toronto professor Mel Watkins, founded the Committee for an Independent Canada. Canadian historian Jack Granatstein argues in Yankee Go Home? that the CIC 'helped to create the atmosphere in which Trudeau's government established the Canada Development Corporation in 1971 to "buy back" Canada.'
Gordon was the Chancellor of York University.
According to Dr. Stephen Azzi, Walter Gordon is responsible for "New Nationalism" in Canada. This is the idea of supporting stronger ties with Britain to prevent Canada being absorbed by USA.
In 1976, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada.
He died in 1987.
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| Parliament of Canada | ||
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| Preceded by Murray Douglas Morton |
Member of Parliament for Davenport 1962-1968 |
Succeeded by Charles Caccia |
| Academic offices | ||
| Preceded by Floyd Chalmers |
Chancellor of York University 1973–1977 |
Succeeded by John Robarts |
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