The Right Honourable Joe Clark was the youngest Canadian Prime Minister in history, and has served as a Foreign Minister for many years.
Whilst still at university, Clark was heavily involved in student politics, often prioritising it over his course work. He served as the president of the Progressive Conservative Youth Wing at the University of British Columbia during his time there, before leaving college to join the Progressive Conservative Party full time. Clark began to run in provincial elections, and became known for his highly liberal approach to conservative politics. He was a great advocate for a guaranteed minimum income for all citizens, for example. In 1976, he ran for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative party, and won the leadership race when he was just 36, the youngest leader of a party in Canadian history. This unprecedented rise of a relatively inexperienced young politician is a testament to his warm manner, integrity and passion for making people’s lives better. After three years as the leader of the opposition, Clark defeated experienced and confident politician Pierre Trudeau to become the Prime Minister of Canada. His cabinet was run efficiently and effectively, even though his time as leader of the country was brief.
Despite officially retiring from politics in 1993, Clark made a come back in 1998 and served in Parliament again until 2004. He then set up his own consultancy firm, as well as becoming a university professor at McGill University. His book, How We Lead: Canada in a Century of Change, was published in 2013.
