Joe Greene (Ontario politician)

The Honorable
Joe Greene
PC QC DFC
Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources
In office
6 July 1968 – 27 January 1972
Prime MinisterPierre Trudeau
Preceded byJean-Luc Pépin
Succeeded byDonald Stovel Macdonald
Minister of Agriculture
In office
18 December 1965 – 5 July 1968
Prime MinisterLester B. Pearson
Pierre Trudeau
Preceded byHarry Hays
Succeeded byBud Olson
Senator for Niagara, Ontario
In office
1 September 1972 – 23 October 1978
Appointed byPierre Trudeau
Member of Parliament
for Niagara Falls
In office
25 June 1968 – 31 August 1972
Preceded byJudy LaMarsh
Succeeded byJoe Hueglin
Member of Parliament
for Renfrew South
In office
8 April 1963 – 24 June 1968
Preceded byJames William Baskin
Succeeded byRiding dissolved
Personal details
Born
John James Greene

(1920-06-24)24 June 1920
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Died23 October 1978(1978-10-23) (aged 58)
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Political partyLiberal
Spouse
Corinne Bedore
​
(m. 1948)​
Children5
ProfessionLawyer
Military service
AllegianceCanada
Branch/serviceRoyal Canadian Air Force
Years of service1941–1945
RankFlight lieutenant
AwardsDistinguished Flying Cross
Mentioned in dispatches

John James "Joe" Greene PC QC DFC (24 June 1920 – 23 October 1978) was a Canadian politician.[1]

Life and career

Greene was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Andrée (née Charpagnol) and Peter Greene.[2] He grew up in Toronto before finding work in northern Ontario as a mine worker.[3] [citation needed]

After graduating from the University of Toronto Schools, he served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross.[1][4] Following the war, he earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto and a law degree from Osgoode Hall. He began practice in Toronto, establishing a law firm in Arnprior, Ontario[2] in 1949. In 1948, he married Corinne Bedore.[2]

He ran for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party in 1958, placing a poor third at the party's leadership convention.

He was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada as a Liberal in the 1963 general election.[1] In 1964, he ran again for the leadership of the Ontario Liberals, placing fourth.

In 1965, he became Minister of Agriculture in the cabinet of Lester Pearson,[1] one of the few non-farmers to hold the position and the first easterner in 54 years. In 1968, he ran to succeed Pearson in that year's federal Liberal leadership convention, but despite giving what many say was the best speech, he came in fifth place. After three ballots, he threw his support to Pierre Trudeau, contributing towards his victory.[3] The new Prime Minister made Greene Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources.[1]

Greene moved to the riding of Niagara Falls, Ontario in the 1968 election, and was again elected to Parliament. As energy minister,[1] Greene prevented the sale of both the largest oil company under Canadian control and Canada's largest uranium producer to Americans.

Greene suffered a heart attack in 1969, and was required to take a temporary leave of absence from parliament. Otto Lang served as the acting minister of Energy, Mines and Resources in this period.[5] Green later suffered a stroke in late 1971. Greene retired from cabinet in January 1972 when he was appointed to the Senate of Canada.[1]

He died in 1978, aged 58.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Joe Greene – Parliament of Canada biography
  2. ^ a b c Johnson, J.K. (1968). The Canadian Directory of Parliament, 1867-1967. Public Archives of Canada.
  3. ^ a b Francis, Lloyd (2000). Ottawa boy: an autobiography. General Store Publishing House. pp. 96–7. ISBN 1-894263-30-8. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  4. ^ Walter Stewart, "Which of these men will be Captain Canada, 1971?" Maclean's, Nov. 1, 1970, 31.
  5. ^ Winnipeg Free Press, 5 February 1969, p. 15
Parliament of Canada
Preceded by Member of Parliament from Renfrew South
1963–1968 		Succeeded by
The electoral district was abolished in 1966.
Preceded by Member of Parliament from Niagara Falls
1968–1972 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Agriculture
1965–1968 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources
1968–1972 		Succeeded by