Eymard Corbin
Encyclopedia
Eymard Georges Corbin is a retired Canadian
Senator
.
Corbin, a teacher and journalist by profession, was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons
in the 1968 election
as the Liberal
Member of Parliament
for Madawaska—Victoria
in New Brunswick
.
He served as a parliamentary secretary
in the early 1970s, Minister of Fisheries
and Forestry from October 1, 1970 to June 10, 1971, and Deputy Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons
in 1984.
In July, 1984, he was one of three appointees to the Canadian Senate
made by Prime Minister
John Turner
as part of a controversial agreement with his predecessor, Pierre Trudeau
. Turner had agreed to make several patronage appointments on Trudeau's behalf in order to prevent Trudeau from creating enough vacancies in the House of Commons to leave Turner with a minority government
.
Turner was famously blasted for the arrangement by Progressive Conservative
leader Brian Mulroney
during a nationally-televised leaders' debate during the 1984 election
. The exchange between Mulroney and Turner in which Turner claimed he "had no option" was a turning point in the campaign, and contributed to the defeat of Turner's government in the election.
Corbin was the last remaining Turner appointee in the Senate when he retired on August 2, 2009.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Senator
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
.
Corbin, a teacher and journalist by profession, was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
in the 1968 election
Canadian federal election, 1968
The Canadian federal election of 1968 was held on June 25, 1968, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 28th Parliament of Canada...
as the Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Madawaska—Victoria
Madawaska—Victoria
Madawaska—Victoria was a federal electoral district in New Brunswick, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1997....
in New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
.
He served as a parliamentary secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
in the early 1970s, Minister of Fisheries
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, frequently referred to as DFO , is the department within the government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and scientific interests in oceans and inland waters...
and Forestry from October 1, 1970 to June 10, 1971, and Deputy Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons
Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada is the presiding officer of the lower house of the Parliament of Canada and is elected at the beginning of each new parliament by fellow Members of Parliament...
in 1984.
In July, 1984, he was one of three appointees to the Canadian Senate
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
made by Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
John Turner
John Turner
John Napier Wyndham Turner, PC, CC, QC is an English Canadian lawyer and retired politician, who served as the 17th Prime Minister of Canada from June 30 to September 17, 1984....
as part of a controversial agreement with his predecessor, Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
. Turner had agreed to make several patronage appointments on Trudeau's behalf in order to prevent Trudeau from creating enough vacancies in the House of Commons to leave Turner with a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
.
Turner was famously blasted for the arrangement by Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
leader Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
during a nationally-televised leaders' debate during the 1984 election
Canadian federal election, 1984
The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...
. The exchange between Mulroney and Turner in which Turner claimed he "had no option" was a turning point in the campaign, and contributed to the defeat of Turner's government in the election.
Corbin was the last remaining Turner appointee in the Senate when he retired on August 2, 2009.