Hugh Segal
Encyclopedia
Hugh Segal, CM
(born October 13, 1950) is a Canadian
senator
, political strategist, author, and commentator. Segal is credited with helping Stephen Harper become Prime Minister by moderating his image.
in the 1998 Progressive Conservative leadership election
. He had also briefly considered running for the leadership in 1993, while serving as chief of staff
to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
.
Segal's political career dates back decades. He was inspired by a visit by Prime Minister John Diefenbaker
to his Montreal High School the early 1960s. Segal is a graduate of the University of Ottawa
. He was an aide to federal Progressive Conservative
Leader of the Opposition
Robert Stanfield
in the early 1970s, while still a university student. At age 21, he was an unsuccessful candidate in Ottawa Centre
for the Canadian House of Commons
in the 1972 general election
. He was defeated again in 1974
.
As a member of the Big Blue Machine, Segal was a senior aide to Ontario Progressive Conservative Premier
Bill Davis
in the 1970s and 1980s and was named Deputy Minister at age 29. In the 1980s and 1990s, Segal became well known for his wit and exuberance as a television pundit. Segal also wrote books and newspaper columns and taught at the School of Policy Studies and the School of Business at Queen's University
in Kingston. He served as President of The Institute for Research on Public Policy, a Montreal think tank, from 1999 to 2006. In the private sector, Segal has been an executive in the advertising, brewing, and financial services industries.
Segal espouses a moderate brand of conservatism that has little in common with British Thatcherism
or U.S. Neo-Conservatism. He is a Red Tory
in the tradition of Benjamin Disraeli and Sir John A. Macdonald
. This political philosophy stresses the common good and promotes social harmony between classes. It is often associated with One Nation Conservatism
. The focus is on order, good government and mutual responsibility. Individual rights and personal freedom are not considered absolute. In his book Beyond Greed: A Traditional Conservative Confronts Neo-Conservative Excess (Toronto: Stoddart, 1997), Segal sought to distinguish what he called “traditional” conservatives from neo-conservatives, notably those in the United States.
In an earlier book, his 1996 memoir No Surrender (page 225) Segal wrote: "Progressive Conservatives cannot embrace the nihilistic defeatism that masquerades as a neo-conservative polemic in support of individual freedom and disengagement." He went on to deplore "American fast-food conservatism." In a speech to the National Press Club on June 21, 1995, Segal referred to the "selfish and directionless nature of the American revolution -- which was more about self-interest, mercantile opportunity, and who collected what tax than it was about tolerance or freedom."
Segal opposed on civil liberties
grounds the imposition of the War Measures Act
by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
in the October Crisis
of 1970. He favours strengthening Canada's military and encouraging investment, while maintaining a strong social safety net
. His 1998 proposal to reduce Canada's Goods and Services Tax
from 7% to 6% (and then 5%) was adopted by Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party in 2005. During his leadership campaign he stated his support for capital punishment
.
In 2003, Segal was made a Member of the Order of Canada
. He was appointed to the Senate of Canada in 2005 by Liberal
Prime Minister Paul Martin
. Segal holds an honorary doctorate from of the Royal Military College of Canada
. He lives in Kingston, Ontario
, and is a faculty member in Queen's University
's School of Policy Studies. Segal's most recent book is The Long Road Back: The Conservative Journey, 1993-2006 (Toronto: HarperCollins, 2006).
Segal was the chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee until he "reluctantly" agreed to resign on the request of the government who reportedly wished to appoint a more ideologically conservative Senator to the role after the committee issued a report critical of the Conservative government's foreign aid policy. Segal insisted however that the move was an administrative one.http://www.thestar.com/News/article/184340
Segal is currently the Chair of the Special Senate Committee on Anti-Terrorism.
On July 7, 2010, he was appointed to the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group by Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma. The group's mandate is to set out decisive recommendations on how to strengthen the Commonwealth and fulfill its potential in the 21st century.
He is the brother of corporate executive Brian Segal
and artist Seymour Segal. He is married to Donna Armstrong Segal, a former Ontario Ministry of Health executive. They have one daughter, Jacqueline.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(born October 13, 1950) is a Canadian
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...
, political strategist, author, and commentator. Segal is credited with helping Stephen Harper become Prime Minister by moderating his image.
Life and career
Segal finished second to Joe ClarkJoe Clark
Charles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
in the 1998 Progressive Conservative leadership election
Progressive Conservative leadership conventions
The first Progressive Conservative Party of Canada leadership election was held in 1927, when the party was called the Conservative Party. Prior to then the party's leader was chosen by caucus....
. He had also briefly considered running for the leadership in 1993, while serving as chief of staff
Chief of Staff (Canada)
The Chief of Staff of Canada's Prime Minister's Office is the top official of the office. It was created in 1987 to head the Prime Minister's Office or PMO....
to Prime Minister 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...
.
Segal's political career dates back decades. He was inspired by a visit by Prime Minister John Diefenbaker
John Diefenbaker
John George Diefenbaker, PC, CH, QC was the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 21, 1957, to April 22, 1963...
to his Montreal High School the early 1960s. Segal is a graduate of the University of Ottawa
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
. He was an aide to federal 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 of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (Canada)
The Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition , or simply the Leader of the Opposition is the leader of Canada's Official Opposition, the party with the most seats in the House of Commons that is not a member of the government...
Robert Stanfield
Robert Stanfield
Robert Lorne Stanfield, PC, QC was the 17th Premier of Nova Scotia and leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. He is sometimes referred to as "the greatest prime minister Canada never had", and earned the nickname "Honest Bob"...
in the early 1970s, while still a university student. At age 21, he was an unsuccessful candidate in Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre is an urban federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968...
for 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 1972 general election
Canadian federal election, 1972
The Canadian federal election of 1972 was held on October 30, 1972 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 29th Parliament of Canada. It resulted in a slim victory for the governing Liberal Party, which won 109 seats, compared to 107 seats for the opposition Progressive...
. He was defeated again in 1974
Canadian federal election, 1974
The Canadian federal election of 1974 was held on July 8, 1974 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 30th Parliament of Canada. The governing Liberal Party won its first majority government since 1968, and gave Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau his third term...
.
As a member of the Big Blue Machine, Segal was a senior aide to Ontario Progressive Conservative Premier
Premier of Ontario
The Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario...
Bill Davis
Bill Davis
William Grenville "Bill" Davis, was the 18th Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1971 to 1985. Davis was first elected as the MPP for Peel in the 1959 provincial election where he was a backbencher in Leslie Frost's government. Under John Robarts, he was a cabinet minister overseeing the education...
in the 1970s and 1980s and was named Deputy Minister at age 29. In the 1980s and 1990s, Segal became well known for his wit and exuberance as a television pundit. Segal also wrote books and newspaper columns and taught at the School of Policy Studies and the School of Business at Queen's University
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
in Kingston. He served as President of The Institute for Research on Public Policy, a Montreal think tank, from 1999 to 2006. In the private sector, Segal has been an executive in the advertising, brewing, and financial services industries.
Segal espouses a moderate brand of conservatism that has little in common with British Thatcherism
Thatcherism
Thatcherism describes the conviction politics, economic and social policy, and political style of the British Conservative politician Margaret Thatcher, who was leader of her party from 1975 to 1990...
or U.S. Neo-Conservatism. He is a Red Tory
Red Tory
A red Tory is an adherent of a particular political philosophy, tradition, and disposition in Canada somewhat similar to the High Tory tradition in the United Kingdom; it is contrasted with "blue Tory". In Canada, the phenomenon of "red toryism" has fundamentally, if not exclusively, been found in...
in the tradition of Benjamin Disraeli and Sir John A. Macdonald
John A. Macdonald
Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
. This political philosophy stresses the common good and promotes social harmony between classes. It is often associated with One Nation Conservatism
One Nation Conservatism
One nation, one nation conservatism, and Tory democracy are terms used in political debate in the United Kingdom to refer to a certain wing of the Conservative Party...
. The focus is on order, good government and mutual responsibility. Individual rights and personal freedom are not considered absolute. In his book Beyond Greed: A Traditional Conservative Confronts Neo-Conservative Excess (Toronto: Stoddart, 1997), Segal sought to distinguish what he called “traditional” conservatives from neo-conservatives, notably those in the United States.
In an earlier book, his 1996 memoir No Surrender (page 225) Segal wrote: "Progressive Conservatives cannot embrace the nihilistic defeatism that masquerades as a neo-conservative polemic in support of individual freedom and disengagement." He went on to deplore "American fast-food conservatism." In a speech to the National Press Club on June 21, 1995, Segal referred to the "selfish and directionless nature of the American revolution -- which was more about self-interest, mercantile opportunity, and who collected what tax than it was about tolerance or freedom."
Segal opposed on civil liberties
Civil liberties
Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...
grounds the imposition of the War Measures Act
War Measures Act
The War Measures Act was a Canadian statute that allowed the government to assume sweeping emergency powers in the event of "war, invasion or insurrection, real or apprehended"...
by Prime Minister 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,...
in the October Crisis
October Crisis
The October Crisis was a series of events triggered by two kidnappings of government officials by members of the Front de libération du Québec during October 1970 in the province of Quebec, mainly in the Montreal metropolitan area.The circumstances ultimately culminated in the only peacetime use...
of 1970. He favours strengthening Canada's military and encouraging investment, while maintaining a strong social safety net
Social safety net
Social safety nets, or "socioeconomic safety nets", are non-contributory transfer programs seeking to prevent the poor or those vulnerable to shocks and poverty from falling below a certain poverty level. Safety net programs can be provided by the public sector or by the private sector...
. His 1998 proposal to reduce Canada's Goods and Services Tax
Goods and Services Tax (Canada)
The Goods and Services Tax is a multi-level value added tax introduced in Canada on January 1, 1991, by then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and his finance minister Michael Wilson. The GST replaced a hidden 13.5% Manufacturers' Sales Tax ; Mulroney claimed the GST was implemented because the MST...
from 7% to 6% (and then 5%) was adopted by Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party in 2005. During his leadership campaign he stated his support for capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
.
In 2003, Segal was made a Member of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. He was appointed to the Senate of Canada in 2005 by 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...
Prime Minister Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
. Segal holds an honorary doctorate from of the Royal Military College of Canada
Royal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
. He lives in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, and is a faculty member in Queen's University
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
's School of Policy Studies. Segal's most recent book is The Long Road Back: The Conservative Journey, 1993-2006 (Toronto: HarperCollins, 2006).
Segal was the chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee until he "reluctantly" agreed to resign on the request of the government who reportedly wished to appoint a more ideologically conservative Senator to the role after the committee issued a report critical of the Conservative government's foreign aid policy. Segal insisted however that the move was an administrative one.http://www.thestar.com/News/article/184340
Segal is currently the Chair of the Special Senate Committee on Anti-Terrorism.
On July 7, 2010, he was appointed to the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group by Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma. The group's mandate is to set out decisive recommendations on how to strengthen the Commonwealth and fulfill its potential in the 21st century.
He is the brother of corporate executive Brian Segal
Brian Segal
Brian Segal is a publishing executive and former university administrator. He is the president and CEO of the Rogers Publishing division of Rogers Communications....
and artist Seymour Segal. He is married to Donna Armstrong Segal, a former Ontario Ministry of Health executive. They have one daughter, Jacqueline.
Videos
- How Canadian conservatism differs from the American version Online video conference by Hugh Segal, part of the larger Predominance in the U.S. : A Moment or an Era ? 21 experts from the U.S. and abroad, including former Bush speechwriter David Frum, ponder the future of conservatism.