Marc Lalonde

Lalonde, Marc

Marc Lalonde, politician (b at Ile-Perrot, Qué 26 July 1929). Educated at U de M, Oxford and U of Ottawa, Lalonde at first sought a legal and academic career but interrupted it to become special adviser in 1959-60 to E. Davie FULTON, minister of justice under PM DIEFENBAKER. After practising law in Montréal, Lalonde returned to Ottawa as special adviser to PM PEARSON in 1967, and stayed on in the PMO as Pierre TRUDEAU'S principal secretary 1968-72.

In 1972 he ran successfully for Parliament, and under Trudeau held various portfolios, including minister of national health and welfare (now HEALTH CANADA), minister of state for federal-provincial relations, minister of energy, mines and resources (1980-82) - in which capacity he implemented the National ENERGY POLICY - and minister of finance under both Trudeau and PM TURNER (1982-84). Lalonde was closely identified with Trudeau and his various causes and was a vigorous federalist advocate in Québec and Ottawa. A partner with the Stikeman, Elliott law firm, Lalonde has been an ad hoc judge for the International Court of Justice since 1995, and he has acted on Canada's behalf in trade disputes, including those with Brazil over aircraft subsidies, with Spain over fishing rights, and regarding the North American Free Trade Agreement. He retired from politics in 1984, following the resignation of Trudeau, and returned to private business. An Officer of the Order of Canada, Lalonde holds several directorships and is chairman of the board of the Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal.