As a former prime minister, John Diefenbaker in the 1970s enjoyed one of the finest offices on Parliament Hill.
asserted
Diefenbaker → enjoy → Hill
It wasn’t that the place was large or luxurious, but it was located on the fourth floor of the Centre Block, at the back of the building, so it afforded magnificent views of the Ottawa River and far beyond to the Gatineau Hills of Quebec.
asserted
it → locate → Quebec
Memorabilia hung on every wall and covered every surface.
asserted
Memorabilia → hang → surface
On display a swordfish Diefenbaker had caught in the Caribbean; there was also an RCMP horse blanket spread across a couch.
asserted
Diefenbaker → catch → couch
The House of Commons was packed to the rafters whenever Dief spoke.
asserted
Dief → pack → rafters
Some showed up in case this was his last speech; they wanted to be on hand for the great occasion.
asserted
they → show → occasion
Others came because they admired his oratory or his supple capacity to get under the government’s skin.
asserted
they → come → skin
Dief never disappointed; he was always entertaining, even spellbinding at times.
asserted
he → disappoint → times
Visitors to his office often saw a different Dief than the public persona.
asserted
Visitors → see → persona
This was a man who felt terribly wronged by his own party and could never forgive the “termites” — as he called them — who had done him in.
uncertain
who → wrong → him
None of his supportive acolytes were so misguided that they thought he was going to return to the glory days of the past, but there were many who listened to his tirades and fed his firm belief that no one matched his capacity for leadership, particularly that fellow who replaced him, Robert Stanfield.
asserted
who → think → him
Among the many who listened to Dief was Progressive Conservative Party President Donald Matthews.
asserted
Matthews → listen → Dief
When he was growing up in Brantford, Ont., Matthews was the most enthusiastic among the 10 siblings about what his father did on city council.
asserted
father → grow → council
When his father ran for mayor in 1946, Matthews was involved and put up lawn signs.
asserted
Matthews → run → signs
But it wasn’t just his father who stimulated his interest in public life and community service.
asserted
who → stimulate → life
His mother also cared about anyone who was in need.
asserted
who → care → need
She told Matthews to bring any friends home after school if they had brought no lunch and she would give them sandwiches, cheese and glasses of milk.
asserted
she → tell → milk
Once Matthews became party president, he called upon Dief to pay his respects.
asserted
he → become → respects
The first thing they talked about was Matthews’ visit to the Queen’s University model parliament back when Matthews was leader of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF).
asserted
Matthews → talk → Federation
Dief remembered the occasion vividly and recalled the question Matthews put to him.
asserted
Matthews → remember → him
Dief replayed the incident perfectly and showed particular relish in describing how he had then shot down Matthews in flames.
asserted
he → replay → flames
After all, it was Camp who had toppled Dief from the leadership.
asserted
who → topple → leadership
Camp had been elected party president in 1964 and called for a leadership review in 1966.
asserted
Camp → elect → 1966
While Camp portrayed the vote as simply an exercise in democracy, Dief viewed it as nothing more than a sign of disloyalty and disobedience.
asserted
Dief → portray → disloyalty
Dief had won two majority governments in 1958 and 1962, then lost twice to Lester Pearson, in 1963 and 1965, both happening after Camp had convinced everyone Dief would never win office as long as Dief was in charge.
asserted
Dief → win → charge
Others went on to have pride of place in the Senate including Pamela Wallin and Mike Duffy.
asserted
Others → go → Wallin
As a senator Duffy was charged with fraud, among other misdeeds, but was eventually cleared, and resumed his official duties.
asserted
Duffy → charge → duties
Joyce Fairbairn was among the very few Ottawa hands who, at one time or another, served in all three possible pursuits on the Hill: journalism, legislative assistant to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, and as government leader in the Senate under Jean Chretien.
asserted
who → serve → Chretien
Every morning, a few Dief loyalists from the press gallery would visit Dief, hoping their visit had been spotted by Stanfield’s staff.
asserted
visit → visit → staff
As result, Stanfield never enjoyed the honours he should have.
asserted
he → enjoy → honours
Even coming close to victory as he did in 1974 wasn’t enough.
asserted
he → come → 1974
He’d lost three elections: 1968, 1972 and 1974.
asserted
He → lose → elections
His party remained Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, but after that many defeats, Stanfield had little choice but to resign as leader of the opposition.
asserted
Stanfield → remain → opposition
Dief could only revel in Stanfield’s humiliation.
uncertain
Dief → revel → humiliation
The Aporia
