Up The Hill

D.M.L. Farr is a professor emeritus of history at Carleton University in
Ottawa.

The recent spate of political memoirs has been dismissed as merely “celebrity memoirs.” Chrétien, Davey, et al have not offered revealing insights into the process of government; they have not written from a sense of Canada’s political traditions; they have not charmed readers by their literary style. Instead their books have been largely concerned with seizing and holding power, an important topic in politics but not the main justification of the memoir.

Donald Johnston’s book differs from the others. Johnston is an intelligent member of Parliament who is more concerned with policies than with personalities. He is genuinely worried that the Liberal party is in danger of eclipse, not because it cannot rally behind a leader but because it has not spent time working out new policies for the rest of the century. Thus Johnston devotes part two, “Taking Action,” to his views on policy. He starts with the East-West arms race and how Canadians should approach it and ends with how to improve the public service and the House of Commons. In between he deals with the deficit, free trade with the United States (he is for it), the tax system, and the environment. His analyses of these issues are thoughtful, and he provides references to back up his positions. (The book has 22 pages of notes, which must make it unique among today’s political memoirs.)

The first part of the book is about Johnston’s early life, his education and work as a lawyer, and his career as an MP. Since he has only been in the House of Commons since 1978 and did not linger long in any of the four cabinet positions he has held, this part of the book is thin. It cannot be termed a reflective account of Johnston’s accomplishments. Still, it contains some amusing anecdotes and has a good chapter on Pierre Trudeau, whom the author has known since 1957 as a friend, a political colleague and as a client for advice on taxation. Johnston is clearly impressed with Trudeau the man, although he is frank enough to state that Trudeau had lost touch with Canadians by 1984. But in the end, he confesses that Trudeau is still an enigma to him.

Up the Hill, especially part two, is a thoughtful contribution to Canadian political writing. Yet one is left with the question: Why was it written? Johnston’s political experience seems as yet too slight to warrant an autobiography. His policy prescriptions are worth reading but is it appropriate to flesh out a memoir with them? Did the author have another motive in writing this book? Is it a springboard for another try at the Liberal leadership? The reader is left wondering as he finishes the book.