Lowell Murray
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Lowell Murray, Template:Post-nominals (born 26 September 1936) is a former Canadian senator and long-time activist with the federal Progressive Conservative Party.
Education
Murray graduated from St. Francis Xavier University in 1955. He met 16-year-old Brian Mulroney there; the two became close friends and associates in the PC Party.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He later earned an MPA from Queen's University.
In 1961, he became an assistant to federal justice minister Davie Fulton. Later, he served as chief of staff to Progressive Conservative leader Robert Stanfield and then was New Brunswick premier Richard Hatfield's senior advisor.<ref name=GM27Sep2011 />
Appointment to the Senate
Murray was appointed to the Senate on the recommendation of Prime Minister Joe Clark in 1979. In 1986, Prime Minister Mulroney appointed Murray to the Cabinet as Leader of the Government in the Senate, and variously as Minister of State for Federal-Provincial Relations (until 21 April 1991), Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (June 1987 to September 1988), and Acting Minister of Communications (December 1988 to 30 January 1989). Murray served as Government Leader in the Senate until the defeat of the government of Prime Minister Kim Campbell in 1993.
In 2003, Murray joined with Clark to oppose the merger of the Progressive Conservative Party with the Canadian Alliance to form the Conservative Party of Canada. When the new party was created, he refused to join the new Conservative caucus, and, until his retirement remained one of two senators (the other being Elaine McCoy) to sit as "Progressive Conservatives" even though the federal Progressive Conservative Party had been formally dissolved.
Murray was the last senator appointed on the advice of Prime Minister Clark to sit in the Senate. He was the longest-serving member of the body upon his mandatory retirement from the Senate on 26 September 2011, when he attained the age of 75.<ref name=GM27Sep2011>Template:Cite news</ref>
Archives
There is a Lowell Murray fonds at Library and Archives Canada.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
See also
References
External links
Template:S-start Template:Canadian federal ministry navigational box header Template:Ministry box cabinet posts Template:Canadian federal ministry navigational box header Template:Ministry box cabinet posts Template:S-end
Template:Kim Campbell Ministry Template:Mulroney Ministry Template:CA-Ministers of Communications Template:CA-Leaders of the Government in the Senate Template:Ministers of intergovernmental affairs of Canada
- 1936 births
- Canadian senators from Ontario
- Progressive Conservative Party of Canada senators
- Canadian people of Scottish descent
- Living people
- Members of the 24th Canadian Ministry
- Members of the 25th Canadian Ministry
- Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada
- People from New Waterford, Nova Scotia
- St. Francis Xavier University alumni
- Queen's University at Kingston alumni
- 20th-century members of the Senate of Canada
- 21st-century members of the Senate of Canada