View source for Joe Clark

{{Short description|Prime Minister of Canada from 1979 to 1980 (born 1939)}}
{{For-multi|other people named Joe Clark|Joseph Clark (disambiguation){{!}}Joseph Clark|the folk song|Old Joe Clark}}
{{BLP sources|date=April 2020}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix    = [[The Right Honourable]]
| name                = Joe Clark
| honorific_suffix    = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|PC|CC|AOE|size=100%}}
| image               = Joe Clark being interviewed 1979 crop.jpg
| caption             = Clark in 1979
| order               = 16th
| office              = Prime Minister of Canada
| term_start          = June 4, 1979
| term_end            = March 3, 1980
| monarch             = [[Elizabeth II]]
| governor_general    = [[Edward Schreyer]]
| predecessor         = [[Pierre Trudeau]]
| successor           = Pierre Trudeau
| office1             = [[Leader of the Official Opposition (Canada)|Leader of the Opposition]]
| term_start1         = March 4, 1980
| term_end1           = February 19, 1983
| predecessor1        = Pierre Trudeau
| successor1          = [[Erik Nielsen]]
| term_start2         = February 22, 1976
| term_end2           = June 3, 1979
| predecessor2        = [[Robert Stanfield]]
| successor2          = Pierre Trudeau
| office3             = Leader of the [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada]]
| term_start3         = November 14, 1998
| term_end3           = May 31, 2003
| predecessor3        = [[Elsie Wayne]] (interim)
| successor3          = [[Peter MacKay]]
| term_start4         = February 22, 1976
| term_end4           = February 19, 1983
| predecessor4        = Robert Stanfield
| successor4          = Erik Nielsen (interim)
| office5             = [[President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada|President of the Privy Council]]
| term_start5         = April 21, 1991
| term_end5           = June 24, 1993
| primeminister5      = [[Brian Mulroney]]
| predecessor5        = [[Don Mazankowski]]
| successor5          = [[Pierre Blais]]
| office6             = [[Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada|Minister of Justice<br />Attorney General of Canada]]
| primeminister6      = Brian Mulroney
| term_start6         = December 8, 1988
| term_end6           = January 29, 1989
| predecessor6        = [[Ray Hnatyshyn]]
| successor6          = [[Doug Lewis (politician)|Doug Lewis]]
| termlabel6          = Acting
| office7             = [[Minister of Foreign Affairs (Canada)|Secretary of State for External Affairs]]
| term_start7         = September 17, 1984
| term_end7           = April 20, 1991
| primeminister7      = Brian Mulroney
| predecessor7        = [[Jean Chrétien]]
| successor7          = [[Barbara McDougall]]
{{Collapsed infobox section begin |last=yes |House of Commons constituencies
 |titlestyle=border:1px dashed lightgrey;}}{{Infobox officeholder |embed=yes
| riding8             = [[Kings—Hants]]
| parliament8         = Canadian
| term_start8         = September 11, 2000
| term_end8           = November 27, 2000
| majority8           =
| predecessor8        = [[Scott Brison]]
| successor8          = Scott Brison
| riding7             = [[Calgary Centre]]
| parliament7         = Canadian
| term_start7         = November 27, 2000
| term_end7           = June 28, 2004
| majority7           =
| predecessor7        = [[Eric Lowther]]
| successor7          = [[Lee Richardson (politician)|Lee Richardson]]
| parliament9         = Canadian
| riding9             = [[Yellowhead (electoral district)|Yellowhead]]<br />([[Rocky Mountain (federal electoral district)|Rocky Mountain]]; 1972–1979)
| term_start9         = October 30, 1972
| term_end9           = October 25, 1993
| predecessor9        = [[Allen Sulatycky]]
| successor9          = [[Cliff Breitkreuz]]{{Collapsed infobox section end}}}}
| birth_name          = Charles Joseph Clark
| birth_date          = {{Birth date and age|1939|6|5}}
| birth_place         = [[High River, Alberta]], Canada
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| party               = [[Independent politician|Independent]] (since 2003)
| otherparty          = [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]] (before 2003)
| spouse              = {{marriage|[[Maureen McTeer]]|1973}}
| alma_mater          = [[University of Alberta]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]], [[Master of Arts|MA]])
| signature           = Joe Clark Signature.svg
| children            = [[Catherine Clark (broadcaster)|Catherine Clark]]
| occupation          = {{hlist|Politician|journalist|businessman|professor}}
| profession          = 
}}

'''Charles Joseph Clark''' (born June 5, 1939) is a Canadian businessman, writer, and retired politician who served as the 16th [[prime minister of Canada]] from 1979 to 1980. He also served as [[Leader of the Official Opposition (Canada)|leader of the Official Opposition]] from 1976 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1983.

Despite his relative inexperience, Clark rose quickly in federal politics. He was first elected to the [[House of Commons (Canada)|House of Commons]] in [[1972 Canadian federal election|1972]] and won the leadership of the [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative Party]] in [[1976 Progressive Conservative leadership election|1976]]. He led the party to a [[minority government]] in the [[1979 Canadian federal election|1979 federal election]], defeating the [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] government of [[Pierre Trudeau]] and ending 16 years of continuous Liberal rule. Taking office the day before his 40th birthday, Clark became the youngest [[List of prime ministers of Canada|prime minister in Canadian history]]. 

Upon becoming prime minister, Clark advanced [[Freedom of information in Canada|freedom of information]] legislation (which died upon the [[dissolution of Parliament]]) and oversaw the "[[Canadian Caper]]" rescue in response to the [[Iran hostage crisis]]; however, his tenure was brief as the minority government was brought down by a [[Motion of no confidence#Canada|non-confidence vote]] on [[1979 Canadian federal budget|his first budget]] in December 1979. The budget defeat triggered the [[1980 Canadian federal election|1980 election]]. Clark and the Progressive Conservatives lost the election to Trudeau and the Liberals, who won a [[majority government]] and returned to power. As of {{CURRENT_YEAR}}, he remains the most recent prime minister to have lost power following the defeat of his budget.

Clark lost the leadership of the party to [[Brian Mulroney]] in [[1983 Progressive Conservative leadership election|1983]]. He returned to prominence in Mulroney's cabinet as [[Minister of Foreign Affairs (Canada)|Secretary of State for External Affairs]] from 1984 to 1991 and as [[President of the King's Privy Council for Canada|President of the Privy Council]] and [[Minister responsible for Constitutional Affairs]] from 1991 to 1993. Clark did not stand for re-election in [[1993 Canadian federal election|1993]]. From 1993 to 1996, he served as [[Special envoy|Special Representative]] to the [[Secretary-General of the United Nations]] for [[Cyprus]]. Clark made a political comeback in 1998 to lead the Progressive Conservatives in [[2000 Canadian federal election|their last general election]] before the party's eventual dissolution, serving his final term in Parliament from 2000 to [[2004 Canadian federal election|2004]]. After the Progressive Conservatives merged with the more right-wing [[Canadian Alliance]] in 2003 to form the modern-day [[Conservative Party of Canada]], Clark sat as an [[Independent politician|independent]] Progressive Conservative. He criticized the merger as what he described as an "Alliance take-over", believing that the new party was drifting towards [[social conservatism in Canada|social conservatism]]. Clark today serves as a university professor and as president of his own consulting firm.

==Early years==
[[File:Charles Clark House.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Charles Clark House, a cultural heritage site in Canada, number 6563 in the Canadian Register of Historic Places<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=6563 |title= Clark Residence, The |publisher= The Canadian Register of Historic Places |access-date=14 July 2020}}</ref>]]
Charles Joseph Clark was born on June 5, 1939, in [[High River]], [[Alberta]], the son of Grace Roselyn (née Welch) and local newspaper publisher Charles A. Clark.<ref name=Britannica>{{Cite web |title=Joe Clark |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joe-Clark |access-date=2024-05-03 |website=Britannica}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Paul Leonard Voisey |url=https://archive.org/details/highrivertimesal00vois |url-access=registration |page=[https://archive.org/details/highrivertimesal00vois/page/104 104] |title=High River and the Times: An Alberta Community and Its Weekly Newspaper |year=2004 |publisher=University of Alberta |access-date=2 August 2016}}</ref>

Clark attended local schools and the [[University of Alberta]], where he earned a bachelor's degree in history (1960) and a master's degree in [[political science]] (1973).<ref name=Britannica/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.alberta.ca/aoe-joe-clark.aspx|title=The Right Honourable Charles Joseph Clark–Alberta Order of Excellence|publisher=Government of Alberta|access-date=January 22, 2022}}</ref> While in high school, he gained journalism experience with the ''High River Times'' and the ''[[Calgary Albertan]]''. In his first year at the University of Alberta, Clark joined the staff of the campus newspaper, ''[[The Gateway (newspaper)|The Gateway]]'', and eventually became its editor-in-chief. Clark was also a member of the University of Alberta Debate Society (UADS). He later worked one summer at the ''[[Edmonton Journal]]'' where he met his future biographer, [[David L. Humphreys]].<ref name="Joe Clark 1978">''Joe Clark: A Portrait'', by David L. Humphreys, 1978.</ref>

Clark then attended [[Schulich School of Law|Dalhousie Law School]].  However, he spent more time with the [[Dalhousie Student Union]], Progressive Conservative politics and the ''[[The Dalhousie Gazette|Dalhousie Gazette]]'', than on his courses.  After leaving Dalhousie, he unsuccessfully pursued first-year law studies at the [[University of British Columbia Faculty of Law]] in Vancouver. He then worked full-time for the [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative Party]].

In 1973, Clark married law student [[Maureen McTeer]]. McTeer has developed her own career as a well-known author and lawyer and caused controversy by keeping her maiden name after marriage, a practice less common at the time.<ref name="Joe Clark 1978"/> Their daughter, [[Catherine Clark (broadcaster)|Catherine]] has pursued a career in broadcasting.<ref>{{Cite web |last=coyleadmin |date=2023-12-06 |title=AN HONEST TALK WITH CATHERINE CLARK ABOUT THE HONEST TALK |url=https://luxemagazineottawa.com/blog/an-honest-talk-with-catherine-clark-about-the-honest-talk/ |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=Luxe Magazine Ottawa |language=en-US |quote=...a talent developed over the dinner table at the home of Joe Clark and Maureen McTeer that ended up serving as a life's calling for their much-loved daughter Catherine. After procuring a degree in art history at U of T, Cathering (sic) defied expectations and opted for a career in media.}}</ref>

==Early political career==
Clark became politically active while at university, although he had been aware from a young age of politics in Canada. He competed with the [[University of Alberta Debate Society]]. He served as president of the [[University of Alberta]] Young Progressive Conservatives and eventually served as national president for the Young PCs group.<ref name="Mulroney 1991">''Mulroney: The Politics of Ambition'', by [[John Sawatsky]], 1991.</ref> Clark sparred with future political rival [[Preston Manning]] in debate forums on campus between the Young PCs and the Youth League of the [[Alberta Social Credit Party]]. Clark encountered another future rival when he met [[Brian Mulroney]] at a national Young PCs meeting in 1958.<ref name="Mulroney 1991"/>

Clark spent time in France to improve his fluency in the French language and took courses in French while he was living in [[Ottawa]]. He eventually became comfortable speaking and answering questions in French.<ref name="Joe Clark 1978"/>

Clark entered politics at age 28 but was unsuccessful as candidate for the provincial [[Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta|Progressive Conservatives]] in the [[1967 Alberta general election|1967 provincial election]]. He served as a chief assistant to provincial opposition leader and future Premier [[Peter Lougheed]] and served in the office of federal opposition leader [[Robert Stanfield]], learning the inner workings of Parliament.<ref name="Mulroney 1991"/> He then successfully ran in the [[1972 Canadian federal election|1972 federal election]] and was elected to Parliament as the MP for [[Rocky Mountain (federal electoral district)|Rocky Mountain]], a largely rural riding in southwestern Alberta.

Clark had initially been viewed with suspicion, but over time won over senior members of the party. Robert Stanfield initially thought Clark not to be fit for politics, but over time came to view him as leadership material. Erik Nielsen viewed Clark as fiercely partisan, but was impressed by Clark's questioning the government.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Granatstein |first1=J.L. |title=Prime ministers : ranking Canada's leaders |last2=Hillmer |first2=Norman |publisher=HarperCollins |year=1999 |isbn=0-00-200027-X |location=Toronto |pages=167–168 |language=en}}</ref>

Clark's social liberalism put him at odds with the right-wing members of his caucus, several of whom were not afraid to confront him. For example, in the lead-up to the 1979 election, the bulk of Clark's riding was merged into the newly created riding of [[Bow River (electoral district)|Bow River]] during a [[Redistribution (election)|redistribution]] of ridings.  Fellow Tory MP [[Stanley Schumacher]] had much of his old riding of [[Palliser (Alberta electoral district)|Palliser]] merged into Bow River as well.  Even though Clark was now party leader, Schumacher refused to step aside in Clark's favour, forcing Clark to run in nearby [[Yellowhead (electoral district)|Yellowhead]].<ref name="Mulroney 1991"/>

==Progressive Conservative leadership convention, 1976==
Following the resignation of PC party leader [[Robert Stanfield]], Clark sought and won the leadership of the PC Party at the [[1976 Progressive Conservative leadership election|1976 leadership convention]]. Initially, the favourite among [[Red Tory|Red Tories]] was [[Flora MacDonald (politician)|Flora MacDonald]]; however, she did worse than expected, while Clark placed a surprising third in a field of eleven on the first ballot of convention delegates, behind only [[Claude Wagner]] and [[Brian Mulroney]]. MacDonald dropped off after the second ballot, encouraging her supporters to support Clark, who quickly became the compromise Red Tory candidate. The party's right-wing rallied behind Wagner. Mulroney, a [[Quebec]] businessman with no elected political experience, was unable to expand his base of support significantly. As other Red Tory candidates were eliminated during the first four ballots, Clark gradually overtook Mulroney and then Wagner to emerge as the victor on the fourth ballot, by 1,187 votes to 1,122.<ref>''Mulroney: The Politics of Ambition'', by [[John Sawatsky]], 1991, pp. 312–313.</ref>

Clark, who won the Tory leadership at age 36, remains the youngest leader of a major federal party in the history of Canadian politics. With many veteran Tories having been defeated in the 1968 election, the party effectively skipped a generation by selecting Clark as its new leader.<ref>''Joe Clark: The Emerging Leader'', by Michael Nolan, 1978, p. 11.</ref>

==Opposition leader (1976–1979)==
Clark's rapid rise from a relatively unknown Alberta MP to the [[Leader of the Official Opposition (Canada)|Leader of the Opposition]] took much of Canada by surprise. ''[[Toronto Star|The Toronto Star]]'' announced Clark's victory with a headline that read "Joe Who?", giving Clark a nickname that stuck for years. His clumsiness and awkward mannerisms were mocked by some political commentators, such as cartoonist [[Andy Donato]] who typically drew Clark with mittens on strings hanging from his suit sleeves.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://dr.library.brocku.ca/handle/10464/10337 |title=Joe Clark ...Peace |author = Donato, Andy |website=Brock University |date=September 13, 2000 |access-date=November 11, 2020}}</ref>

However, Clark hired experienced staffers such as [[Lowell Murray]], [[Duncan Edmonds]], and William Neville, who shaped his policies and ran his office. He improved his party's standing in national opinion polls. Clark gradually earned the respect of some political observers, including his own caucus, and benefited when live television came to the House of Commons in 1977.<ref name="Joe Clark 1978"/> Some observers noted that Clark, despite being perceived by many people as something of a square, showed biting wit at times while in Opposition. One of his most famous quips was: "A recession is when your neighbour loses his job. A depression is when you lose your job. Recovery is when Pierre Trudeau loses his job."{{refn|group=nb|A similar jibe would be made by [[Ronald Reagan]] during the [[1980 United States presidential election|1980 presidential election]], about [[Jimmy Carter]].<ref>{{cite book | title = The Strategy of Campaigning |author=Kiron Skinner |author2=Bruce Bueno de Mesquita |author3=Serhiy Kudelia |author4=Condoleezza Rice | publisher = University of Michigan Press | year = 2007 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=F0dCiDh4fMsC | access-date = October 20, 2008 | isbn = 978-0-472-11627-0}}</ref>}} Television broadcasts of Question Period in the House of Commons served to build Clark and the Tories up as an alternative to the Liberals.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Troyer |first=Warner |title=200 days : Joe Clark in power : the anatomy of the rise and fall of the 21st government |publisher=Personal Library Publisher |year=1980 |isbn=0920510051 |location=Toronto |pages=39 |language=en}}</ref>

===1979 federal election===
[[File:Joe Clark May 18 1979.jpg|thumb|Clark in 1979]]
{{BLP unreferenced section|date=April 2020}}
Large budget deficits, high inflation, and high unemployment made the Liberal government unpopular. Trudeau had put off asking the Canadian [[Governor General]] to [[1979 Canadian federal election|call an election]] as long as possible, in the hope that his party could recover popular support but it backfired, as there was growing public antipathy towards his perceived arrogance. Clark campaigned on the slogans, "Let's get Canada working again", and "It's time for a change—give the future a chance!"

In the latter half of the campaign, the Liberals focused their attacks on Clark's perceived inexperience. Their advertisements declared "This is no time for on-the-job training", and "We need tough leadership to keep Canada growing. A leader must be a leader." Clark played into their hands by appearing bumbling and unsure in public.

When Clark undertook a tour of the Middle East in order to show his ability to handle foreign affairs issues, his luggage was lost, and Clark appeared to be uncomfortable with the issues being discussed. That incident was widely lampooned by [[Toronto Sun]] cartoonist [[Andy Donato]]. During the same tour, while inspecting a military [[honour guard]], Clark turned too soon and nearly bumped into a soldier's [[bayonet]]; one of the first major media reports on the incident claimed, with some exaggeration, that he had nearly been beheaded.

Despite Clark being bilingual, the Tories were unable to make much headway in Quebec, which continued to be federally dominated by the Liberals. While Clark's 1976 leadership rivals were prominent in that province, [[Claude Wagner]] had left politics (he died shortly after the election), while [[Brian Mulroney]] was still bitter about his loss and turned down an offer to serve under Clark.

Nonetheless, Clark's Progressive Conservatives won 136 seats to end sixteen continuous years of Liberal rule in the election for the [[31st Canadian Parliament]]. Despite receiving fewer votes than the Liberals nationally, the Progressive Conservatives won the popular vote in seven provinces.  They also made  gains in Ontario, particularly in the Toronto suburbs, winning many seats by narrow margins, offsetting a large Liberal win in Quebec.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Troyer |first=Warner |title=200 days : Joe Clark in power : the anatomy of the rise and fall of the 21st government |publisher=Personal Library Publisher |year=1980 |isbn=0920510051 |location=Toronto |pages=83 |language=en}}</ref> The Tories were only able to win two seats in Quebec, leaving them six seats short of a majority.  The Liberals lost 27 seats, including several high-profile cabinet ministers, and Trudeau announced his intention to step down as party leader.

==Prime Minister (1979–1980)==
On June 4, 1979, the day before his 40th birthday, Clark was sworn in as Canada's 16th prime minister, steering the first Tory government since the defeat of [[John Diefenbaker]] in the [[1963 Canadian federal election|1963 election]]. He was Canada's youngest prime minister, and the first to be born in Western Canada.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Clippingdale |first=Richard |date=2008-02-21 |title=The Canadian Encyclopedia |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/joe-clark |access-date=2024-05-03}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Lotz |first=Jim |title=Prime Ministers of Canada |publisher=Bison Books |year=1987 |isbn=0-86124-377-3 |location=London |pages=138 |language=en}}</ref>

With a [[minority government]] in the [[House of Commons of Canada|House of Commons]], Clark had to rely on the support of the [[Social Credit Party of Canada|Social Credit Party]], with its six seats, or the [[New Democratic Party (Canada)|New Democratic Party]] (NDP), with its 26 seats. At the time, [[Official Opposition (Canada)|Opposition]] leader Trudeau said that he would allow the Progressive Conservatives a chance to govern, though he warned the Prime Minister against dismantling [[Petro-Canada]], which was unpopular in Clark's home province of Alberta.<ref name="archives.cbc.ca">{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/politics/prime-ministers/the-man-from-high-river-joe-clark/fall-of-a-government.html |title=Fall of a government (Television) |publisher=CBC Digital Archives |date=December 13, 1979  |access-date=July 1, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130102114310/http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/politics/prime-ministers/the-man-from-high-river-joe-clark/fall-of-a-government.html |archive-date=January 2, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Social Credit was below the 12 seats needed for [[official party status]] in the House of Commons. However, the six seats would have been just enough to give Clark's government a majority had the Progressive Conservatives formed a [[coalition government]] with Social Credit, or had the two parties otherwise agreed to work together. Clark managed to lure Socred MP [[Richard Janelle]] to the government caucus, but this still left the Tories five seats short of a majority. Clark however decided that he would govern as if he had a majority,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_zolf/20040916.html |title=Minority government lessons |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |date=September 16, 2004 |access-date=July 1, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100812023759/http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_zolf/20040916.html |archive-date=August 12, 2010}}</ref> and refused to grant the small Socred official party status, form a coalition, or co-operate with the party in any way.

Clark was unable to accomplish much in office because of the tenuous situation of his minority government. However, historians have credited Clark's government with making [[access to information]] legislation a priority.<ref name="infocom.gc.ca">{{cite web|url=http://infocom.gc.ca/publications/pdf_en/ten_y.pdf|title=The Access to Information Act: 10 years on – The Information Commissioner of Canada, 1994|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031020235956/http://infocom.gc.ca/publications/pdf_en/ten_y.pdf|archive-date=October 20, 2003|url-status=bot: unknown|access-date=20 October 2003}}<!-- http://publications.gc.ca/pub?id=48583&sl=0 --></ref> The Clark government introduced Bill C-15, the ''[[Freedom of information in Canada|Freedom of Information Act]]'', which established a broad right of access to government records, an elaborate scheme of exemptions, and a two-stage review process. The legislation was debated at [[second reading]] at the end of November 1979 and was referred to the Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs. Within days the minority Conservative government was unseated; the legislation died on the order paper.<ref name="infocom.gc.ca"/> The re-elected Trudeau government subsequently based its ''[[Access to Information Act]]'' on the Clark government's Bill C-15. The ''Access to Information Act'' received royal assent in July 1982 and came into force in July 1983.<ref name="infocom.gc.ca"/> The public now has the legal right of access to government records in some 150 federal departments and agencies.<ref name="infocom.gc.ca"/>

Though the election had been held in May, Parliament did not resume sitting until October, one of the longest break periods in Confederation.<ref name="archives.cbc.ca"/> The gas tax in the budget soured Clark's relationship with Ontario Premier [[Bill Davis]],{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} even though both were Red Tories.

During the campaign, Clark committed to move Canada's embassy in [[Israel]] from [[Tel Aviv]] to [[Jerusalem]], and re-affirmed this promise shortly after taking office.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Flicker |first=Charles |date=2002 |title=Next Year in Jerusalem: Joe Clark and the Jerusalem Embassy Affair |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/40203815 |journal=International Journal |volume=58 |issue=1 |pages=115–138 |doi=10.2307/40203815 |jstor=40203815 |issn=0020-7020|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The move proved somewhat contentious within the cabinet, in part due to economic concerns that might have come about from the move.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thompson |first=Elizabeth |date=2017-12-10 |title=Secret 1979 documents shed new light on why Joe Clark broke Jerusalem embassy promise – Politics – CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/jerusalem-embassy-tel-aviv-clark-1.4436795 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210052240/https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/jerusalem-embassy-tel-aviv-clark-1.4436795 |archive-date=2017-12-10 |access-date=2023-12-10 }}</ref> Moreover, it proved a perilous situation as moving the embassy risked a negative economic response, or a violent one from terrorists, and not doing so would make Clark look indecisive.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Troyer |first=Warner |title=200 days : Joe Clark in power : the anatomy of the rise and fall of the 21st government |publisher=Personal Library Publisher |year=1980 |isbn=0920510051 |location=Toronto |pages=59 |language=en}}</ref> Ultimately, the Clark government backed off from doing so on October 29, 1979, until Jerusalem's status could be clarified with Israel's neighbors.<ref name=":0" />

Internationally, Clark represented Canada in June 1979 at the [[5th G7 summit]] in Tokyo.<ref name="eu">MOFA: [http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/economy/summit/2000/past_summit/table_e/index.html Summit (8)]; [[European Union]]: [http://www.deljpn.ec.europa.eu/union/showpage_en_union.external.g8.php "EU and the G8"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070226165606/http://www.deljpn.ec.europa.eu/union/showpage_en_union.external.g8.php |date=February 26, 2007 }}</ref> Clark reportedly had a good relationship with US President [[Jimmy Carter]], who phoned Clark to thank him personally for his role in the [[Canadian Caper]].<ref name="Caper">{{cite news |title=Nation: Canada to the Rescue |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,950226,00.html |access-date=13 March 2023 |work=Time Magazine |date=11 February 1980}}</ref>

===Fall of government===
During the 1979 election campaign, Clark had promised to cut taxes to stimulate the economy. However, once in office, the [[1979 Canadian federal budget|1979 budget]] he proposed was designed to curb inflation by slowing economic activity. The budget also proposed a 4-cent per litre (18-cent per [[gallon]]) tax on gasoline in order to reduce the budgetary deficit.<ref>MacEachen, Allan J. (December 11, 2009). [https://www.thestar.com/opinion/2009/12/11/behind_the_fall_of_joe_clark.html "Behind the fall of Joe Clark"]. ''Toronto Star''.<!-- https://web.archive.org/web/20130601045655/http://www.thestar.com/opinion/2009/12/11/behind_the_fall_of_joe_clark.html --></ref> Finance Minister [[John Crosbie]] touted the budget as "short term pain for long term gain".<ref>{{cite news |last=MacCharles |first=Tonda |date=2020-01-10 |title=John Crosbie was a politician unafraid of matching action to words
 |url=https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2020/01/10/john-crosbie-was-a-politician-unafraid-of-matching-action-to-words.html |work=Toronto Star |location=Toronto |access-date=2022-03-04}}
</ref> Though Clark had hoped this change in policy would work to his advantage, it actually earned him widespread animosity as a politician who could not keep his promises, even in such a short period.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

Clark's refusal to work with the Socreds, combined with the gasoline tax, came back to haunt him when the budget came before the House of Commons in December 1979.  On December 12, NDP Finance Critic [[Bob Rae]] proposed a subamendment to the budget motion, stating that the House of Commons did not approve of the budget.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://parl.canadiana.ca/view/oop.proc_HOC_3101_1/901 |title=House of Commons Journals, 31st Parliament, 1st Session |author=<!--Government Journal; no by-line.--> |date=December 12, 1979 |website=Canadian Parliamentary Historical Resources |publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada |access-date=9 July 2016 |quote=Debate was resumed on the motion of Mr. Crosbie (St John's West), seconded by Mr. MacDonald (Egmont),-That this House approves in general the budgetary policy of the Government.  And on the motion of Mr. Gray, seconded by Mr. Lalonde, in amendment thereto,-That all the words after the word 'That' be deleted and the following substituted therefor: 'this House condemns the Government for its budget which will place and unfair and unnecessary burden of higher gasoline prices, higher fuel oil prices, and higher taxes on middle and lower income Canadians.' And on the motion of Mr. Rae, seconded by Mr. Knowles, in amendment to the amendment, That the amendment be amended by changing the period at the end thereof to a comma, and by adding immediately after the words: 'and this House unreservedly condemns the Government for its outright betrayal of election promises to lower interest rates, to cut taxes, and to stimulate the growth of the Canadian economy, without a mandate from the Canadian people for such a reversal.'}}</ref> The Liberals supported the NDP subamendment. The five Socred MPs had demanded the gas tax revenues be allocated to Quebec and abstained when Clark turned them down. On December 13, the subamendment passed on a 139–133 vote.<ref name="archives.cbc.ca"/>

Clark was criticized for his "inability to do math" in failing to predict the outcome, not only because he was in a minority situation, but also because three members of his caucus would be absent for the crucial budget vote. One was ill and two were stuck abroad on official business. The Liberals by contrast had assembled their entire caucus, save one, for the occasion.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/election-probably-in-february-tories-fall-139-to-133-status-of-budget-is-still-unclear/article1147235/ |title=Tories Fall, 139 to 133 |author1=Simpson, Jeffrey  |author2=Sheppard, Robert |work=The Globe and Mail |date=December 14, 1979 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051205033911/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.19791214.w1979budget1214a/BNStory/specialBudget2005/  |archive-date=December 5, 2005 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===1980 federal election===
When a new election was called, Clark expected his party would be able to defeat the demoralized and leaderless Liberals easily, since Trudeau had announced his intention to step aside and the Liberals had yet to hold a leadership convention. However, the Progressive Conservatives had misjudged the electorate, since they had not commissioned any polls since August. A November Gallup poll published eight days before the December 11 budget reported that their popularity was down from 36% during the summer to 28%, with the party 19 points behind the Liberals, giving the latter the popular support to initiate the non-confidence motion.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://issuu.com/theindependentdotca/docs/2006-06-11 |title=Terrorism and Multiculturalism in the West |author=Crosbie, John | page=12 |date=June 11, 2006 |work=The Independent |location=Newfoundland and Labrador}}<!-- old link → http://www.torontosun.com/News/Columnists/Crosbie_John/2006/02/05/1426394.html --></ref> After the government fell, Clark's party was caught off guard when Pierre Trudeau quickly rescinded his resignation from the Liberal leadership to lead his party into the subsequent election.

Clark's Tories campaigned under the slogan, "Real change deserves a fair chance."<ref>{{Cite news |title=It's still uphill for Joe Clark – even after 'Canadian caper' |work=Christian Science Monitor |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1980/0206/020644.html |access-date=2023-03-03 |issn=0882-7729}}</ref> Trudeau swept the Liberals back into power in the February [[1980 Canadian federal election|1980 election]] with 147 seats, against 103 for the Progressive Conservatives. Davis' criticism of the gas tax was used in the Liberals' [[Ontario]] television ads.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} The Tories lost 19 seats in that province, which ultimately proved to be decisive in the campaign.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

Clark's government would last a total of nine months less a day.  As Clark's Finance Minister, John Crosbie, famously described it in his own inimitable way: "Long enough to conceive, just not long enough to deliver."<ref>{{cite news | date=2020-01-10 |title=Outspoken former federal cabinet minister John Crosbie dead at 88 |url=https://www.cp24.com/news/outspoken-former-federal-cabinet-minister-john-crosbie-dead-at-88-1.4761458 |work=CP24 |access-date=2022-03-04}}</ref>

===Supreme Court appointments===
Clark chose [[Julien Chouinard]] to be appointed as a justice of the [[Supreme Court of Canada]] by the [[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]],<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/joe-clark-paul-martin-criticize-pm-s-attack-on-chief-justice/article_4e97f55b-6d80-547a-be71-200786d23829.html |title=Joe Clark, Paul Martin criticize PM's attack on chief justice  |last=MacCharles |first=Tonda |newspaper=Toronto Star |date=May 20, 2014 |accessdate=April 29, 2025}}</ref> who served from September 24, 1979, to February 6, 1987.

===Relationship between Trudeau and Clark===
Trudeau commented in his memoirs, published in 1993, that Clark was much more tough and aggressive than past Tory leader [[Robert Stanfield]], noting that those qualities served Clark well in his party winning the 1979 election victory. Trudeau also complimented Clark as a respectable leader and a better choice over [[Brian Mulroney]], who had defeated Clark at the [[1983 Progressive Conservative leadership election|leadership convention]] in 1983. Trudeau told his friends that the Tories had chosen the wrong man.<ref>''Memoirs'', by Pierre Elliott Trudeau, [[McClelland & Stewart]], 1993, [[Toronto]], pp. 251–252.</ref>

==Opposition leader (1980–1983)==
Opposition to Clark's leadership began to grow after the fall of the PC minority government, and the party's defeat by a resurgent Liberal Party. There were frequent rumors that several potential challengers were covertly undermining Clark's leadership.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} Though in 1982 [[Brian Mulroney]] deliberately appeared at a press conference with Clark to say that he was not seeking the leadership of the PC party, he was in fact conspiring to oust Clark.<ref name="gutsy">{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |title=Joe Clark's "gutsy political move" |url=https://www.cbc.ca/archives/entry/joe-clarks-gutsy-political-move |work=CBC News |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311080128/http://www.cbc.ca/archives/entry/joe-clarks-gutsy-political-move |archivedate=2016-03-11 |url-status=dead |access-date=5 March 2022}}</ref>

The Liberal Party had regained national prominence by leading the "No" side to victory in the [[1980 Quebec referendum]] and the [[Patriation Reference|Constitution patriation]]. While Trudeau's [[National Energy Program]] was hugely unpopular in Western Canada, especially [[Alberta]], it was able to shore up Liberal support in the voter-rich Eastern Canada, particularly [[Ontario]] and [[Quebec]], generally having the opposite effect of Clark's proposed gas tax.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} Difficult budgets and the economic recession resulted in Trudeau's approval ratings declining after the bounce from the 1982 Constitution patriation and showed his party headed for certain defeat by early 1984, prompting him to retire.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} However, Clark was unable to stay on as Progressive Conservative leader long enough to regain the Prime Ministership.

On February 28, 1981, during the party's national convention, 33.5% of the delegates supported a [[leadership review]]; they felt that Clark would not be able to lead the party to victory again but Clark considered two thirds of delegates voting no to be an endorsement.<ref name="gutsy"/> At the January 1983 convention in [[Winnipeg]], 33.1% supported a review.<ref name="fought">{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |title=How PC leader Joe Clark fought to keep his job in 1983 |url=https://www.cbc.ca/archives/how-pc-leader-joe-clark-fought-to-keep-his-job-in-1983-1.5434584 |work=CBC Archive |date=28 January 2020 |access-date=5 March 2022}}</ref> This was also considering that the governing [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberals]] under [[Pierre Trudeau]] were slipping in polls, and although the PCs had built up a substantial lead in popularity, Trudeau was expected to retire before the election and a new Liberal leader could have been able to pull off a victory. Moreover, some in the party felt Clark to be too liberal and would be a liability come election time.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lotz |first=Jim |title=Prime Ministers of Canada |publisher=Bison Books |year=1987 |isbn=0-86124-377-3 |location=London |pages=139 |language=en}}</ref>

===1983 leadership convention===
In 1983, after declaring that an endorsement by 66.9% of delegates at the party's biennial convention was not enough, Clark called a [[1983 Progressive Conservative leadership election|leadership convention]] to decide the issue. In December 2007, German-Canadian businessman and lobbyist [[Karlheinz Schreiber]] told the House of Commons Ethics Committee that he and other Germans, including [[Bavaria]]n politician [[Franz Josef Strauss]], and Austrian-Canadian entrepreneur [[Walter Wolf]], had contributed significant funds to finance [[Quebec]] delegates to vote against Clark at Winnipeg, denying him the mandate he sought. A [[public inquiry]] on these matters, and on other business dealings between Mulroney and Schreiber, was called for early 2008 by Prime Minister [[Stephen Harper]]. This led further to the 2009 [[Oliphant Commission]].

[[File:Joe Clark PC LeadershipConvention 1983.jpg|left|thumb|275px|Joe Clark on the floor of the 1983 leadership convention.]]

Clark immediately nominated to keep his leader's post, and retained support from most of the Red Tories and other party members who were opposed to the public attacks on his leadership by others in the party.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} Clark already had most of a campaign team up and running by the time he called the leadership convention, as he had mobilized support to help gain in the convention's leadership review.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} However, Mulroney and [[John Crosbie]] had been laying the groundwork for a campaign for some time, with Crosbie expecting Clark to lose or resign soon, and Mulroney supportive of the anti-Clark movement.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

In a rematch of the 1976 convention, Mulroney emerged as the main challenger, gaining the support of the party's right wing, which viewed Clark as too progressive and opposed his continued leadership.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} Other party members felt that the federal Liberal Party's stranglehold on Quebec seats (they held all but one of the province's 75 seats) could only be broken by a native from that province, which gave Mulroney considerable support. Media coverage emphasized the pro-business and [[neoliberalism|neo-liberal]] bent of most of the candidates as a "Changing of the Guard" within the PC party from their more classical conservative and moderate elements. Clark's campaign countered this by trying to polarize the election between right wingers and a centrist who had been able to win before. The Mulroney campaign responded by continuing their pro-business line.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

Several candidates agreed to an "ABC" (Anybody But Clark) strategy for the convention and when news of that back-room deal broke out, support was expected to rally around the party's embattled leader.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} During delegate voting, Clark won the first ballot, but only won 36.5% of the vote, well short of the 50% required. His support dwindled over the next two ballots. Mulroney, who was endorsed by all but two candidates, defeated Clark on the fourth ballot. Clark urged his supporters to leave the convention united behind Mulroney,{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} and agreed to serve under him.

Many political observers and analysts have questioned Clark's rationale for the decision. One famous incident involved a 1987 official dinner held for [[Charles, Prince of Wales|Prince Charles]] at [[Rideau Hall]]. When the Prince met Clark in the receiving line at the function, he asked to Clark: "why wasn't two thirds enough?"<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1193874--when-the-queen-is-your-boss| last=Delacourt| first=Susan| title=When the Queen is your boss| date=May 25, 2012| newspaper=Toronto Star| access-date=May 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130307084753/http://www.thestar.com/news/world/royals/2012/05/25/when_the_queen_is_your_boss.html |archive-date=March 7, 2013}}</ref> Clark's wife, [[Maureen McTeer]], elaborated on Clark's decision in her 2003 autobiography, ''In My Own Name''. McTeer suggested that for her husband, anything less than a 75% endorsement would not have been a clear enough mandate to forge onwards from the party membership. Clark feared that the 34% of PC members who did not support him would become his most vocal critics in the upcoming election campaign, and that his continued leadership would have led to fractures in the party.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} Clark was convinced that he could win another leadership race and gain a clear level of support, once his qualities were compared against the handful of politically inexperienced challengers who coveted his position and who were covertly undermining his leadership.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

==Member of Mulroney cabinet==
===Secretary of State for External Affairs (Minister of Foreign Affairs)===
{{BLP unreferenced section|date=April 2020}}
The Progressive Conservatives, led by Mulroney, went on to win a huge victory in the [[1984 Canadian federal election|1984 election]], and Mulroney became prime minister.

Despite their personal differences, Clark ably served in Mulroney's cabinet as the Secretary of State for External Affairs, as the [[Minister of Foreign Affairs (Canada)|Minister of Foreign Affairs]] was known before 1993.

Some of Clark's accomplishments and bold moves in this role included:
* convincing Mulroney to recommend the appointment of [[Stephen Lewis]] as Canada's ambassador to the United Nations – who later became the UN special envoy on the [[HIV/AIDS|AIDS]] crisis; many believe Lewis' appointment was Clark's price to serve under Mulroney;
* in 1984, being the very first [[developed nation]] foreign affairs minister to land in previously isolated [[Ethiopia]] to lead the Western response to the [[1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia]]; Canada's response was overwhelming, and led the United States and Great Britain to follow suit almost immediately – an unprecedented situation in foreign affairs to that time, since Ethiopia had a [[Marxism|Marxist]] one-party state and had previously been wholly isolated by "the West";
* taking a strong stand against [[Apartheid in South Africa|apartheid]] and for [[economic sanction]]s against South Africa at a time when Canadian allies [[Ronald Reagan]] and [[Margaret Thatcher]] opposed such sanctions;
* taking a strong stand against American intervention in [[Nicaragua]];
* accepting refugees from [[El Salvador]] and [[Guatemala]];
* managing nonetheless to maintain extremely strong ties with the US, helping steer the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] negotiations to a final agreement.

During his term as External Affairs minister, Clark championed Canada's unabashed disapproval of the apartheid regime in South Africa. Canada was the only [[G7]] nation to take such a resolute stance against the apartheid regime during the 1980s. He also took on the difficult Constitution ministerial portfolio after the failure of the [[Meech Lake Accord]], and vigorously pursued his task.

Clark maintained Canada's independent voice politically and socially at a time of increasing economic integration with the US and the rise of more socially conservative [[right-wing politics]] there.

===Minister responsible for Constitutional Affairs===
{{BLP unreferenced section|date=April 2020}}
Clark later served as the [[President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada]].

With [[Quebec sovereignty movement|Quebec's constitutional status within Canada]] a rising issue, he shifted to become the [[Minister responsible for Constitutional Affairs]]. The latter position saw him play a leading role in the drafting of the [[Charlottetown Accord]], which was decisively rejected in a nationwide referendum and further hurt the standing of the PC party in polls.

===First retirement from Canadian politics===
Clark retired from politics in 1993, side-stepping the near annihilation of the PC party in the [[1993 Canadian federal election|1993 election]] under the leadership of Mulroney's successor [[Kim Campbell]].

Clark was appointed as Special Representative to the [[Secretary-General of the United Nations]] for [[Cyprus]] from 1993 to 1996. In 1993, he founded his own consulting firm, Joe Clark and Associates, Ltd., which he still heads. Clark has also served on the boards of directors or advisory boards of several Canadian companies.

During the 1993–1994 academic year, Clark served as a Regents' Lecturer in the Canadian Studies Program at the University of California, Berkeley.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=University of California, Berkeley Canadian Studies Program |date=2012 |title=Celebrating Thirty Years of Canadian Studies at the University of California, Berkeley: 1982–2012 |url=http://canada.berkeley.edu/CAN%20history%20pamphlet%20continuous%20text.pdf#page=3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130508141912/http://canada.berkeley.edu/CAN%20history%20pamphlet%20continuous%20text.pdf |archive-date=May 8, 2013}}</ref>

In 1994, he was made a Companion of the [[Order of Canada]]. Also in 1994, he wrote the book ''A Nation Too Good to Lose: Renewing the Purpose of Canada''.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/nationtoogoodtol0000clar <!-- quote=A Nation Too Good to Lose: Renewing the Purpose of Canada. --> ''A Nation Too Good to Lose: Renewing the Purpose of Canada''], Joe Clark, Key Porter Books, 1994</ref> This book was also published in a French translation.

The [[1995 Quebec referendum]] saw the federal side win by less than one percent of the vote. It was widely seen as being the failure of the Charlottetown and prior Meech Lake accords that had caused it to be so close.

==Progressive Conservative leadership, 1998–2003==
One of the two PC candidates to survive the [[1993 Canadian federal election|1993 wipe-out]], [[Jean Charest]], became leader of the PC party following Campbell's resignation. After leading the party to a modest resurgence in the [[1997 Canadian federal election|1997 election]], winning 20 seats, Charest bowed to tremendous public pressure and left federal politics to become leader of the [[Quebec Liberal Party]] (unaffiliated with the federal [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberals]]). The party had no obvious candidate to fill Charest's shoes, and turned to Clark once again in 1998.  He was elected by a teleconference of PC members from around the country in which each of the party's [[riding association]]s was allocated 100 points. The points for each riding were then assigned on the basis of each candidate's share of votes within each riding association. Clark defeated [[Hugh Segal]], free-trade opponent [[David Orchard]], former Manitoba cabinet minister [[Brian Pallister]], and future [[Senate of Canada|Senator]] [[Michael Fortier]] for the leadership of the PC Party.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/275625360 |author=Shallit, Jeffrey |title=David Orchard spouts anti-U.S. rhetoric and racists sentiments |date=October 13, 1999 |work=[[The Record (Waterloo Region)|The Record]] |location=Kitchener, Ont. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140511083452/https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/therecord/doc/275625360.html |archive-date=May 11, 2014 |id={{ProQuest|275625360}} |url-status=live}}</ref>

It took two years for Clark to return to Parliament.  He was elected for [[Kings—Hants]], Nova Scotia, in a by-election on September 11, 2000, after the incumbent MP, [[Scott Brison]], stood down in his favour.  This is common practice when a newly elected party leader does not already have a seat in Parliament.  For the [[2000 Canadian federal election|general election]] held two months later, Clark yielded Kings-Hants back to Brison and was elected as the MP for [[Calgary Centre]], by then deep in the heart of [[Canadian Alliance]] territory.

Clark ran on his previous experience as prime minister and External Affairs Minister. However, he faced a difficult task, with critics and opponents attacking him and the PC Party as a "vote for the past". [[Jean Chrétien]]'s governing Liberals were running on their successful economic record, and they were poised to regain the support that they lost in 1997, threatening the PC's 1997 gains in Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic provinces. The PC party lost ground in Quebec (due in part to the departure of Jean Charest to provincial politics), which resulted in three members of the PC caucus defecting to join the Liberal Party prior to the election.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/canadiangenerale2000unse/page/21 |title=The Canadian General Election of 2000 |author1=Dornan, Christopher |author2=Pammett, Jon H. |page=21 |date=2001 |publisher=Dundurn |isbn=978-1-55002-356-5 }}</ref> However, Clark was judged by audiences to be the best speaker during the 2000 election debates. The party lost seats to the Liberals, though it managed to hang onto the minimum 12 seats necessary to be recognized in the House of Commons as an official party and therefore qualify for research funding, committee memberships, and minimum speaking privileges. Aside from Clark's Calgary seat (one of only three Alberta seats that did not go to the Canadian Alliance), and one each in [[Manitoba]] and Quebec, the party's seats were concentrated in Tory bastions in the Atlantic provinces.  Clark continually promoted the idea that the PCs would eventually retake Ontario and form a federal government again. His vision for the party was one that was to the left of the Alliance, but to the right of the Liberals.

He soon realized that there was no chance of dislodging the Liberals as long as the centre-right remained split.  However, he wanted a merger on his terms.  He got his chance in 2001, when several dissident Alliance MPs, the most prominent one being Alliance deputy leader and party matriarch [[Deborah Grey]], left the Alliance caucus. The dissidents felt that Alliance leader [[Stockwell Day]] had not learned from mistakes made in the last election. While some of them rejoined the Alliance later, seven of them, led by [[Chuck Strahl]] of British Columbia and including Grey, refused and formed the [[Democratic Representative Caucus]]. The DRC quickly formed a joint caucus with the Tories with Clark as leader.

This lasted until 2002, when [[Stephen Harper]] ousted Day as Alliance leader. Harper wanted a closer union with the PCs, but Clark turned the offer down in April 2002, and all but two of the DRC members rejoined the Alliance. One of the two, [[Inky Mark]], eventually joined the PCs. Two by-election victories later in 2002 increased the PC caucus to 15 members and fourth place in the Commons.

Clark was selected by the media and many parliamentarians for three years in a row to be Canada's most effective opposition leader between 2000 and 2002, pursuing the Liberal government on issues such as [[Shawinigate]] and the [[Groupaction]] scandal. In his final mandate, Jean Chrétien repeatedly referred to Clark as the [[Leader of the Official Opposition (Canada)|Leader of the Opposition]] (Clark was not), much to the chagrin of the Canadian Alliance politicians who occupied the Opposition Leader's chair during the same period. Indeed, Chrétien and Clark had been fellow parliamentarians since the 1970s and they shared a mutual respect despite sitting on opposite benches.

Clark's personal popularity grew as, once again, scandal enveloped Chrétien's Liberal government. Clark was widely trusted by Canadians, but this, in his own words, did not translate into more votes and additional seats. Citing this, Clark announced his intention to step down as PC leader on August 6, 2002, at the PC Party's [[Edmonton]] policy convention. It was expected that a pro-Alliance merger candidate would succeed Clark, but Clark was instead replaced by [[Peter MacKay]] on May 31, 2003. MacKay had signed a controversial deal with Red Tory rival [[David Orchard]], promising not to merge the PC Party with the Alliance. Clark had always encouraged MacKay to keep Orchard and his followers within the PC camp.

MacKay immediately reversed his position on seeking a merger, and in 2003, 90% of PC Party delegates voted in favor of a merger with the Canadian Alliance.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} Orchard unsuccessfully tried to block the merger and later joined the Liberal Party.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

===Legacy of second PC leadership===
In May 2003, the party finally overtook the [[New Democratic Party (Canada)|New Democratic Party]] as the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons, after by-election wins in [[Newfoundland and Labrador]] and [[Ontario]].

At the same time, the party was still $10&nbsp;million in debt from the 2000 election. The PC Party's membership had also dropped from 100,000 in 1998 to 45,000 card carrying PCs in May 2003.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/pc-membership-doubles-but-still-low-1.368135 |title=PC membership doubles but still low |date=April 8, 2003 |publisher=CBC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107162736/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2003/04/08/pc_membership030408.html |archive-date=November 7, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> Clark's leadership of the Progressive Conservatives was also the subject of criticism from many [[Unite the Right (Canada)|United Alternative]] supporters, who argued that his staunch opposition to a merger with the Reform/Alliance parties helped divide the "conservative" vote during the tenure of [[Jean Chrétien]]. Some critics accused Clark of being more interested in helping the interests of his own party and own career than the Canadian conservative movement in general. Others attacked Clark's goal of the PC party regaining its former power as unrealistic.

==Progressive Conservative–Canadian Alliance merger==
On December 8, 2003, the day that the PC Party and the [[Canadian Alliance]] were dissolved and the new [[Conservative Party of Canada]] registered, Clark was one of three MPs—the other two were [[André Bachand (Progressive Conservative MP)|André Bachand]] and [[John Herron (New Brunswick politician)|John Herron]]—to announce that they would not join the new caucus. MP [[Scott Brison]] had already joined the Liberals.

Clark announced that he would continue to sit for the remainder of the session as an independent Progressive Conservative MP,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA/People/Profile?personId=6804|title=The Right Hon. Charles Joseph Clark, P.C., M.P.|work=Parlinfo |publisher=Library of Parliament |location=Canada}}</ref> and retired from [[Parliament of Canada|Parliament]] at the end of the session.

Later, Clark openly criticized the new Conservative Party in the run-up to the [[2004 Canadian federal election|2004 election]]. He gave a tepid endorsement to the [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal Party]] in the [[2004 Canadian federal election|2004 election]], calling [[Paul Martin]] "the devil we know".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1082910779022_14/?hub=QPeriod |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040603171425/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1082910779022_14/?hub=QPeriod |archive-date=June 3, 2004 |title=Joe Clark says he'd choose Martin over Harper |publisher=[[CTV News]] |date=April 26, 2004 }}</ref> He criticized the new Conservative Party as an "Alliance take-over", and speculated that eastern Canada would not accept the new party or its more socially conservative policies against gay marriage and abortion. Clark endorsed former NDP leader [[Ed Broadbent]] and other Liberals and Conservatives as individuals, saying that the most important thing was to have "the strongest possible [[House of Commons of Canada]]" since neither large party offered much hope. Clark was criticized by some for dismissing the new Conservative Party outright rather than helping to steer it towards a moderate path.

==Post-politics, 2004–present==
Clark continues to apply his experience in foreign affairs. Clark served as Public Policy Scholar at the [[Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars]]. He served as Distinguished Statesman in Residence, School of International Service, and Senior Fellow, Center for North American Studies, both at the [[American University]], Washington, D.C.  In addition to teaching classes at the American University in Washington, Clark has written several op-ed pieces for several of Canada's national newspapers since his retirement. In October 2006, Clark took a position at [[McGill University]] as a professor of Practice for Public-Private Sector Partnerships at the McGill Institute for the Study of International Development. He serves with the [[Jimmy Carter Center]], routinely travelling overseas as part of the centre's international observing activities.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}
[[File:RightHonourableJoeClark.jpg|thumb|Clark speaking with Progressive Conservative Senator [[Elaine McCoy]] (Alberta)]]
Joe Clark is vice-chairman and a Member of the [[Global Leadership Foundation]], an organization that works to support democratic leadership, prevent and resolve conflict through mediation and promote good governance in the form of democratic institutions, open markets, human rights and the rule of law. It does so by making available, discreetly and in confidence, the experience of former leaders to today's national leaders.  It is a not-for-profit organization composed of former heads of government, senior governmental and international organization officials who work closely with heads of government on governance-related issues of concern to them. He is also a member of Washington D.C. based think tank the [[Inter-American Dialogue]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thedialogue.org/experts/?iad_experttype=75|title=Inter-American Dialogue {{!}} Experts|website=www.thedialogue.org|access-date=11 April 2017|archive-date=February 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202110127/https://www.thedialogue.org/experts/?iad_experttype=75|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Clark sat on the International Advisory Board of Governors of the [[Centre for International Governance Innovation]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cigionline.org/person/joe-clark|title=IBG – Joe Clark |work=The Centre for International Governance Innovation}}</ref> before 2012.

Clark was attacked while walking down the street in [[Montreal]] in mid-November 2007. The attacker first asked him if he was the former prime minister, and when Clark answered that he was, the man struck him and fled. Clark sustained a bloody nose but was not seriously hurt.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=3c274ef7-36d0-47f0-ace0-f4c8bcfd258d |date=December 8, 2007 |title=Former PM Clark punched in attack |work=[[The Gazette (Montreal)|The Gazette]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140511112126/http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=3c274ef7-36d0-47f0-ace0-f4c8bcfd258d |archive-date=May 11, 2014  }}<!-- Previously referenced as: ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'', December 10, 2007, p. A4. --></ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/back-to-normal-former-prime-ministers-reflect-on-return-to-anonymous-civilian-life|title='Back to normal': Former prime ministers reflect on return to anonymous civilian life |first=Tristin |last=Hopper |newspaper=National Post|date=December 19, 2015}}</ref>

He published the book ''How We Lead: Canada in a Century of Change'' in 2013.<ref>''How We Lead: Canada in a Century of Change'', by Joe Clark, 2013, Random House Canada, Toronto, {{ISBN|978-0-307-35907-0}}</ref>

In March 2020, Prime Minister [[Justin Trudeau]] appointed Clark [[special envoy]] for Canada's bid for a UN Security Council seat.  Clark travelled to Algeria, Bahrain, Qatar and Egypt in an effort to seek votes for Canada.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/trudeau-appoints-former-pm-joe-clark-as-special-envoy-for-canadas-bid-for-un-security-council-seat|title=Trudeau appoints former PM Joe Clark as special envoy for Canada's bid for UN Security Council seat |newspaper=National Post |date=3 March 2020}}</ref>

In February 2025, Clark called on Canadians to appeal to their American friends to oppose [[Donald Trump]]'s [[Tariffs in the second Trump administration|tariffs]] amid the [[2025 United States trade war with Canada and Mexico|trade war with the United States]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/trump-threats-joe-clark-1.7459528|title=Reach out and talk to your U.S. friends about tariffs, says ex-PM Joe Clark |newspaper=CBC |date=14 Feb 2025}}</ref>

==Honours==
<div class="center">
[[File:Order of Canada (CC) ribbon bar.svg|100px]] [[File:Alberta Order Excellence ribbon bar.svg|100px]]
<br />
[[File:UK Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal ribbon.svg|100px]] [[File:Canada125 ribbon.png|100px]] [[File:UK Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal ribbon.svg|100px]]
<br />
[[File:QEII Diamond Jubilee Medal ribbon.svg|100px]] [[File:UK King Charles III Coronation Medal BAR.svg|100px]] [[File:ACM ribbon.png|105px]] [[File:Ordre de la Pléiade (Francophonie).gif|108px]]
<br />
</div>

As a former prime minister, Clark is entitled to carry "The Right Honourable" designation for life. Clark was made a Companion of the [[Order of Canada]]. He is a member of the [[Alberta Order of Excellence]]. He was honoured as Commandeur de l'[[Ordre de la Pleiade]] from [[La Francophonie]].  He also holds the [[Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal]] (1977), [[125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal]] (1992), [[Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal]] (2002), [[Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal]] (2012), [[Alberta Centennial Medal]] (2005) and the [[King Charles III Coronation Medal]] (2023).<ref>{{cite web |title=Joe Clark's King Charles III Coronation Medal Citation |url=https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/5431-146639 |website=Governor General of Canada |date=20 June 2025 |access-date=15 November 2025 |language=en}}</ref>  Clark was the first recipient of the [[Vimy Award]]. He is Honorary Chief Bald Eagle of the Samson [[Cree]] Nation.

In 2004, Clark's lifetime achievements were recognized with the Award for Excellence in the Cause of Parliamentary Democracy by Canada's [[Churchill Society]] for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Joe Clark (2004) — The Churchill Society |url=https://www.churchillsociety.org/award/joe-clark |access-date=2023-09-13 |website=The Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy |language=en-CA}}</ref>

On Tuesday, May 27, 2008, Clark's official parliamentary portrait was unveiled during a reception ceremony to be hung in [[Centre Block]] alongside Canada's past prime ministers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lawrence |first=Daina |date=2008-05-27 |title=Joe Clark immortalized in official portrait |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/joe-clark-immortalized-in-official-portrait/article_ab44c0f6-c7be-5a08-8aae-91f0d5fc8285.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240309060830/https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/joe-clark-immortalized-in-official-portrait/article_ab44c0f6-c7be-5a08-8aae-91f0d5fc8285.html |archive-date=2024-03-09 |access-date=2024-03-09 |website=Toronto Star |language=en}}</ref>

In a 1999 survey of Canadian historians Clark was ranked No.15 out of the first 20 prime ministers through [[Jean Chrétien]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Granatstein |first1=J.L. |title=Prime ministers : ranking Canada's leaders |last2=Hillmer |first2=Norman |publisher=HarperCollins |year=1999 |isbn=0-00-200027-X |location=Toronto |pages=10 |language=en}}</ref> The survey was used in the book ''Prime Ministers: Ranking Canada's Leaders'' by [[Jack Granatstein|J.&nbsp;L. Granatstein]] and [[Norman Hillmer]].

École Joe Clark School in High River, Alberta, is named in honour of Clark.

===Order of Canada citation===
Clark was appointed a Companion of the [[Order of Canada]] on October 19, 1994.  His citation reads:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://archive.gg.ca/honours/search-recherche/honours-desc.asp?lang=e&TypeID=orc&id=3342 |title=Order of Canada – Charles Joseph Clark, P.C., C.C., A.O.E., M.A., LL.D. |publisher=Office of the Secretary to the Governor General |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110827151200/http://archive.gg.ca/honours/search-recherche/honours-desc.asp?lang=e&TypeID=orc&id=3342 |archive-date=August 27, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>
{{blockquote|Canada's sixteenth and youngest Prime Minister, he served with distinction as Secretary of State for External Affairs, President of the Privy Council and Minister responsible for Constitutional Affairs. His talent for negotiation and consensus diplomacy has served him well in politics and as Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Cyprus. He has earned the admiration of all Canadians as one of our country's most respected statesmen.}}

==Honorary degrees==
Joe Clark has received honorary degrees from several institutions:

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
! style="width:20%;"| Location
! style="width:20%;"| Date
! style="width:40%;"| School
! style="width:20%;"| Degree
|-
| {{Flagu|New Brunswick}} || '''May 1976''' || [[University of New Brunswick]] || [[Doctor of Laws]] (LL.D)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lib.unb.ca/archives/HonoraryDegrees/results.php?action=browse&offset=0&name=Clark,%20charles%20Joseph |title=UNB Honorary Degrees Database |work=University of New Brunswick |access-date=2 August 2016}}</ref>
|-
| {{Flagu|Alberta}} || '''1984''' || [[University of Calgary]] ||<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ucalgary.ca/pubs/calendar/current/who-honorary-degree-recipients.html |title=Honorary Degree Recipients |publisher=University of Calgary |access-date=2 August 2016 |archive-date=August 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803090044/http://www.ucalgary.ca/pubs/calendar/current/who-honorary-degree-recipients.html }}</ref>
|-
| {{Flagu|Alberta}} || '''1985''' || [[University of Alberta]] || [[Doctor of Laws]] (LL.D)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.senate.ualberta.ca/HonoraryDegrees/PastHonoraryDegreeRecipients.aspx#C |title=Past Honorary Degree Recipients |publisher=University of Alberta |access-date=2 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304185921/http://www.senate.ualberta.ca/HonoraryDegrees/PastHonoraryDegreeRecipients.aspx#C |archive-date=March 4, 2016 }}</ref>
|-
| {{Flagu|Quebec}} || '''November 1994''' || [[Concordia University]] || [[Doctor of Laws]] (LL.D)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://archives.concordia.ca/clark |title=Honorary Degree Citation – Joe Clark |publisher=Concordia University Archives |access-date=2 August 2016 |archive-date=January 2, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102090545/http://archives.concordia.ca/clark }}</ref>
|-
| {{Flagu|Ontario}} || '''Spring 2009''' || [[York University]] || [[Doctor of Laws]] (LL.D)<ref>{{cite web|author=Current Students |url=http://secretariat.info.yorku.ca/senate/sub-committee-on-honorary-degrees-and-ceremonials/honorary-degree-recipients/#C |title=Honorary Degree Recipients |publisher=Secretariat.info.yorku.ca |date=July 28, 2016 |access-date=2 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150318112748/http://secretariat.info.yorku.ca/senate/sub-committee-on-honorary-degrees-and-ceremonials/honorary-degree-recipients/ |archive-date=March 18, 2015 }}</ref>
|-
| {{Flagu|Ontario}} || '''2010''' || [[Carleton University]] || [[Doctor of Laws]] (LL.D)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://carleton.ca/senate/honorary-degrees/honorary-degrees-awarded-since-1954/ |title=Honorary Degrees Awarded Since 1954 |publisher=Carleton.ca |access-date=2 August 2016}}</ref>
|-
| {{Flagu|British Columbia}} || '''May 24, 2012''' || [[University of British Columbia]] || [[Doctor of Laws]] (LL.D)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://graduation.ubc.ca/event/honorary-degrees/2012-honorary-degree-recipients/the-right-honourable-joseph-clark/|title = The Right Honourable Joseph Clark |work=University of British Columbia}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/hdcites/hdcites14.html#clark|title = UBC Archives – Honorary Degree Citations – 2008-12 |work=University of British Columbia}}</ref>
|-
| {{Flagu|Quebec}} || '''June 3, 2015''' || [[McGill University]] || [[Doctor of Laws]] (LL.D)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.mcgill.ca/senate/files/senate/list_of_mcgill_honorary_degree_recipients_from_1935_to_spring_2018.pdf |title=List of McGill Honorary Degree Recipients from 1935 to Spring 2018 |work=McGill University |access-date=January 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726072203/https://www.mcgill.ca/senate/files/senate/list_of_mcgill_honorary_degree_recipients_from_1935_to_spring_2018.pdf |archive-date=July 26, 2018 }}</ref>
|-
| {{Flagu|Alberta}} || '''1993''' || [[MacEwan University]] || Distinguished Citizen Award
|-
| {{Flagu|Alberta}} || '''{{nbsp}}''' || [[Southern Alberta Institute of Technology]] ||
|-
| {{Flagu|Nova Scotia}} || '''{{nbsp}}''' || [[University of King's College]] ||
|-
| {{Flagu|Minnesota}} || '''{{nbsp}}''' || [[University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)|University of St. Thomas]] ||
|-
|{{Flagu|Ontario}} || '''November 17, 2023''' || [[Queen's University at Kingston|Queen's University]] || <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/fall-convocation-wraps-honorary-degree-former-prime-minister/|title = Fall Convocation wraps up with honorary degree for former prime minister | publisher=Queen's Gazette |access-date=6 March 2024}}</ref>
|
|}

{{Incomplete list|date=October 2015}}

==Arms==
{{Infobox COA wide
|image =
|bannerimage =
|badgeimage =
|notes = Per pale Azure and Or a flat bed printing press above a bar gemel wavy in base all counterchanged on a canton the mark of the Prime Ministership of Canada (Argent four maple leaves conjoined in cross at the stem Gules). '''Symbolism:''' The printing press symbolizes the involvement of Mr. Clark and his family with newspapers and journalism. The wavy bars refer to High River, Alberta, his birthplace, and the division of the shield alludes to its location at the point where the foothills, represented by the blue, become the prairies, represented by the gold. The heraldic emblem of the Prime Minister of Canada appears in the upper left.<ref>{{citation|title=Canadian Heraldic Authority (Volume II)
|year=1994 |publisher=Ottawa|page=369}}</ref>
|arms =
|crest = A demi lion Or gorged with a collar of wild roses Gules holding in the dexter forepaw a carpenter's square Azure and in the sinister forepaw a quill pen Or. '''Symbolism:''' The lion, a creature of determination and strength of purpose, is one of the supporters of the arms of Canada. Here, it is used to represent Mr. Clark's service to the Canadian people in parliament. The wild roses are the provincial flower of Alberta. The quill pen represents journalism and advocacy through writing. The carpenter's square conveys the idea that Mr. Clark and his wife, Maureen McTeer, are builders through service. It also alludes to the McTeer family name, derived from the Gaelic word for "craftsman".
|torse =
|helm =
|escutcheon =
|supporters = On a grassy mound Vert two bald eagles Argent wings elevated and addorsed Azure each wing charged with a fess chequy Argent and Azure edged Or both eagles gorged with a collar Azure pendant therefrom the Badge of a member of the House of Commons of Canada proper. '''Symbolism:''' The two eagles recall Mr. Clark's Cree name, Honorary Chief Bald Eagle. Their wings are coloured with a chequered band of blue and white, a pattern found in Clark coats of arms in Scotland. Their collars feature the pin worn by the members of the House of Commons, to underscore Mr. Clark's service as a parliamentarian. The grassy mound symbolizes the lawns of Parliament Hill.
|compartment =
|motto = THE RIGHT TO KNOW · THE WILL TO SERVE. '''Symbolism:''' This phrase indicates the Clark family's belief in enabling citizens to meet their responsibilities in an informed way, as well as the family's commitment to serve Canadians.
|orders =
|other_elements =
|banner =
|badge =
|symbolism =
|previous_versions =
}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Canada|Politics}}
* [[List of prime ministers of Canada]]

==Explanatory notes==
{{reflist|group=nb}}

== Citations ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
===Archives===
* {{cite archive |collection=Joe Clark fonds |date=1903-2004 |institution=[[Library and Archives Canada]] |location=Ottawa, Ontario |collection-url=http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.redirect?app=fonandcol&id=107137&lang=eng}}

===Bibliography===
{{main|List of books about Prime Ministers of Canada}}
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last1=Brown |first1=Patrick |author1-link=Patrick Brown (journalist) |last2=Chodos |first2=Robert |last3=Murphy |first3=Rae |title=Winners, Losers: The 1976 Tory Leadership Convention |date=1976 |publisher=James Lorimer & Company |location=Toronto |isbn=0-88862-104-3 |url=https://archive.org/details/winnerslosers1970000brow |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |title=Joe Clark: A Portrait |author1-link=David L. Humphreys |last1=Humphreys |first1=David L. |location=Toronto |year=1978 |publisher=Deneau and Greenberg Publishers Ltd. |isbn=0-00-216169-9}}
* {{cite book |title=Joe Clark: The Emerging Leader |first1=Michael |last1=Nolan |location=Toronto |year=1978 |publisher=Fitzhenry & Whiteside
 |isbn=0-88902-436-7}}
* ''One-Eyed Kings'', by Ron Graham, Toronto, 1986, Collins Publishers.
* ''The Insiders: Government, Business, and the Lobbyists'', by [[John Sawatsky]], 1987.
* ''Prime Ministers of Canada'', by Jim Lotz, 1987.
* ''Mulroney: The Politics of Ambition'', by [[John Sawatsky]], Toronto, 1991, MacFarlane, Walter, and Ross Publishers.
* ''Memoirs'', by [[Pierre Trudeau|Pierre Elliott Trudeau]], Toronto, 1993, [[McClelland & Stewart]] Publishers, {{ISBN|0-7710-8587-7}}.
* ''Memoirs 1939–1993'', by [[Brian Mulroney]], 2007.
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{Canadian Parliament links|ID=6804}}

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