MONTREAL – Père Fouettard, Grand Vizier, strong man, great chief; The epithets attached to him describe well the role played for more than 10 years by former Minister Marc Lalonde, who died on Sunday at the age of 93.

A skilled strategist, the lawyer by training is inseparable from the government of Pierre Elliot Trudeau, to whom he will be a friend and an indispensable right-hand man.

“Marc Lalonde was brilliant. I remember him and my father sitting around the table and having long and passionate discussions about every topic – including our country, our people and our future. Obviously my dad had a lot of respect for him and as I got a little older and got to know him, I felt the same way,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on Twitter Sunday night.

“And I know a lot of people across the country felt the same way, because the impact Marc has had on Canada cannot be overstated. All in all, he has changed the way we look at health and undoubtedly changed – and saved – countless lives in the process,” added the Prime Minister.

First elected to the Outremont Federal Council in 1972, Marc Lalonde already knew the sense of power, having been senior secretary to Lester B. Pearson and Trudeau.

Born in L’Île-Perrot, the farmer’s son studied law in Montreal, then in Oxford. His education was shaped by Catholic Action, a movement in which many future leaders were active and in which much thought was given to Quebec’s future prior to the Silent Revolution. His eagle profile and serious expression reinforce his image of a severe, even rigorous, man.

He began working as a special adviser to Conservative Attorney General David Fulton on Parliament Hill in Ottawa between 1959 and 1960. However, Lalonde became best known within the Liberal family.

From 1967 to 1968 he worked with the Liberal Prime Minister Pearson. He was one of the key players behind Trudeau’s surprise candidacy in the 1968 Liberal election campaign.

Once prime minister, Trudeau kept him close. In fact, Lalonde became an integral part of the Trudeau administration. As Principal Secretary, no decision or appointment will be made without his consent.

From 1968 to 1972 he was the prime minister’s henchman, doing the dirty work, enforcing discipline and deciding who had access to the boss or not.

During the October 1970 crisis, he worked with the Quebec government during the application of the War Measures Act. When he doesn’t hesitate to confront Trudeau when he disagrees, Marc Lalonde agrees with his leader on the way Quebec is viewed within the federation.

In October 1972 he was elected MP for Outremont and became Minister for Health, a position he held until 1977. When a PQ government arrived in Quebec, Trudeau also put him in charge of federal and provincial government.

“He published a landmark report, later dubbed the ‘Lalonde Report’, in which he argued that promoting good health includes promoting a healthy lifestyle and environment. This idea, now widely accepted, has later made it possible to transform and save lives in Canada and around the world,” said Justin Trudeau.

In 1978 he inherited the judicial portfolio. At the same time, the minister continues to use his influence with the Liberal faction in Quebec to silence those who wish to question the leader’s leadership.

But as Minister for Energy and Natural Resources, Marc Lalonde will be the one to make the biggest splash with the national energy programme. The package of measures aimed at oil self-sufficiency is met with great resentment in the west of the country, where we view this state intervention with skepticism.

In 1982 he took over the management of the Ministry of Finance. But when Prime Minister Trudeau announced his departure from political life in 1984, few believed Lalonde would remain in Ottawa.

When John Turner is elected as the next leader by liberal activists, there is no longer any doubt that Marc Lalonde’s weight has dwindled to a trickle. Still Minister of Finance, he openly launched a campaign to secure the post of Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). He fails, which for him will be a public defeat with bitter aftertaste.

In July 1984 he officially retired and returned to Stikeman Elliot, where he specialized in commercial law. He represents Canada’s interests in numerous trade disputes, for example in the Canadian-Brazilian dispute over regional aircraft.

He also uses his liberal posts to represent the interests of certain companies to the government. The lobbying work of the former health minister in favor of a tobacco company is on everyone’s lips.

In 2005, he returned to the political arena when he agreed to lead Prime Minister Paul Martin’s Liberal campaign in Quebec.

It made headlines again in 2008, in connection with the affair involving arms dealer Karlheinz Schreiber’s thousands of dollars in payments to former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Mr. Lalonde had acted as attorney and lobbyist for Mr. Schreiber’s project.

mass reactions

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said wholeheartedly with those close to Marc Lalonde: “Whether it is finance, justice, sport or the status of women, he has held several positions within the ministers of the Council. And in each of them, he has worked hard to improve the lives of Canadians.”

“Marc has dedicated his life to public service. In 1988 he was awarded the World Health Organization Medal for Distinguished Contribution to Health Policy. The following year he became a Companion of the Order of Canada. He has also served as an Associate Judge at the International Court of Justice, has remained active in local public health and was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame in 2004. He has worked diligently to improve the lives of Canadians. His death is a great loss to this country.”

Federal Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos underscored Marc Lalonde’s contribution to Canadian society: “Mr. Lalonde has dedicated his life to improving the lives of Canadians by defending minority rights and strengthening our public health system. Thank you for everything you have done for our country.”

Current Outremont MP Rachel Bendayan spoke of one of the best elected officers in the history of this riding: “One of Outremont’s best MPs, one of the best justice ministers and a lawyer for international law. A great leader, a great liberal, a great friend of mine. Thank you, dear Marc Lalonde, for everything you have done for our community and our country.”