Joe Clark
Joe Clark | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Clark in 1979 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16th Prime Minister of Canada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office June 4, 1979 – March 3, 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Monarch | Elizabeth II | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Governor General | Edward Schreyer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Pierre Trudeau | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Pierre Trudeau | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of the Opposition | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office March 4, 1980 – February 19, 1983 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Pierre Trudeau | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Pierre Trudeau | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Erik Nielsen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office February 22, 1976 – June 3, 1979 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Pierre Trudeau | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Robert Stanfield | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Pierre Trudeau | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office November 14, 1998 – May 31, 2003 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Elsie Wayne (interim) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Peter MacKay | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office February 22, 1976 – February 19, 1983 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Robert Stanfield | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Erik Nielsen (interim) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President of the Privy Council | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office April 21, 1991 – June 24, 1993 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Brian Mulroney | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Don Mazankowski | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Pierre Blais | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister of Justice Attorney General of Canada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Acting December 8, 1988 – January 29, 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Brian Mulroney | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Ray Hnatyshyn | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Doug Lewis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary of State for External Affairs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office September 17, 1984 – April 20, 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Brian Mulroney | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Jean Chrétien | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Barbara McDougall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Charles Joseph Clark June 5, 1939 High River, Alberta, Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Party | Independent (since 2003) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other political affiliations | Progressive Conservative (before 2003) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | Catherine Clark | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | University of Alberta (BA, MA) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation |
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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 served as leader of the Official Opposition from 1976 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1983 and led the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1976 to 1983, and again from 1998 to 2003.
Despite his relative inexperience, Clark rose quickly in federal politics. He was first elected to the House of Commons in 1972 and won the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party in 1976. He led the party to a minority government in the 1979 federal election, defeating the 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 prime minister in Canadian history.
Upon becoming prime minister, Clark introduced 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 non-confidence vote on his first budget in December 1979. The budget defeat triggered the 1980 federal 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 2026, 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. He served in Mulroney's cabinet as Secretary of State for External Affairs from 1984 to 1991 and as President of the Privy Council and Minister responsible for Constitutional Affairs from 1991 to 1993. Clark did not stand for re-election in 1993. From 1993 to 1996, he served as 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 their last general election before the party's eventual dissolution, serving his final term in Parliament from 2000 to 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 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. Clark today serves as a university professor and as president of his own consulting firm.