National Network for Equitable Library Service

The Canadian Federal Election of 2006 is a comprehensive analysis of all aspects of the campaign and election that ended the 12-year Liberal reign in Canadian politics and saw the House of Commons shift from one minority government to another. The chapters, composed by leading political writers, commentators, and pollsters, examine the strategies, successes, and blunders of the major players — the Conservatives, Liberals, New Democrats, Bloc Québécois, and Greens — and also explore the role of the media coverage and the performance and influence of public opinion polls.

Three beautiful gothic buildings loom over the Ottawa River just below the historic Chaudiere Falls. They are the seat of Canada's federal government, visited by thousands of people each year. Canada's Parliament Buildings, filled with heraldry and history, instill pride in our country and give visitors a deep sense of being Canadian. Constructed in controversy, and steeped in decades of political lore, the Parliament Buildings have been the stage for the evolution of Canada from a small colony to one of the great nations of the world.

This is the story of a “no military risk” campaign that slowly turned into a nightmare. The book provides new answers to a number of difficult questions beginning with a discussion of why Canadian troops were sent to Hong Kong at the request of the British War Office. Were the British duplicitous in making this request? Was Canadian Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant-General Harry Crerar, guilty of putting his own interests above those of his men in telling the minister of National Defence that there was “no military risk” in sending the “C” Force?

George Brown (1818-1880) was the influential editor of the Toronto Globe, the most powerful newspaper in British North America. He was also leader of the Liberal Party, arch-rival of John A. Macdonald, and the statesman who held the key to Confederation at its most critical stage. This second volume traces the sectional conflict that brought political deadlock by 1864 and makes clear Brown’s vital function in finding a way out. It also sets out in meticulous detail his career after leaving party membership in 1867.

Verbal attacks against Israel for human rights violations have turned into physical attacks against the Jewish community worldwide. How has that happened? This book attempts to explain the phenomenon. Anti-Zionists, whose primary goal is destruction of the State of Israel, use accusations of the worst forms of human rights violations against Israel to delegitimize the state. These accusations criminalize the Jewish population worldwide for actual or presumed support of the State of Israel.

Few issues have polarized Canadians and Americans as much as the abortion debate. In this thoughtful and thought-provoking reflection on the implications the law on abortion has on democracy, Mark MacGuigan brings a much-needed perspective to this controversial subject.

Mackenzie King (1874-1950) was Canada’s tenth and longest serving prime minister and an important figure on the international scene, especially during the Second World War. This book provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of Mackenzie King.

Wilfrid Laurier’s life journey took him from a small Quebec village to the Parliament of Canada. He possessed a rare combination of the common touch and political savvy, which he effectively used to remain prime minister of Canada for fifteen years (1896-1911).

During his 18-year reign as premier of Quebec, Maurice Duplessis dominated the province and shaped it to his image. A brilliant orator and a scathing wit, Duplessis exercised complete control over his caucus and the Cabinet. If he couldn’t get a vote, he bought it. Politics was the fuel that drove his life. He died on the job.

At the age of nine, John Diefenbaker announced, "I'm going to be prime minister when I grow up." He never lost sight of his goal. Diefenbaker was prime minister of Canada from 1957-1963. He believed in social justice, opening up the North, and making things better for western farmers. Canadians responded to his campaign call to "Follow John." This compelling book recreates the tensions of the Diefenbaker era - the time of the Cold War, spy scandals, and the Cuban Missile Crisis - when the world seemed on the brink of nuclear war.