In 1940 a dashing young veteran of overseas battle while fighting with the RCAF overseas turned to politics and was elected a MP while running under the banner of Liberal PM Mackenzie King. James Sinclair, who was to become the grandfather of none other than Justin Trudeau, proved to be one of the most able MPs of his generation. He was often brave enough to stand in caucus to defend his beliefs.
On this date in 1945, Prime Minister King danged the possibility of a promotion in front of Sinclair. “(I told him) that we were thinking of consolidating three departments of Defence under one man, and associate with him two or three Parliamentary Assistants. I was wondering whether if I were to put forward his name for assistant for Air (Force). Sinclair said he would be very honoured to act as a Parliamentary Assistant. Thanked me very much for having him in mind. He has been retired from the (Royal Canadian) Air Force. Has visited his constituency and everything in good shape. He would be very glad indeed to have any part. Seemed quite happy and pleased.”
King never followed through but his successor, Louis St.-Laurent did, naming the British Columbian to his cabinet as Minister of Fisheries a few years later.
Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist. He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy. A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.