Overview

Diplomacy works better than bluster, as John Hart knew well. Hart, an Irish immigrant with a talent for compromise and a famously winning smile, was at the heart of BC politics for much of the first half of the twentieth century. Drawing on government records, politicians' papers, and newspaper reports, John Hart illuminates his achievements as finance minister and premier. A businessman and Liberal, Hart managed British Columbia's finances during both world wars and the Depression. As premier during much of the Second World War, he led a coalition with the Conservatives that provided businesslike governance and established the persistent BC political theme of free enterprise versus socialism. This lively account helps fill a significant gap in the political and economic history of British Columbia.

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9780774872515

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Reviews

""At a time when most premiers were excelling at being bombastic and disruptive, John Hart, in his restrained political and personal style, remained committed to workable solutions. Through Roy's considerable and impressive research, John Hart demonstrates that there remains another way to hold public office - a much-needed lesson today.""-- ""Jonathan Swainger, professor emeritus, Department of History, University of Northern British Columbia"" ""John Hart gives a particular kind of insight into the practice of politics during a transformative time. Seen at this close range, political history is an extremely valuable window into the inner workings of democracy.""-- ""Shirley Tillotson, professor emeritus, Department of History, Dalhousie University""

Author Information

Patricia E. Roy is a professor emeritus of history at the University of Victoria and a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Her major publications include A White Man's Province, The Oriental Question, and The Triumph of Citizenship, three books on the responses of white Canadians to Chinese and Japanese immigrants and their descendants; Boundless Optimism, a biography of BC premier Sir Richard McBride; and The Collectors, a history of the Royal British Columbia Museum. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia.

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