Douglas Harkness

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Douglas Scott Harkness , PC , OC , GM (born March 29, 1903 in Toronto , † May 2, 1999 in Calgary ) was a Canadian politician . From 1945 to 1972 he was a member of the lower house . He belonged to the progressive-conservative government of John Diefenbaker as Agriculture and Defense Secretary .

biography

Harkness worked as a farmer in his youth . In 1929 he moved to Calgary and studied at the University of Alberta . He then taught as a teacher in the Red Deer area . In 1940 he came to Europe to command an artillery unit with the rank of lieutenant colonel during World War II . He was awarded the George Medal in 1943 for courage and bravery during Operation Husky (Allied invasion of Sicily ) .

Returning to Canada as a war hero, Harkness ran successfully in the 1945 general election in the Calgary East constituency . He was re-elected eight times in a row, representing Calgary North from 1953 and Calgary Center from 1968 . After the election victory of the Progressive Conservative Party in June 1957, he belonged to John Diefenbaker's government and was initially Minister for Northern Affairs and National Resources. Two months later, Harkness took over the helm of the Department of Agriculture. In October 1960 Diefenbaker reshuffled the cabinet and appointed him Secretary of Defense.

Harkness was a proponent of the deployment of nuclear-armed Bomarc missiles on Canadian territory. Various ministers, above all Secretary of State Howard Charles Green , refused to bow to US pressure, while Prime Minister Diefenbaker repeatedly delayed a final decision. Two warring camps formed in the cabinet. The rupture finally occurred on February 3, 1963, when Harkness announced his immediate resignation, sparking a government crisis. The following day Diefenbaker lost a vote of no confidence .

Harkness remained in the House of Commons until 1972. In 1978 he was awarded the Order of Canada , and in 1999 he died in Calgary at the age of 96.

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personal data
SURNAME Harkness, Douglas
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Harkness, Douglas Scott (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Canadian politician
DATE OF BIRTH March 29, 1903
PLACE OF BIRTH Toronto
DATE OF DEATH May 2, 1999
Place of death Calgary