The Icelandic Canadian - 01.09.2004, Qupperneq 11

Vol. 59 #1
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
9
Kevin: You have served sixteen years
in Ottawa as a Liberal member of parlia-
ment for Charleswood-St. James.
Mr. Harvard: Yes, but the riding had
three different names.
Kevin: Could you briefly summarize
your main achievements or contributions
in that period?
Mr. Harvard: Let me preface my
remarks by commenting that as lieutenant-
governor of Manitoba I am a little bit
uncomfortable talking about political
issues. In this office I cannot advocate any
given political position; I am neutral. So let
us tread softly! I find it difficult to set my
experiences as a member of parliament in a
strict hierarchy. My association with pro-
gressive causes provides me with some con-
solation. I worked on the progressive side
of the Liberal Party. I established myself at
the forefront of debate; for example in 1996
we changed the human rights act in anoth-
er step towards ending discrimination
against gays and lesbians. The legislation
does not bare my name, and you will not
find anything tangible, but when you are a
politician and you are debating inside cau-
cus, you get deep satisfaction from associ-
ating with progressive policy and politics.
Again, we did similar things in 1999 with
respect to human rights actions and later
when gay marriage came along as an issue;
I agreed with those courts in support of
widening marriage to include same sex cou-
ples. I supported public health care very
strongly, and issues about the poor such as
the child tax benefit in support of families.
Kevin: Were you surprised when
Governor General Adrien Clarkson
appointed you the 23rd lieutenant-gover-
nor of Manitoba on the advice of Liberal
Prime Minister Paul Martin?
Mr. Harvard: This is how it happened.
In the middle of March the Prime Minister
simply said to me, and there was never any
pressure on me, that possibly the then
mayor of Winnipeg, Glen Murray, would
run for the Party. There was no vacant seat,
and the Prime Minister said that he had to
appoint a new lieutenant-governor. He
thought that as the chief executive officer
of the government, if I was amenable to
this that he would like to see me as the lieu-
tenant-governor, so that Mr. Murray could
run in my seat. I discussed it with my wife,
PHOTO COURTESY OF DEE DEE WESTDAL
In August 2000, John Harvard, MP for Winnipeg-St. James visited with President of Iceland,
Olafur Ragnar Grimson. Also pictured here is Premier of Manitoba, Gary Doer (left).