Don Mazankowski was the Member of Parliament for someplace in Saskatchewn (? I'd have to look it up) during the late 70s and through the 80s.

This was post-Trudeau (I'm an Albertan. I saved my bumper sticker that says "Let the Eastern Bastards Freeze in the Dark" - it was an oil thing), and post a long run for the Liberal Party. He had been in Parliament during much of that time, but when the Conservatives finally won, he really went to town.

He became known as the "Minister of Everything", because over the years it seems he held just about every Cabinet post there was to be held. He came from a business-oriented background and became well known for his common sense, level head and a sense of diplomacy that never allowed anyone to accuse him of any foolishness. It also helped that he was one of those frighteningly smart individuals who was always about 20 steps ahead of everyone else. He was one of those people that everyone listened to, no matter what party they were in.

During leadership conventions, though, he never seemed to get the delegates, which I thought was a damn shame. Instead we got a decade or so of Brian Mulroney who was loathed for his shameless kowtowing to whoever was in power south of the border and blatant favoritism toward anyone who had enough money to impress him. (Like Conrad Black.)

Even later, when the choices was between him, Joe Clark (widely known as "Joe Who?") and a couple of other no-names, he never made it. It was terribly sad, because if anyone could have pulled the party and the country, some say, out of the fire, he had the smarts and experience to do it.

He retired from politics after over 20 years, with one of the most distinguished records that any other parliamentarian could claim. I think that the main strike against him was that he was from the West. The party was afraid that with a Westerner at the helm, they wouldn't be able to win in Ontario and Quebec. Damn shame.